Muhammed II al-Faqih, Sultan of Granada
Encyclopedia
Muhammed II al-Faqih was the son and heir of Mohammed ibn Alhamar
and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish
Emirate of Granada
in Al-Andalus
on the Iberian Peninsula
.
Muhammed II was born in the Arjuno region of the Andalusian province of Jaen in 1234 and succeeded his father in 1273. He served as a vizier during his father’s Sultanate. Known as "al-Faqih" or the lawgiver, he continued architectural work at the Alhambra. He was literate and often wrote his own letters of state. His cousin Abu Said Faraj became a trusted advisor and married one of Muhammed II al-Faqih's daughters, the princess Fatima.
Muhammed II al-Faqih's reign continued the civil war between his family and a rival clan, the Ashqilula. When the last Ashqilula governor of Malaga, Abu Muhammad rebelled, Muhammed II al-Faqih took the city in 1278. In 1278, with the defeat of his rivals, Muhammed II al-Faqih awarded the governorship of Malaga to his cousin and son-in-law, Abu Said Faraj. Later, the majority of the Ashqilula clan fled to Morocco in AH or 1279 CE.
Muhammed II al-Faqih had at least three sons Faraj, Muhammed III and Nasr
, the latter the son of a Christian concubine. The second Nasrid ruler died on April 8, 1302, after his son Muhammed III, allegedly had him poisoned. He died after completing the mid-afternoon prayer and seemed to be suffocating just prior. Earlier that afternoon he had received a cake from the household of his son Muhammed III. Muhammed II was rapidly buried in the sultan's garden after his poisoning.
Mohammed ibn Alhamar
Mohammed I ibn Nasr was a Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula, and founder of the last Muslim dynasty in Spain in 1238....
and the second Nasrid ruler of the Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
Emirate of Granada
Emirate of Granada
The Emirate of Granada , also known as the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada , was an emirate established in 1238 following the defeat of Muhammad an-Nasir of the Almohad dynasty by an alliance of Christian kingdoms at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212...
in 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...
on 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...
.
Muhammed II was born in the Arjuno region of the Andalusian province of Jaen in 1234 and succeeded his father in 1273. He served as a vizier during his father’s Sultanate. Known as "al-Faqih" or the lawgiver, he continued architectural work at the Alhambra. He was literate and often wrote his own letters of state. His cousin Abu Said Faraj became a trusted advisor and married one of Muhammed II al-Faqih's daughters, the princess Fatima.
Muhammed II al-Faqih's reign continued the civil war between his family and a rival clan, the Ashqilula. When the last Ashqilula governor of Malaga, Abu Muhammad rebelled, Muhammed II al-Faqih took the city in 1278. In 1278, with the defeat of his rivals, Muhammed II al-Faqih awarded the governorship of Malaga to his cousin and son-in-law, Abu Said Faraj. Later, the majority of the Ashqilula clan fled to Morocco in AH or 1279 CE.
Muhammed II al-Faqih had at least three sons Faraj, Muhammed III and Nasr
Nasr, Sultan of Granada
Nasr , full name Abu'l-Juyush Nasr, was a son of Muhammed II al-Faqih and the fourth Nasrid ruler of the Moorish Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus on the Iberian Peninsula. Nasr was a child of a Christian concubine....
, the latter the son of a Christian concubine. The second Nasrid ruler died on April 8, 1302, after his son Muhammed III, allegedly had him poisoned. He died after completing the mid-afternoon prayer and seemed to be suffocating just prior. Earlier that afternoon he had received a cake from the household of his son Muhammed III. Muhammed II was rapidly buried in the sultan's garden after his poisoning.