Ibn Tumart
Encyclopedia
Abu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Tumart (Berber: Amghar ibn Tumert, Arabic
: أبو عبد الله محمد ابن تومرت, b. 1080 – d. 1130 or 1128) was a Berber
religious
Muslim scholar, teacher and later a political leader from the Masmuda
tribe federation. He founded the Berber Almohad dynasty. He is also known as El-Mahdi
(المهدي) in reference to his prophesied redeeming. In 1125 he began open revolt against Almoravid rule.
The name "Tumert" comes from the Berber language and means "delight" or "happiness", while "ibn" is the Arabic word for "son". The name "ibn Tumert" would then mean "son of happiness".
. Ibn Tumart was the son of a lamplighter in a mosque and had been noted for his piety from his youth. He would light many candles at the tombs of saints and earned the appellation "lover of light."
As a youth, ibn Tumart first travelled to Córdoba, then he performed the pilgrimage to Mecca
, whence he was expelled on account of his severe strictures on the laxity of others. He then moved to Baghdad
, where he attached himself to al-Ash'ari. He made a system of his own by combining the teaching of his master with parts of the doctrines of others, and with mysticism imbibed from the great teacher Ghazali.
Ibn Tumart's main principle was a rigid unitarianism
which denied the existence of the attributes of God as incompatible with his unity and therefore a polytheistic idea. Ibn Tumart represented a revolt against what he perceived as anthropomorphism
in the Muslim orthodoxy, but he was a rigid predestinarian and a strict observer of the law. He also laid blame in these "theological flaws" of the nation upon the ruling dynasty, and declared a Holy War against them. He also blamed them for the public sale of wine in the markets, something the Qur'an
forbids. He also forbade the sale or consumption of pork. Another reform was the destruction or hiding of any type of religious art in mosques. His rule and the rule of the Almohads after were full of reforms
that attempted to turn the area under his control to the times of Mohammad.
. After touching at Tripoli
, he landed in Mahdia
and proceed on to Tunis
and then Bougie
, preaching a puritan, simplistic Islam along the way. Waving his puritanical staff among crowds of listeners, Ibn Tumart complained of the mixing of sexes in public, the production of wine and music, and the fashion of veiling men unveiling women (a custom among the Sanhaja
Berbers that had spread with the Almoravids). He found particular fault with the Maliki
school of Islamic jurisprudence, which was dominant in the Maghreb under the Almoravids
, which he accused of departing from Sunnah
and Hadith
(traditions and sayings of the Prophet and his companions) and relying too much on Ijma
(consensus of the jurists). The writings of al-Ghazali
had been recently proscribed by Almoravid authorities precisely on account of its attacks on the Malikites on the same point. Ibn Tumart openly accused the Almoravids
of impiety and obscuratism.
Hurried out of towns by nervous authorities, Ibn Tumart set himself up at an encampment in Mallala (the outskirts of Béjaïa
), where he began receiving his first followers and adherents, notably Abd al-Mu'min
and al-Bashir, and forging a plan of political action.
In 1120, Ibn Tumart and his small band of followers headed west into Morocco
. The Almoravid Amir at that time, Ali ibn Yusuf
, put him to test through a debate with the scholars of Fez
. The result of the debate was that the scholars reached the conclusion that ibn Tumart's views were radical and that he should be put in jail. The Amir, however, allowed him to escape unpunished.
Ibn Tumart, who had been driven from several other towns for exhibitions of reforming zeal, now took refuge among his own people, the Masmuda
, in the Atlas. Although persecuted by the authorities, he enjoyed a wide popularity on account of his ascetic life style, and his one-minded zeal in destroying every jug of wine in sight. He also was one of the first to bring a radical reforming message to the Muslims in the Atlas mountains. His popularity soon affected his mind, and he developed subtle signs of megalomania, as often occurs among popular religious leaders. He declared himself a descendant
of Muhammad
and set himself up as Mahdi
, calling his followers to arms. He believed that it was his job as Mahdi
to purify the Muslim faith by forcing those he met to follow his ways or be killed.
It is highly probable Ibn Tumart's influence would not have outlived him if he had not found a lieutenant in Abd al-Mu'min
, another Berber, from Algeria
, who was undoubtedly a soldier and statesman of a high order. When Ibn Tumart died in 1128 at Ribat which he had founded in the Atlas at Tin Mal
, after suffering a severe defeat by the Almoravids, Abd al-Mu'min kept his death secret for two years, until his own influence was established. He then came forward as the lieutenant of Ibn Tumart. Between 1130 and his death in 1163, Abd al-Mu'min
not only defeated the Almoravids, but extended his power over all northern Africa as far as Egypt
, becoming emir of Morocco
in 1149. Al-Andalus
followed the fate of Africa, and in 1170 the Muwahhids transferred their capital to Seville
, a step followed by the founding of the great mosque, now superseded by the cathedral, the tower of which they erected in 1184 to mark the accession of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur. From the time of Yusuf II, however, they governed Al-Andalus
and Central North Africa through lieutenants, their dominions outside Morocco being treated as provinces.
, outside of Bougie, in 1119-20); others were local leaders drawn from the local Masmuda Berbers of the High Atlas
and Little Atlas. Although the list has some variations and there is some dispute in names, the Council of Ten if frequently identified as follows:
Of the Council of Ten, five were killed at al-Bahira in 1130, two died in subsequent years, and only three survived well into the height of the Almohad empire (Abd al-Mu'min
, Omar Hintata and Ismail al-Hazraji)
Outside the Council of Ten, there was a wider Council of Fifty drawing from sheikhs of the major Masmuda Berber tribes (Hargha, Haskoura, Hintata, Gadmiwa, Ganfisa, Hazraya) of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas.
princes had a longer career than the Almoravids. Yusuf II or "Abu Ya'qub" (1163–1184), and Ya'qub I or "al-Mansur" (1184–1199), the successors of Abd al-Mumin, were both able men. They were fanatical, and their tyranny drove numbers of their Jewish and Christian subjects to take refuge in the growing Christian states of Portugal
, Castile
and Aragon
. Ya'qub al Mansur was a highly accomplished man, who wrote a good Arabic style and who protected the philosopher Averroes
. His title of al-Mansur, "The Victorious," was earned by the defeat he inflicted on Alfonso VIII of Castile in the Battle of Alarcos
. But the Christian states in Iberian Peninsula
were becoming too well organized to be overrun by the Muslims, and the Muwahhids made no permanent advance against them. In 1212 Muhammad III
, "al-Nasir" (1199–1214), the successor of al-Mansur, was utterly defeated by the allied five Christian princes of Castile, Navarre
and Portugal
, at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
in the Sierra Morena
. All the Moorish dominions in the Iberian Peninsula
were lost in the next few years, partly by the Christian conquest of Andalusia
, and partly by the revolt of the Muslims of Granada
, who put themselves under the protection of the Christian kings and became their vassals.
The orthodoxy of the Almohad
s did not prevent them from encouraging the establishment of Christians even in Fez
, and after the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
they occasionally entered into alliances with the kings of Castile
. In Africa they were successful in expelling the garrisons placed in some of the coast towns by the Norman kings of Sicily. The history of their decline differs from that of the Almoravids, whom they had displaced. They were not assailed by a great religious movement, but destroyed piecemeal by the revolt of tribes and districts. Their most effective enemies were the Bani Marin
who founded the next Moroccan dynasty. The last representative of the line, Idris II
, "El Wathiq"' was reduced to the possession of Marrakech
, where he was murdered by a slave in 1269.
Vincent J. Cornell, in: Studia Islamica, No. 66 (1987), pp. 71–103, JSTOR: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0585-5292(1987)66%3C71%3AUITMOA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: أبو عبد الله محمد ابن تومرت, b. 1080 – d. 1130 or 1128) was a Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
Muslim scholar, teacher and later a political leader from the Masmuda
Masmuda
The Masmuda were a Berber tribal confederacy of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: The Berghouatas, Ghumaras , Hintatas , Tinmelel, Hergha, Genfisa, Seksiwa, Gedmiwa, Hezerdja, Urika, Guerouanes, Bni...
tribe federation. He founded the Berber Almohad dynasty. He is also known as El-Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
(المهدي) in reference to his prophesied redeeming. In 1125 he began open revolt against Almoravid rule.
The name "Tumert" comes from the Berber language and means "delight" or "happiness", while "ibn" is the Arabic word for "son". The name "ibn Tumert" would then mean "son of happiness".
Life
Ibn Tumert was a member of the Masmuda (Berber: imesmuden), a major Berber tribe of the Atlas MountainsAtlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
. Ibn Tumart was the son of a lamplighter in a mosque and had been noted for his piety from his youth. He would light many candles at the tombs of saints and earned the appellation "lover of light."
As a youth, ibn Tumart first travelled to Córdoba, then he performed the pilgrimage to Mecca
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
, whence he was expelled on account of his severe strictures on the laxity of others. He then moved to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, where he attached himself to al-Ash'ari. He made a system of his own by combining the teaching of his master with parts of the doctrines of others, and with mysticism imbibed from the great teacher Ghazali.
Ibn Tumart's main principle was a rigid unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
which denied the existence of the attributes of God as incompatible with his unity and therefore a polytheistic idea. Ibn Tumart represented a revolt against what he perceived as anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
in the Muslim orthodoxy, but he was a rigid predestinarian and a strict observer of the law. He also laid blame in these "theological flaws" of the nation upon the ruling dynasty, and declared a Holy War against them. He also blamed them for the public sale of wine in the markets, something the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
forbids. He also forbade the sale or consumption of pork. Another reform was the destruction or hiding of any type of religious art in mosques. His rule and the rule of the Almohads after were full of reforms
Almohad Reforms
The golden age for Jews in Spain is considered to be under the relative lax rule of the Muslim Caliphates in al-Andalus. It was generally a time when Jews were free to conduct business, participate in government, and practice their religion without fear of persecution. However, to say that...
that attempted to turn the area under his control to the times of Mohammad.
Political activities
At the age of twenty-eight, Ibn Tumart returned to the MaghrebMaghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
. After touching at Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, he landed in Mahdia
Mahdia
Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax. It is important for the associated fish-processing industry, as well as weaving. It is the capital of Mahdia Governorate.- History :...
and proceed on to Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and then Bougie
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
, preaching a puritan, simplistic Islam along the way. Waving his puritanical staff among crowds of listeners, Ibn Tumart complained of the mixing of sexes in public, the production of wine and music, and the fashion of veiling men unveiling women (a custom among the Sanhaja
Sanhaja
The Sanhaja or Senhaja were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations of the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and Masmuda...
Berbers that had spread with the Almoravids). He found particular fault with the Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
school of Islamic jurisprudence, which was dominant in the Maghreb under the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
, which he accused of departing from Sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
and Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
(traditions and sayings of the Prophet and his companions) and relying too much on Ijma
Ijma
Ijmāʿ is an Arabic term referring to the consensus of the Muslim community. Various schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence may define this consensus as that of the first generation of Muslims only; the consensus of the first three generations of Muslims; the consensus of the jurists...
(consensus of the jurists). The writings of al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali
Abu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī , known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia was a Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic....
had been recently proscribed by Almoravid authorities precisely on account of its attacks on the Malikites on the same point. Ibn Tumart openly accused the Almoravids
Almoravids
The Almoravids were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 C.E...
of impiety and obscuratism.
Hurried out of towns by nervous authorities, Ibn Tumart set himself up at an encampment in Mallala (the outskirts of Béjaïa
Béjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
), where he began receiving his first followers and adherents, notably Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
and al-Bashir, and forging a plan of political action.
In 1120, Ibn Tumart and his small band of followers headed west into Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The Almoravid Amir at that time, Ali ibn Yusuf
Ali ibn Yusuf
Ali ibn Yusuf was the 5th Almoravid king he reigned 1106–1143.-Biography:Ali was recognized as the heir of his father Yusuf ibn Tashfin in 1102. He succeeded his father upon his death in 1106. Ali ruled from Morocco and appointed his brother Tamin ibn Yusuf as governor of Al-Andalus...
, put him to test through a debate with the scholars of Fez
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. The result of the debate was that the scholars reached the conclusion that ibn Tumart's views were radical and that he should be put in jail. The Amir, however, allowed him to escape unpunished.
Ibn Tumart, who had been driven from several other towns for exhibitions of reforming zeal, now took refuge among his own people, the Masmuda
Masmuda
The Masmuda were a Berber tribal confederacy of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: The Berghouatas, Ghumaras , Hintatas , Tinmelel, Hergha, Genfisa, Seksiwa, Gedmiwa, Hezerdja, Urika, Guerouanes, Bni...
, in the Atlas. Although persecuted by the authorities, he enjoyed a wide popularity on account of his ascetic life style, and his one-minded zeal in destroying every jug of wine in sight. He also was one of the first to bring a radical reforming message to the Muslims in the Atlas mountains. His popularity soon affected his mind, and he developed subtle signs of megalomania, as often occurs among popular religious leaders. He declared himself a descendant
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and set himself up as Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
, calling his followers to arms. He believed that it was his job as Mahdi
Mahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
to purify the Muslim faith by forcing those he met to follow his ways or be killed.
It is highly probable Ibn Tumart's influence would not have outlived him if he had not found a lieutenant in Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
, another Berber, from Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, who was undoubtedly a soldier and statesman of a high order. When Ibn Tumart died in 1128 at Ribat which he had founded in the Atlas at Tin Mal
Tin Mal
Tin Mal is a small mountain village in the High Atlas 100 km from Marrakech, Morocco. It is considered the cradle of the Almohad empire, from where the Almohads started their military campaigns against the Almoravids in the early 12th century.- History :With the seizure of Marrakech in 1147,...
, after suffering a severe defeat by the Almoravids, Abd al-Mu'min kept his death secret for two years, until his own influence was established. He then came forward as the lieutenant of Ibn Tumart. Between 1130 and his death in 1163, Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
not only defeated the Almoravids, but extended his power over all northern Africa as far as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, becoming emir of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in 1149. Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
followed the fate of Africa, and in 1170 the Muwahhids transferred their capital to Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, a step followed by the founding of the great mosque, now superseded by the cathedral, the tower of which they erected in 1184 to mark the accession of Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur. From the time of Yusuf II, however, they governed Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
and Central North Africa through lieutenants, their dominions outside Morocco being treated as provinces.
The Council of Ten
Around 1120-21, Ibn Tumart organized an inner 'Council of Ten' (al-Jama'a al-'Ashara) composed of the ten who had first borne witness to Ibn Tumart as mahdi. Several of them were drawn from the core of followers that Ibn Tumart had picked up in Ifriqiya (esp. while holding camp at MallalaMallala
Mallala may refer to:*Mallala, South Australia, a town on the northern Adelaide Plains*Mallala Motor Sport Park, a motor racing circuit north of the town*RAAF Base Mallala, the previous use of the site of the racing circuit...
, outside of Bougie, in 1119-20); others were local leaders drawn from the local Masmuda Berbers of the High Atlas
High Atlas
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa.The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly...
and Little Atlas. Although the list has some variations and there is some dispute in names, the Council of Ten if frequently identified as follows:
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Abd Allah ibn Muhsin al-Wansharisi (known as al-Bashir) | Scholar from Oran, prob. adhered at Mallala, Became Ibn Tumart's early right-hand-man and strategist, known as 'the Herald' (al-Bashir) Killed in 1130 battle of al-Buhayra |
| Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :... ibn Ali |
originally of Kumiya (near Tlemcen), adhered at Mallala, Zenata Zenata Zenata were an ethnic group of North Africa, who were technically an Eastern Berber group and who are found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.... Berber, known as 'the Lamp of the Almohads' (Siraj al-Muwahhidin) Became Almohad emir and caliph after Ibn Tumart in 1130 |
| Abd Allah ibn Ya'la (known as Ibn Malwiya) | prob. adhered at Mallala, later appointed to the Ganfisa, rebelled against Abd al-Mu'min at succession, defeated and executed 1132 |
| Omar ibn Ali al-Sanhaji (known as Omar Asanag) | Prob. adhered at Mallala, a Senhaja Berber. Died c. 1142 of natural causes. |
| Abu al-Rabi'a Sulayman ibn Makhluf al-Hadrati (known as Ibn al-Baqqal or simply Sulayman al-Hadrati) | Arab or Arabized Berber secretary of Ibn Tumart, Killed in 1130 battle of al-Buhayra |
| Abu Muhammad Abd al-Wahid ash-Sharqi | From Bougie, not much is known. Possibly killed in 1130 battle of al-Buhayra? |
| Abu Ibrahim Ismail Ibn Yasallali al-Hazraji (known as Ismail Igig or Ismail al-Hazraji) | chieftain of Hazraya Berbers, who spirited Ibn Tumart from Aghmat to the High Atlas in 1120, later appointed to lead Ibn Tumart's own Haghra tribe of the Anti-Atlas |
| Abu Hafs Omar ibn Yahya al-Hintati (known as Omar Inti or Omar Hintata) | chief of the Hintata Berbers of the High Atlas, major military leader and right-hand-man of Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :... , stem of the later Hafsids of Tunisia |
| Abu Yahya Abu Bakr Ibn Iggit | Not much known. Killed in 1130 battle of al-Buhayra Son would briefly serve as Almohad governor of Cordoba. |
| Abu 'Imran Mussa Ibn Tammara al-Gadmiyuwi | chieftain of the Gadmiwa Berbers of the High Atlas, Killed in 1130 battle of al-Buhayra |
Of the Council of Ten, five were killed at al-Bahira in 1130, two died in subsequent years, and only three survived well into the height of the Almohad empire (Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min
Abd al-Mu'min also known as Abdelmoumen El Goumi was a Zenata Berber prominent member of the Almohad movement. He became the first Caliph of the Almohad Empire .- Early life :...
, Omar Hintata and Ismail al-Hazraji)
Outside the Council of Ten, there was a wider Council of Fifty drawing from sheikhs of the major Masmuda Berber tribes (Hargha, Haskoura, Hintata, Gadmiwa, Ganfisa, Hazraya) of the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas.
The Almohads after Ibn Tumart
The AlmohadAlmohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
princes had a longer career than the Almoravids. Yusuf II or "Abu Ya'qub" (1163–1184), and Ya'qub I or "al-Mansur" (1184–1199), the successors of Abd al-Mumin, were both able men. They were fanatical, and their tyranny drove numbers of their Jewish and Christian subjects to take refuge in the growing Christian states of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
and Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. Ya'qub al Mansur was a highly accomplished man, who wrote a good Arabic style and who protected the philosopher Averroes
Averroes
' , better known just as Ibn Rushd , and in European literature as Averroes , was a Muslim polymath; a master of Aristotelian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Islamic theology, Maliki law and jurisprudence, logic, psychology, politics, Arabic music theory, and the sciences of medicine, astronomy,...
. His title of al-Mansur, "The Victorious," was earned by the defeat he inflicted on Alfonso VIII of Castile in the Battle of Alarcos
Battle of Alarcos
Battle of Alarcos , was a battle between the Almohads led by Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur and King Alfonso VIII of Castile. It resulted in the defeat of the Castilian forces and their subsequent retreat to Toledo whereas the Almohads conquered back Trujillo, Montánchez and Talavera.-Background:In...
. But the Christian states in Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
were becoming too well organized to be overrun by the Muslims, and the Muwahhids made no permanent advance against them. In 1212 Muhammad III
Muhammad an-Nasir
Muhammad an-Nasir was the Almohad caliph from 1198 until his death.- Biography :...
, "al-Nasir" (1199–1214), the successor of al-Mansur, was utterly defeated by the allied five Christian princes of Castile, Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
in the Sierra Morena
Sierra Morena
The Sierra Morena is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It stretches for 400 kilometres East-West across southern Spain, forming the southern border of the Meseta Central plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, and providing the watershed between the valleys of the Guadiana to the...
. All the Moorish dominions in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
were lost in the next few years, partly by the Christian conquest of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, and partly by the revolt of the Muslims of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, who put themselves under the protection of the Christian kings and became their vassals.
The orthodoxy of the Almohad
Almohad
The Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
s did not prevent them from encouraging the establishment of Christians even in Fez
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, and after the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab , took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain...
they occasionally entered into alliances with the kings of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
. In Africa they were successful in expelling the garrisons placed in some of the coast towns by the Norman kings of Sicily. The history of their decline differs from that of the Almoravids, whom they had displaced. They were not assailed by a great religious movement, but destroyed piecemeal by the revolt of tribes and districts. Their most effective enemies were the Bani Marin
Marinid
The Marinid dynasty or Benemerine dynasty was a Zenata Berber dynasty of Morocco. The Marinid dynasty overtook the Almohads in controlling Morocco in 1244. They controlled most of the Maghreb from the mid-14th century to the 15th century and supported the Kingdom of Granada in Al-Andalus in the...
who founded the next Moroccan dynasty. The last representative of the line, Idris II
Idris II
Idris II was son of Idris I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in North Africa. He was born in Volubilis two months after the death of his father.-History:...
, "El Wathiq"' was reduced to the possession of Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, where he was murdered by a slave in 1269.
External links
- Understanding Is the Mother of Ability: Responsibility and Action in the Doctrine of Ibn Tumart, by
Vincent J. Cornell, in: Studia Islamica, No. 66 (1987), pp. 71–103, JSTOR: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0585-5292(1987)66%3C71%3AUITMOA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E
- Biography on 'Muslim philosophy': http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ei2/mahdi.htm
- Introduction to "Livre de Mohammed Ibn Toumert, Mahdi des Almohades", text arabe, ed. Goldziher, 1903 (PDF-file, in French)http://www.ghazali.org/books/goldziher-1903.pdf
- The Almohad Tawhid: Theology Which Relies On Logic by Madeleine Fletcher. Numen, Volume 38, Number 1, 1991, pp. 110–127. http://brill.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/num/1991/00000038/00000001/art00006