Ibn Jarir (1) also relates that his mother came in to him during the illness from which he died and asked, “How are you?” He replied, “Both this world and the Hereafter have slipped away from me.”
It is said that, when he was surrounded and had abandoned hope of life, while in the very throes of death (2), he recited:
“My soul found no delight in the worldly gains I won; / Rather, to the Most Generous Lord shall I return.”
He died on Sunday, with five days remaining of Rabiʿ al-Akhir of that same year, at the time of the ʿAsr prayer, aged twenty-five years—some say twenty-five years and six months. There is no disagreement that he held the caliphate for only six months, no more.
Ibn Jarir (3) further reports from one of his companions that, from the moment al-Muntasir assumed power, he kept hearing people—commoners and others alike—say that he would not remain caliph more than six months, just as Shiruwayh son of Kisra survived only six months after killing his father; and events unfolded exactly so.
Al-Muntasir was large-eyed, aquiline-nosed (4), short in stature yet imposing, and of sound physique. He was the first ʿAbbasid caliph whose grave was given an outward marker (5), this being done at the suggestion of his mother, Ḥabashiyya the Roman.
Among his fine sayings is: “By Allah, no man of falsehood has ever enjoyed true honor, even if the moon were to rise from his brow; and no man of truth has ever been truly humbled, even if the whole world were to unite against him.” (6)
The Caliphate of al-Mustaʿin bi-Llah
He is Abu al-ʿAbbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Muʿtasim. He was given the oath of allegiance for the caliphate on the very day al-Muntasir died, and the masses at large pledged to him.
Soon afterward a faction of Turks rebelled, calling out, “O Muʿtazz! O Mansur!” A number of people gathered around them, but the bulk of the army rallied to al-Mustaʿin. Fierce fighting raged for several days; many on both sides were killed, numerous districts of Baghdad were plundered, and great turmoil ensued. In the end, authority settled with al-Mustaʿin, whereupon he dismissed and appointed at will, severed and renewed bonds, and issued commands and prohibitions (7).