Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Muhajir
Encyclopedia
Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Muhajir (?-?) was an Umayyad
governor of Ifriqiya
(North Africa) from 718
to 720
.
Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abu al-Muhajir (or al-Muhajjar) was from a client tribe of the Quraysh and ostensibly a grandson of Abu al-Muhajir
(a former governor of Ifriqiya
).
In 718, Ismail ibn Abd Allah was appointed by Caliph Omar II to replace his predecessor's appointee, the unpopular Muhammad ibn Yazid. Ismail was one of the new crop of Omar II's competent governors, with instructions to improve the Kairouan
administration and pursue the integration of non-Arab Muslims into the empire, rather than treat them as conquered peoples. As such, Ismail encouraged conversions among the Berbers
of North Africa and curbed the abuses of the Arab military caste. Ismail adhered to Islamic law
and eliminated extraordinary taxes and slave-tributes on Berber populations. He is credited for completing the conversion of the Berber
population to Islam
.
In a curious note, Ismail ibn Abd Allah was the first and only Umayyad
governor of Ifriqiya
who was not given supervisory authority over Iberia (al-Andalus
). In an unusual step, Caliph Omar II decided to appoint Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani
as the governor of al-Andalus directly, and made him directly answerable to Damascus
, rather than going through Kairouan
.
Ismail ibn Abd Allah's tenure was competent but short. He was relieved of his post in 720 by Omar II's successor, Caliph Sulayman and replaced by the dubious Yazid ibn Abi Muslim
as governor in Kairouan
.
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
governor of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
(North Africa) from 718
718
Year 718 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 718 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Tervel's reign as monarch of Bulgaria...
to 720
720
Year 720 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 720 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Nihon Shoki , one of the oldest history...
.
Ismail ibn Abd Allah ibn Abu al-Muhajir (or al-Muhajjar) was from a client tribe of the Quraysh and ostensibly a grandson of Abu al-Muhajir
Abu al-Muhajir Dinar
Abu al-Muhajir Dinar , amir of Ifriqiya under the Umayyads. His biography is complicated by the existence of two versions of the history of the Umayyad conquest of North Africa, those written before the 11th century and those written later....
(a former governor of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
).
In 718, Ismail ibn Abd Allah was appointed by Caliph Omar II to replace his predecessor's appointee, the unpopular Muhammad ibn Yazid. Ismail was one of the new crop of Omar II's competent governors, with instructions to improve the Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
administration and pursue the integration of non-Arab Muslims into the empire, rather than treat them as conquered peoples. As such, Ismail encouraged conversions among the Berbers
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...
of North Africa and curbed the abuses of the Arab military caste. Ismail adhered to Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
and eliminated extraordinary taxes and slave-tributes on Berber populations. He is credited for completing the conversion of the 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...
population to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
In a curious note, Ismail ibn Abd Allah was the first and only Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
governor of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
who was not given supervisory authority over Iberia (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...
). In an unusual step, Caliph Omar II decided to appoint Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani
Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani
Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani was the Arab governor general of the Muslim occupied region of the Iberian Peninsula called Al-Andalus from between 718 and 721.He led a Muslim incursion into southern France in the early part of the 8th century...
as the governor of al-Andalus directly, and made him directly answerable to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, rather than going through Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
.
Ismail ibn Abd Allah's tenure was competent but short. He was relieved of his post in 720 by Omar II's successor, Caliph Sulayman and replaced by the dubious Yazid ibn Abi Muslim
Yazid ibn Abi Muslim
Abu'l-Ala Yazid ibn Abi Muslim Dinar was the Umayyad governor of Ifriqiya from 720 until his assassination in 721.Yazid ibn Abi Muslim was of the Arab tribe of Thaqif. He served in the administration of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the Umayyad governor of Wasit . He rose in the ranks to become...
as governor in Kairouan
Kairouan
Kairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
.
See also
- IfriqiyaIfriqiyaIn medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
- History of early Islamic TunisiaHistory of early Islamic TunisiaThe History of early Islamic Tunisia opens with the arrival of the Arabs who brought their language and the religion of Islam, and its calendar. The Arab conquest followed strategy designed by the Umayyad Caliphate regarding ist long-term conflict with the Byzantine Empire...
- History of medieval TunisiaHistory of medieval TunisiaThe medieval era opens with the commencement of a process that would return Ifriqiya, i.e., Tunisia, and the entire Maghrib to local Berber rule. The precipitating cause was the departure of the Shia Fatimid Caliphate to their newly conquered territories in Egypt. To govern Ifriqiya in their stead,...