Editing Al-Mu'tasim (section)

== al-Mu'tasim in literature ==
Al-Mu'tasim is featured in the medieval Arabic and Turkish epic ''[[Delhemma]]'', which features heavily fictionalized versions of events from the Arab–Byzantine wars. In it, al-Mu'tasim helps the heroes pursue the traitor and apostate Uqba across several countries "from Spain to Yemen", before having him crucified before Constantinople. On its return, the Muslim army is ambushed in a defile by the Byzantines, and only 400 men, including the Caliph and most of the heroes, manage to escape. In retaliation, al-Mu'tasim's successor al-Wathiq launches a campaign against Constantinople, where he installs a Muslim governor.{{sfn|Canard|1965|pp=233–239, esp. 236}}

The name al-Mu'tasim is used for a fictional character in the story ''[[The Approach to al-Mu'tasim]]'', written in 1936 by [[Argentina|Argentine]] author [[Jorge Luis Borges]], which appears in his anthology ''[[Ficciones]]''. The al-Mu'tasim referenced there is not the Abbasid caliph, though Borges does state, regarding the original, non-fictional al-Mu'tasim from whom the name is taken: "the name of that eighth Abbasid caliph who was victorious in eight battles, fathered eight sons and eight daughters, left eight thousand slaves, and ruled for a period of eight years, eight moons, and eight days".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.digiovanni.co.uk/borges/the-garden-of-branching-paths/the-approach-to-al-mu%27tasim.htm | title = The Approach to al-Mu'tasim | publisher = Translated and published by [[Norman Thomas di Giovanni]] | access-date = 20 September 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160302093924/http://www.digiovanni.co.uk/borges/the-garden-of-branching-paths/the-approach-to-al-mu%27tasim.htm | archive-date = 2 March 2016 | url-status = live }}</ref>

While not strictly accurate, Borges' quote paraphrases al-Tabari, who notes that he was "born in the eighth month, was the eighth caliph, in the eighth generation from [[Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib|al-Abbas]], his lifespan was eight and forty years, that he died leaving eight sons{{efn|Only six sons are listed by [[Ya'qubi]]: Harun al-Wathiq, Ja'far al-Mutawakkil, Muhammad, Ahmad, Ali, and Abdallah.{{sfn|Bosworth|1991|p=209, note 620}}}} and eight daughters, and that he reigned for eight years and eight months", and reflects the widespread reference to al-Mu'tasim in Arabic sources as ''al-Muthamman'' ("the man of eight").{{sfn|Bosworth|1991|p=209, esp. note 621}}