Abd al-Mu'min
First Almohad caliph who built an empire across North Africa and Spain.
Abd al-Mu'min was born in the village of Tagra, near Tlemcen in present-day Algeria, into the Kumiya tribe, an Arabized section of the Berber Zenata confederation. His father was a potter from Nedroma. As a young man, he went to Tlemcen to study Islamic jurisprudence, but his tutor died before he completed his studies. Learning of a learned and pious faqih known as Feqih Soussi (later Ibn Tumart) traveling from the east, Abd al-Mu'min was sent by his peers to invite him to settle in Tlemcen. The two met at Mellala near Bejaïa; Ibn Tumart declined the invitation, but Abd al-Mu'min chose to stay with him, and they journeyed together to Morocco. Around 1117, Abd al-Mu'min became a follower of Ibn Tumart, the leader of the Masmuda Berbers who had founded the Almohad religious order to restore purity in Islam. After Ibn Tumart declared himself the Mahdi and opposed the Almoravid dynasty, the group moved to the Atlas Mountains, gathering followers and creating a small state. When al-Bashir, the second-in-command, was killed in an attack on Marrakesh, Abd al-Mu'min replaced him. Upon Ibn Tumart's death in 1130, Abd al-Mu'min and the council of ten kept the death secret for three years, fearing the Masmuda would not accept an outsider as leader. He eventually assumed leadership after arranging a family relationship with Cheikh Abu Hafs, the Masmuda leader, and proclaimed himself Caliph, later adopting the title Amir al-Mu'minin and an Arab Qaysi genealogy. Under his command, the Almohads swept down from the mountains, defeating the Almoravids in open battle in 1145 after the loss of their Catalan mercenary leader, and captured Marrakesh in 1147. Abd al-Mu'min then expanded his rule into Al-Andalus, beginning in 1145 when the Almoravid naval commander of Cadiz defected to him, and by 1148 his forces had captured Seville. He also suppressed a major rebellion centered in the Sous valley, led by Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Massi, which had caused cities like Ceuta and Salé to overthrow their governors. By the end of his reign, his empire stretched across the Maghreb and into Ifriqiya as far as Tunis.
- field
- Ruler, military leader, founder of the Almohad dynasty
- nationality
- Almohad (Kumiya tribe, Zenata confederation)
- known_for
- Founding the Almohad Empire, defeating the Almoravids, expanding rule across North Africa and Al-Andalus
Lore & Background
Abd al-Mu'min was born into the Kumiya tribe, an Arabized section of the Berber Zenata confederation, in the village of Tagra near Tlemcen. His father was a potter from Nedroma. As a young man, he went to Tlemcen to study Fiqh, but his tutor died before he could complete his studies. He then learned of a learned Faqih called Feqih Soussi (later known as Ibn Tumart) traveling from the east. Abd al-Mu'min was sent to invite Ibn Tumart to settle in Tlemcen, but Ibn Tumart declined; instead, Abd al-Mu'min stayed with him and they journeyed together to Morocco. After Ibn Tumart declared himself the Mahdi and opposed the Almoravids, the group moved to the Atlas Mountains. During an attack on Marrakesh, the second-in-command was killed, and Abd al-Mu'min was named to replace him. He eventually led the Almohads after arranging a family relationship with Cheikh Abu Hafs, leader of the Masmuda tribe. He proclaimed himself Caliph with the titles Khalifat al-Mahdi and later Amir al-Mu'minin, and adopted an Arab Qaysi genealogy that included the prophet Muhammad. He also sent forces to Al-Andalus, capturing Algeciras, Tarifa, Seville, and Cordoba.
Reader's Guide
Abd al-Mu'min's significance lies in his transformation of the Almohad movement from a religious order into a vast empire. His military campaigns defeated the Almoravids and extended Almohad rule across Al-Andalus and as far east as Tripoli in modern-day Libya, uniting the Maghreb and Al-Andalus under one creed and one government. His legacy includes founding the Mu'minid dynasty, which his family controlled. He added to traditional Berber clan organizations the concept of Makhzan, a central administration staffed by Spanish Muslims, and created a land registry to keep the empire's revenue flowing. Despite these tensions, he built a durable empire that outlasted him, and his son Abu Ya'qub Yusuf succeeded him.
Did You Know?
- He adopted an Arab Qaysi genealogy that included the prophet Muhammad.
More in Ancient Rulers Of Africa And The Near East 1-24
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