The Caliphate of al-Muttaqī lillāh, Abū Isḥāq Ibrāhīm ibn al-Muqtadir billāh
When his brother al-Rāḍī died, the judges and leading notables assembled in Bajkam’s residence and consulted one another as to whom they should place over them. They were unanimous in choosing this Ibrāhīm, al-Muttaqī lillāh. He was brought to the Palace of the Caliphate, and, just as they were about to invest him, he performed two rakʿas of ṣalāt al-istikhāra (the prayer for seeking guidance) while still on the ground, before mounting the throne. He then ascended the dais, and the people swore allegiance to him on Wednesday, with ten days remaining of Rabīʿ al-Awwal of that same year—329 AH. He removed no one from office and betrayed no one; he did not even interfere with his brother’s concubine, nor did he take her for himself. True to his epithet, he was constant in prayer, fasting, and devotion.
He used to say, “I want none of the courtiers; the muṣḥaf is enough for me as a companion—I desire no other.” The courtiers and boon companions therefore withdrew from him and gathered around Bajkam. They would sit with him, converse, and recite poetry, though—because of his foreign tongue—he understood little of what they said. Among them was Sinān ibn Thābit, the Sabian physician. Bajkam would complain to him of the vehemence of his choleric temper, and Sinān would refine his manners and calm his heart ⦗1⦘, training it until he abandoned, in part, the shedding of blood to which he had been prone.
Al-Muttaqī billāh was handsome, well-proportioned, and short-nosed; his complexion was fair, tinged with redness. His hair showed a hint of blond and was slightly curly, his beard was thick, and his eyes were hazel ⦗2⦘. Noble-spirited, he had never drunk wine; thus, in him, name and deed were in harmony—praise be to Allah.
After al-Muttaqī lillāh had firmly taken the caliphate, he sent envoys and robes of honor to Bajkam, who was in Wāsiṭ, and proclamations were dispatched throughout the provinces announcing his accession.
That same year Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Barīdī and Bajkam fought in the region of Ahwāz. Bajkam was killed in the battle ⦗3⦘, and al-Barīdī prevailed and grew in strength. The caliph sequestered Bajkam’s estates, seizing among other things one million two hundred thousand dinars. Bajkam’s rule over Baghdad had lasted two years, eight months, and nine days.
Al-Barīdī then set his sights on Baghdad. Al-Muttaqī spent vast sums on the troops to stop him and even rode out himself, reaching part of the road to intercept him. Al-Barīdī, however, outmaneuvered him, entered Baghdad on the second of Ramaḍān, and lodged in the Shāfiʿī quarter. When al-Muttaqī learned of this, he sent his congratulations, supplied him with food, and addressed him as “vizier,” though not as “commander of commanders.” Al-Barīdī then demanded five hundred thousand dinars from the caliph; the caliph refused, so he sent.