—the caliph’s army—whereupon his followers scattered. The commander of the detachment, Rajāʾ ibn Ayyūb, conveyed him until he brought him before al-Muʿtaṣim. The Caliph reproached him for the delay; he pleaded that the man had been surrounded by one hundred thousand fighters or more, and that he had only kept trading time with him until he could seize him. Al-Muʿtaṣim thanked him for this ⦗1⦘.
[Ibn ʿAsākir relates the story at length in his biographical work on those known by their kunyas] ⦗2⦘.
Notice of al-Muʿtaṣim’s Death
On Thursday, two hours after sunrise, the 18th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal of this same year, Abū Isḥāq Muḥammad al-Muʿtaṣim ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd ibn al-Mahdī ibn al-Manṣūr passed away.
A Biographical Sketch of the Caliph al-Muʿtaṣim ⦗3⦘
He was the Commander of the Faithful, Abū Isḥāq Muḥammad al-Muʿtaṣim, son of the Commander of the Faithful Hārūn al-Rashīd, son of the Commander of the Faithful Muḥammad, son of the Commander of the Faithful Abū Jaʿfar ʿAbd Allāh al-Manṣūr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-ʿAbbās.
He was nicknamed “al-Muthamman” (the “Eighth”) for several reasons:
• He was the eighth son of al-ʿAbbās;
• the eighth caliph descended from him;
• and he achieved eight notable conquests:
[the realm of Bābak at the hands of al-Afshīn; Amorium, which he captured in person; the Zutt put down by ʿUjayf; the Sea of Basra; the fortress of al-Ajrāf; the Bedouin of the Diyār Rabīʿa; al-Shārik; and the reconquest of Egypt after its revolt.
Others count eight foes instead: Bābak, Māzyār, Yāṭā the Byzantine, al-Afshīn, the chief of the Zanādiqa, ʿUjayf, Qārin, and the leader of the Rāfiḍa] ⦗4⦘.
• He ruled for eight years, eight months, and eight days—some add: and two days.
• He was born in 180 AH, in Shaʿbān, the eighth month.
• He died at the age of forty-eight ⦗5⦘.
• He left eight sons and eight daughters.
• He entered Baghdad from Syria as caliph on the first of Ramaḍān 218 AH, after eight full months of the year had elapsed, following the death of his brother al-Maʾmūn at Ṭarṭūs, as previously mentioned.
They say he was illiterate and unable to write. The reason given is that a boy used to accompany him to the kuttāb (elementary school); when the boy died, al-Muʿtaṣim told his father, “So-and-so has died and is now at rest from the school.” Hārūn al-Rashīd replied, “Then do not go to the kuttāb.”