Editing Al-Ma'mun

{{Short description|Abbasid Caliph from 813 to 833}}
{{About|an Abbasid caliph}}
{{Lowercase title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox royalty
| type         = caliph
| name         = al-Ma'mun<br />المأمون
| title        = {{noitalic|{{ubl|[[List of caliphs|Caliph]]|[[Commander of the Faithful]]}}}}
| image        = Coin of the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun.jpg
| image_size   = 300px
| caption      = [[Gold dinar]] of al-Ma'mun, minted in Egypt in 830/1
| succession   = 7th [[Caliph]] of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
| reign        = 27 September 813 – 7 August 833
| coronation   = 
| predecessor1 = [[al-Amin]]
| successor1   = [[al-Mu'tasim]]
| spouse       = {{Collapsible list|
* [[Umm Isa bint Musa al-Hadi]]
* [[Buran bint al-Hasan ibn Sahl]]
* Sundus
* [[Arib al-Ma'muniyya|Arib]]
* Bi'dah
* Mu'nisah
* Tatrif
* Badhal
* Nu'n
* Nasim|}}
| spouse-type  = Consorts
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* Muhammad
* Ubaid Allah
* [[al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun|al-Abbas]]
* Harun
* Ahmad
* Isa
* Isma'il
* Musa
* Umm al-Fadl
* Umm Habib
* Khadija
}}
| full name    = Abū al-ʿAbbās Abd Allāh al-Maʾmūn ibn [[Harun al-Rashid|Hārūn]]
| house        = [[Abbasid dynasty|Abbasid]]
| house-type   = Dynasty
| father       = [[Harun al-Rashid]]
| mother       = [[Marajil|Umm Abdallah Marajil]]
| birth_date   = {{birth date|786|9|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Baghdad]], Abbasid Caliphate
| death_date   = {{death date and age|833|8|7|786|9|14|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]], Abbasid Caliphate
| place of burial = [[Grand Mosque of Tarsus]]
| religion     = [[Mu'tazila|Mu'tazili]] [[Islam]]
}}
'''Abū al-ʿAbbās Abd Allāh ibn Hārūn al-Maʾmūn''' ({{langx|ar|أبو العباس عبد الله بن هارون الرشيد|Abū al-ʿAbbās ʿAbd Allāh ibn Hārūn ar-Rashīd}}; 14 September 786 – 9 August 833), better known by his [[regnal name]] '''al-Ma'mun''' ({{langx|ar|المأمون|al-Ma'mūn}}), was the seventh [[Abbasid]] [[caliph]], who reigned from 813 until his death in 833. His leadership was marked by the power and prosperity of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]], al-Ma'mun promoted the [[Graeco-Arabic translation movement]], the [[House of Wisdom|flowering of learning and the sciences]] in Baghdad, and the publishing of [[al-Khwarizmi]]'s [[The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing|book now known as "Algebra"]]. Making him one of the most important caliphs in the [[Islamic Golden Age]]. He is also known as a proponent of the rational Islamic theology of [[Mu'tazilism]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=al-Ṭabarī |first=Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4J3PJZDYBMoC |title=The History of al-Ṭabarī Vol. 32: The Reunification of the ʿAbbāsid Caliphate: The Caliphate of al-Maʾmūn A.D. 813-833/A.H. 198-218 |date=1987-01-01 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-88706-058-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cooperson |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G1VtAAAAMAAJ |title=Al-Ma'mun |date= 5 September 2005|publisher=Oneworld Publications |isbn=978-1-85168-386-4 |language=en}}</ref>

Al-Ma'mun succeeded his half-brother al-Amin after a [[Fourth Fitna|civil war]], much of his reign was spent on peace campaigns. His strong support for Mu'tazilism led him to imprison a [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] Imam, [[Ahmad ibn Hanbal]] in an event that became known as ''[[mihna]].'' Al-Ma'mun's foreign policy was due to his decision to continue war and diplomatic relations with the [[Byzantine Empire]], the tension between conflict or diplomacy varying during his military campaigns.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nawas |first=John Abdallah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o8McjgEACAAJ |title=Al-Maʼmūn, the Inquisition, and the Quest for Caliphal Authority |date=2015 |publisher=Lockwood Press |isbn=978-1-937040-55-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Kaegi |first=Walter E. |title=Confronting Islam: Emperors Versus Caliphs (641–c.850) |date=2019 |work=The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire c.500–1492 |pages=365–394 |editor-last=Shepard |editor-first=Jonathan |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-history-of-the-byzantine-empire-c5001492/confronting-islam-emperors-versus-caliphs-641c850/F85B2B597BC19414790CD15545D9844C |access-date=2025-04-10 |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-68587-1}}</ref>

==Birth and education==
Abdallah, the future al-Ma'mun, was born in [[Baghdad]] on the night of 13 to 14 September 786 CE to [[Harun al-Rashid]] and his concubine [[Marajil]], from [[Badghis]]. On the same night, which later became known as the "night of the three [[caliph]]s", his uncle [[al-Hadi]] died and was succeeded by Ma'mun's father, Harun al-Rashid, as ruler of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rekaya |first1=M. |title=al-Maʾmūn |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/al-mamun-SIM_4889 |website=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition |access-date=20 September 2019 |language=en |date=24 April 2012}}</ref> Marajil died soon after his birth, and Abdallah was raised by Harun al-Rashid's wife, [[Zubaidah bint Ja`far|Zubayda]], herself of high Abbasid lineage as the granddaughter of Caliph [[al-Mansur]] ({{reign|754|775}}).{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} As a young prince, Abdallah received a thorough education: [[al-Kisa'i]] tutored him in classical Arabic, [[Abu Muhammad al-Yazidi]] in ''[[adab (literature)|adab]]'', and he received instruction in music and poetry. He was trained in ''[[fiqh]]'' by al-Hasan al-Lu'lu'i, showing particular excellence in the [[Hanafi]] school, and in the ''[[hadith]]'', becoming himself active as a transmitter.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} According to M. Rekaya, "he was distinguished by his love of knowledge, making him the most intellectual caliph of the Abbasid family, which accounts for the way in which his caliphate developed".{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}

==Appointment as successor and Governor of Khurasan==
Although Abdallah was the oldest of his sons, in 794 Harun named the second-born Muhammad, born in April 787 to Zubayda, as the first in line of succession. This was the result of family pressure on the Caliph, reflecting Muhammad's higher birth, as both parents descended from the Abbasid dynasty; indeed, he remained the only Abbasid caliph to claim such descent. Muhammad received the oath of allegiance (''[[bay'ah]]'') with the name of [[al-Amin]] ("The Trustworthy"), first in [[Khurasan]] by his guardian, the [[Barmakid]] [[al-Fadl ibn Yahya]], and then in [[Baghdad]].{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} Abdallah was recognized as second heir only after entering puberty, in 799, under the name al-Ma'mun ("The Trusted One"), with another Barmakid, [[Ja'far ibn Yahya]], as his guardian. At the same time, a third heir, [[al-Qasim ibn Harun al-Rashid|al-Qasim]], named al-Mu'tamin, was appointed, under the guardianship of [[Abd al-Malik ibn Salih]].{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}

These arrangements were confirmed and publicly proclaimed in 802, when Harun and the most powerful officials of the Abbasid government made the [[hajj|pilgrimage]] to [[Mecca]]. Al-Amin would succeed Harun in Baghdad, but al-Ma'mun would remain al-Amin's heir and would additionally rule over an enlarged [[Khurasan]].{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} This was an appointment of particular significance, as Khurasan had been the starting point of the [[Abbasid Revolution]] which brought the Abbasids to power, and retained a privileged position among the Caliphate's provinces. Furthermore, the Abbasid dynasty relied heavily on Khurasanis as military leaders and administrators. Many of the original Khurasani Arab army (''Khurasaniyya'') that came west with the Abbasids were given estates in [[Mesopotamia|Iraq]] and the new Abbasid capital, Baghdad, and became an elite group known as the ''[[abna al-dawla|abnāʾ al-dawla]]'' ("sons of the state/dynasty").{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|p=274}}{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|pp=133–135}} This large-scale presence of an [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] element in the highest circles of the Abbasid state, with the Barmakid family as its most notable representatives, was certainly a factor in the appointment of al-Ma'mun, linked through his mother with the eastern Iranian provinces, as heir and governor of Khurasan.{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|p=282}} The stipulations of the agreement, which were recorded in detail by the historian [[al-Tabari]], accorded al-Mamun's Khurasani viceroyalty extensive autonomy. However, modern historians consider that these accounts may have been distorted by later apologists of al-Ma'mun in the latter's favour.{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|pp=282–283}} Harun's third heir, al-Mu'tamin, received responsibility over the [[al-'Awasim|frontier areas]] with the [[Byzantine Empire under the Nikephorian dynasty|Byzantine Empire]] in [[al-Jazira (caliphal province)|Upper Mesopotamia]] and [[Bilad al-Sham|Syria]].{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=142}}

Very quickly, the latent rivalry between the two brothers had important repercussions: almost immediately after the court returned to Baghdad in January 803, the Abbasid elites were shaken by the abrupt fall of the Barmakid family from power. On the one hand, this event may reflect the fact that the Barmakids had become indeed too powerful for the Caliph's liking, but its timing suggests that it was tied to the succession issue as well: with al-Amin siding with the ''abnāʾ'' and al-Ma'mun with the Barmakids, and the two camps becoming more estranged every day, if al-Amin was to have a chance to succeed, the power of the Barmakids had to be broken.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|pp=142–143}}{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|p=283}}

[[Al-Fadl ibn Sahl]], a [[Kufa]]n of Iranian origin whose father had converted to Islam and entered Barmakid service, replaced Ja'far ibn Yahya as al-Ma'mun's tutor. In 806 he also became al-Ma'mun's secretary (''[[katib]]''), an appointment that marked him out as the chief candidate for the [[Vizier (Abbasid Caliphate)|vizier]]ate should al-Ma'mun succeed to the throne.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} In 804, al-Ma'mun married his cousin, Umm Isa, a daughter of the Caliph [[al-Hadi]] ({{reign|785|786}}). The couple had two sons, Muhammad al-Asghar and Abdallah.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}

The years after the fall of the Barmakids saw an increasing centralization of the administration and the concomitant rise of the influence of the ''abnāʾ'', many of whom were now dispatched to take up positions as provincial governors and bring these provinces under closer control from Baghdad.{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|p=283}} This led to unrest in the provinces, especially Khurasan, where local elites had a long-standing rivalry with the ''aabnāʾ'' and their tendency to control the province (and its revenues) from Iraq.{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|p=144}} The harsh taxation imposed by a prominent member of the ''abnāʾ'', [[Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan]], even led to a revolt under [[Rafi ibn al-Layth]], which eventually forced Harun himself, accompanied by al-Ma'mun and the powerful chamberlain (''[[hajib]]'') and chief minister [[al-Fadl ibn al-Rabi]], to travel to the province in 808. Al-Ma'mun was sent ahead with part of the army to [[Merv]], while Harun stayed at [[Tus, Iran|Tus]], where he died on 24 March 809.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}}{{sfn|El-Hibri|2010|p=283}}{{sfn|Kennedy|2004|pp=144–145}}

==Abbasid civil war==
{{Main|Fourth Fitna}}
In 802 [[Harun al-Rashid]], father of al-Maʾmūn and al-Amin, ordered that al-Amin succeed him, and al-Ma'mun serve as governor of [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] and as caliph after the death of al-Amin. In the last days of Harun's life his health was declining and saw in a dream [[Musa ibn Jafar]] sitting in a chamber praying and crying, which made Harun remember how hard he had struggled to establish his own caliphate. He knew the personalities of both his sons and decided that for the good of the Abbasid dynasty, al-Maʾmūn should be caliph after his death, which he confided to a group of his courtiers. One of the courtiers, Fadl ibn Rabi', did not abide by Harun's last wishes and convinced many in the lands of Islam that Harun's wishes had not changed. Later the other three courtiers of Harun who had sworn loyalty to Harun by supporting al-Maʾmūn, namely, 'Isa Jarudi, Abu Yunus, and Ibn Abi 'Umran, found loopholes in Fadl's arguments, and Fazl admitted Harun had appointed al-Maʾmūn after him, but, he argued, since Harun was not in his right mind, his decision should not be acted upon. Al-Maʾmūn was reportedly the older of the two brothers, but his mother was a [[Persian people|Persian]] woman while al-Amin's mother was a member of the reigning Abbasid family. After al-Rashid's death in 809, the relationship between the two brothers deteriorated. In response to al-Ma'mun's moves toward independence, al-Amin declared his own son Musa to be his heir. This violation of al-Rashid's testament led to a succession struggle. Al-Amin assembled a massive army at Baghdad with 'Isa ibn Mahan at its head in 811 and invaded Khorasan, but al-Maʾmūn's general [[Tahir ibn al-Husayn]] (d. 822) destroyed the army and invaded Iraq, laying siege to Baghdad in 812. In 813 Baghdad fell, al-Amin was beheaded, and al-Maʾmūn became the undisputed Caliph.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Hugh|title=The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates|edition=2nd|year=1986|publisher=Pearson Longman|location=London and New York|pages=148–150|isbn=0-582-49312-9}}</ref>

==Internal strife==
===Sahl ibn Salama al-Ansari===
There were disturbances in [[Iraq]] during the first several years of al-Maʾmūn's reign, while the caliph was in [[Merv]] (near present-day [[Mary, Turkmenistan]]). On 13 November 815, [[Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq (al-Dibaj)]] claimed the Caliphate for himself in [[Mecca]]. He was defeated and he quickly abdicated asserting that he had only become caliph on news that al-Ma'mun had died. Lawlessness in [[Baghdad]] led to the formation of neighborhood watches with religious inspiration,  with two notable leaders being Khalid al-Daryush and Sahl ibn Salama al-Ansari.  Sahl adopted the slogan, ''la ta'a lil- makhluq fi ma'siyat al-khaliq'', or 'no obedience to the creature in disobedience of the Creator'<ref name="Lapidus-1975-375"/> (originally a Kharijite slogan),<ref name="Lapidus-1975-376"/> alluding to what he saw as "the conflict ... between God's will and Caliphal authority". "Most" of the leadership of this vigilante movement came from the ''sulaahd'' ("men of good will of the neighborhoods and blocks") and from "popular preachers" (as both Khalid al-Daryush and Sahl ibn Salama al-Ansari were); its followers were called the '' 'amma'', (the common people).<ref name="Lapidus-1975-375">{{cite journal|last1=Lapidus|first1=Ira M.|date=1975|title=Separation of state and religion in early Islamic society |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/162750 |journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies |volume=6|pages=375|doi=10.1017/S0020743800025344|jstor=162750|s2cid=162409061 |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>  The volunteers of the movement were known as  ''mutawwi'a'', which was the same name given to "volunteers for frontier duty and for the holy war against Byzantium".<ref name="Lapidus-1975-376">{{cite journal|last1=Lapidus|first1=Ira M.|date=1975|title=Separation of state and religion in early Islamic society |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/162750 |journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies |volume=6|page=376|doi=10.1017/S0020743800025344|jstor=162750|s2cid=162409061 |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>
Sahl's and movement influence was such that military chiefs first "delayed capitulation to al-Ma'mun" and  adopted  Sahl's religious "formula" until they became alarmed at his power and combined to crush him in 817–18 CE.<ref name="Lapidus-1975-372-3">{{cite journal|last1=Lapidus|first1=Ira M.|date=1975|title=Separation of state and religion in early Islamic society|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/162750|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|volume=6|pages=363–385|doi=10.1017/S0020743800025344|jstor=162750|s2cid=162409061 |access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>

===Imam al-Rida===
In A.H. 201 (817 AD) al-Ma'mun named [[Ali ar-Rida]] (the sixth-generation descendant of [[Ali]] and the eighth Shia Imam) as his heir as caliph. This move may have been made to appease Shi'ite opinion in Iraq and "reconcile the 'Alid and 'Abbasid branches of the Hashimite family", but in Baghdad it caused the Hashimites—supported by "military chiefs of al-Harbiyya, including Muttalib and 'Isa ibn  Muhammad"—to depose  al-Ma'mun and elect Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi Caliph.<ref name=Lapidus-1975-372-3/>

According to Shia sources, the deposing of al-Ma'um in Baghdad was not out of opposition to the wise and pious Imam Reza, but because of rumors spread by Fazl ibn Sahl. Al-Ma'mun moved Imam Reza to Merv in hopes of keeping watch over him, but was foiled by the Imam's growing popularity there. People from all over the Muslim world traveled to meet the prophet's grandson and listen to his teachings and guidance (according to these sources). In an attempt to humiliate the Imam, al-Ma'mun set him up with the greatest scholars of the world's religions, but the Imam prevailed and then informed al-Ma'mun that his grand vizier, [[Fazl ibn Sahl]], had withheld important information from him.<ref name="IRN">{{cite web |title=Why was Imam al-Reza (A.S.) Invited to Khurasan? |url=https://www.imamreza.net/old/eng/imamreza.php?id=12165 |website=Imam Reza Network |access-date=3 July 2021}}</ref>

In Baghdad, al-Maʾmūn was unseated and replaced by Ibrahim ibn Mehdi not because al-Maʾmūn's naming Imam Reza as his heir was unpopular, but because of "rumors" spread by Fazl ibn Sahl.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Seeking to put down the rebellion in Baghdad, al-Ma'mun set out for the city on 12 April 818. At Tus, he stopped to visit his father's grave. However, when they reached the town of [[Sarakhs]], his vizier, Fazl ibn Sahl, was assassinated, and when they reached [[Tus, Iran|Tus]], the Imam was poisoned.  Al-Ma'mūn ordered that the Imam be buried next to the tomb of his own father, [[Harun al-Rashid]], and showed extreme sorrow in the funeral ritual and stayed for three days at the place. Nonetheless, Shia tradition states he was killed on orders of al-Ma'mun, and according to [[Wilferd Madelung]] the unexpected death of both the vizier and the successor, "whose presence would have made any reconciliation with the powerful ʿAbbasid opposition in Baghdad virtually impossible, must indeed arouse strong suspicion that Ma'mun had had a hand in the deaths."<ref name= "Madelung">{{cite web |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-reza |title=Alī Al-Reżā, the eighth Imam of the Imāmī Shiʿites. |author=W. Madelung |date=1 August 2011 |website=Iranicaonline.org |access-date=18 June 2014 |author-link=Wilferd Madelung |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921034922/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ali-al-reza |archive-date=21 September 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="al-Qarashi">{{cite book|title=The life of Imām 'Ali Bin Mūsā al-Ridā|last1=al-Qarashi|first1=Bāqir Sharif|others=Translated by Jāsim al-Rasheed|url=http://maaref-foundation.com/english/index.htm|access-date=22 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105143413/http://www.maaref-foundation.com/english/index.htm|archive-date=5 January 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the death of Imam Reza, a revolt took place in Khurasan. Al-Ma’mun tried unsuccessfully to absolve himself of the crime.<ref name="Mavani-2013">{{cite book |last1=Mavani |first1=Hamid |title=Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Islam |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |pages=276+ |isbn=978-1135044732 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gJChf3qXGUkC&dq=Imam+Reza+and+al-ma-mum&pg=PA112 |access-date=3 July 2021}}</ref>

== After arrival in Baghdad ==
[[File:Dirhem of al-Ma'mun, AH 199-218.jpg|thumb|300px|Silver [[Dirham]] of al-Ma'mun. AH 199–218 / AD 813–833. Dirham weight 25mm, 3.19 g, 3h. Medinat Isbahan mint dated AH 205 (820/1 AD)]]
The rebel forces in Baghdad splintered and wavered in opposition to al-Ma'mun. According to scholar and historian [[al-Tabari]] (839–923 CE), al-Ma'mun entered Baghdad on 11 August 819.<ref>The History of al-Ṭabarī, v. 32, p.&nbsp;95</ref> He wore green and had others do so. Informed that compliance with this command might arouse popular opposition to the colour, on 18 August he reverted to traditional Abbasid black. While [[Baghdad]] became peaceful, there were disturbances elsewhere. In AH 210 (825–826 CE) [[Abdullah ibn Tahir al-Khurasani]] secured [[Egypt]] for al-Ma'mun, freeing [[Alexandria]] from [[al-Andalus|Andalus]]ians and quelling unrest. The Andalusians moved to [[Crete]], where al-Tabari records their descendants were still living in his day (see [[Emirate of Crete]]). Abdallah returned to Baghdad in 211 Hijri (826–827 CE), bringing the defeated rebels with him.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Also, in 210 Hijri (825–826 CE), there was an uprising in [[Qum]], sparked by complaints about taxes. After it was quashed, the tax assessment was set significantly higher. In 212 Hijri (827–828 CE), there was an uprising in [[Yemen]]. In 214 (829–30 CE), [[Abu al-Razi]], who had captured one Yemeni rebel, was killed by another. [[Egypt]] continued to be unquiet. [[Sindh]] was rebellious. In 216 (831–832 CE), [[Ghassan ibn 'Abbad]] subdued it. An ongoing problem for al-Ma'mun was the uprising headed by [[Babak Khorramdin]]. In 214 Babak routed a Caliphate army, killing its commander [[Muhammad ibn Humayd]].{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==Wars with Byzantium==
By the time al-Ma'mun became Caliph, the Arabs and the Byzantine Empire had settled down into border skirmishing, with Arab raids deep into [[Anatolia]] to capture booty and Christians to be enslaved. The situation changed however with the rise to power of [[Michael II]] in 820 AD. Forced to deal with the rebel [[Thomas the Slav]], Michael had few troops to spare against a small Andalusian invasion of 40 ships and 10,000 men against [[Crete]], which fell in 824 AD. A Byzantine counter offensive in 826 AD failed miserably. Worse still was the invasion of [[Sicily]] in 827 by [[Arabs]] of [[Tunis]]. Even so, [[Byzantine Empire under the Amorian dynasty|Byzantine]] resistance in [[Sicily]] was fierce and not without success whilst the Arabs became quickly plagued by internal squabbles. That year, the Arabs were expelled from [[Sicily]] but they were to return.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

[[File:John the Grammarian as ambassador before Theophilos and Mamun.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Byzantine embassy of [[Patriarch John VII of Constantinople|John the Grammarian]] in 829 to Ma'mun (depicted left) from Theophilos (depicted right)]]
In 829, [[Michael II]] died and was succeeded by his son [[Theophilos (emperor)|Theophilos]]. Theophilos experienced mixed success against his [[Arab]] opponents. In 830 AD the [[Arabs]] returned to [[Sicily]] and, after a year-long siege, took [[Palermo]]. For the next 200 years they were to remain there to complete their conquest, which was never short of Christian counters. Al-Ma'mun meanwhile launched an invasion of [[Anatolia]] in 830 AD, taking a number of [[Byzantine]] [[forts]]; he spared the surrendering Byzantines. [[Theophilos (emperor)|Theophilos]], for his part, captured [[Tarsus (city)|Tarsus]] in 831. The next year, learning the Byzantines had killed some sixteen hundred people, al-Ma'mun returned. This time some thirty forts fell to the Caliphate's forces, with two Byzantine defeats in [[Cappadocia]].{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Theophilos wrote to al-Ma'mun. The Caliph replied that he carefully considered the Byzantine ruler's letter, noticed it blended suggestions of peace and trade with threats of war and offered Theophilos the options of accepting the [[shahada]], [[jizya|paying tax]] or [[jihad|fighting]]. Al-Ma'mun made preparations for a major campaign, but died on the way while leading an expedition in [[Tyana]].{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
[[File:Mamun sends an envoy to Theophilos.png|thumb|300px|Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun sends an envoy to [[Theophilos (emperor)|Theophilos]]]]
Al-Ma'mun's relations with the Byzantines are marked by his efforts in the translation of [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[philosophy]] and [[science]]. Al-Ma'mun gathered scholars of many religions at [[Baghdad]], whom he treated magnificently. He sent an emissary to the [[Byzantine Empire]] to collect the most famous manuscripts there, and had them translated into [[Arabic]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Lee S. |last=Tesdell |chapter=Greek Rhetoric and Philosophy in Medieval Arabic Culture: The State of the Research |title=Discourses of Power: Grammar and Rhetoric in the Middle Ages |editor-first=Carol |editor-last=Poster |editor2-first=Richard |editor2-last=Utz |location=Evanston|publisher=Northwestern University Press |year=1999 |pages=51–58 |isbn=0-8101-1812-2 }}</ref> As part of his peace treaty with the Byzantine Emperor, al-Ma'mun was to receive a number of Greek manuscripts annually, one of these being Ptolemy's astronomical work, the ''[[Almagest]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Angelo|first=Joseph|title=Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy|year=2009|isbn=978-1438110189|page=78|publisher=Infobase |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VUWno1sOwnUC&q=Al+Ma'mun+Almagest+peace+treaty&pg=PA78}}</ref>

== al-Ma'mun's reign ==

[[File:The populace pays allegiance to the new Abbasid Caliph, al-Ma'mun (6124531161).jpg|200px|thumb|right|The populace pays [[Bay'ah|allegiance]] to the Abbasid caliph, al-Ma'mun in 813. (from the book ''Tarikh-i Alfi'' 1593 CE)]]

Al-Ma'mun's record as an administrator is also marked by his efforts toward the centralization of power and the certainty of succession. The ''Bayt al-Hikma'', or [[House of Wisdom]], was established during his reign.<ref name=gold78>{{cite book|last=Goldschmidt|first=Arthur|title=A concise history of the Middle East|year=2002|publisher=[[Westview Press]]|location=Boulder, Colorado|isbn=978-0-8133-3885-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00gold/page/78 78]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof00gold/page/78}}</ref> The ''[[ulama]]'' emerged as a real force in Islamic politics during al-Ma'mun's reign for opposing the ''[[mihna]]'', which was initiated in 833, four months before he died.

[[Michael Hamilton Morgan]] in his book "Lost History" describes al-Ma'mun as a man who 'Loves Learning.' al-Ma'mun once defeated a Byzantine Emperor in a battle and as a tribute, he asked for a copy of ''Almagest,'' [[Ptolemy]]'s Hellenistic compendium of thoughts on astronomy written around AD 150.<ref>[[Michael Hamilton Morgan]] "Lost History", p. 57</ref>

The 'mihna', is comparable to Medieval European inquisitions in the sense that it involved imprisonment, a religious test, and a loyalty oath. The people subject to the mihna were traditionalist scholars whose social influence was uncommonly high. Al-Ma'mun introduced the mihna with the intention of centralizing religious power in the caliphal institution and testing the loyalty of his subjects. The mihna had to be undergone by elites, scholars, judges and other government officials, and consisted of a series of questions relating to theology and faith. The central question was about the createdness of the Qur'an. If the interrogatee stated he believed the Qur'an to be created, rather than coeternal with God, he was free to leave and continue his profession.

The controversy over the ''mihna'' was exacerbated by al-Ma'mun's sympathy for [[Mu'tazili]] theology and other controversial views. Mu'tazili theology was deeply influenced by [[Aristotle|Aristotelian]] thought and Greek rationalism, and stated that matters of belief and practice should be decided by reasoning. This opposed the traditionalist and literalist position of [[Ahmad ibn Hanbal]] and others, according to which everything a believer needed to know about faith and practice was spelled out literally in the [[Qur'an]] and the [[Hadith]]. Moreover, the Mu'tazilis stated that the Qur'an was created rather than coeternal with God, a belief that was shared by the [[Jahmites]] and parts of [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]], among others, but contradicted the traditionalist-[[Sunni]] opinion that the Qur'an and the Divine were coeternal.

During his reign, [[alchemy]] greatly developed. Pioneers of the science were [[Jabir Ibn Hayyan]] and his student [[Yusuf Lukwa]], who was patronized by al-Ma'mun. Although he was unsuccessful in transmuting [[gold]], his methods greatly led to the patronization of [[pharmaceutical]] compounds.<ref>''[[Encyclopaedia of Islam|E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam]]'' (1993), [https://books.google.com/books?id=7CP7fYghBFQC&pg=PA1011 Vol. 4, p. 1011]</ref>

Al-Ma'mun was a pioneer of cartography having commissioned a world map from a large group of astronomers and geographers. The map is presently in an encyclopedia in Topkapi Sarai, a Museum in Istanbul. The map shows large parts of the Eurasian and African continents with recognizable coastlines and major seas. It depicts the world as it was known to the captains of the Arab sailing dhows which used the monsoon wind cycles to trade over vast distances (by the 9th century, Arab sea traders had reached [[Guangzhou]], in China). The maps of the Greeks and Romans reveal a good knowledge of closed seas like the Mediterranean but little knowledge of the vast ocean expanses beyond.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1055354.html|last=Rechnagel|first=Charles|title=World: Historian Reveals Incredible Contributions of Muslim Cartographers|publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]|date=15 October 2004|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

Although [[al-Mahdi]] had proclaimed that the caliph was the protector of Islam against [[heresy]], and had also claimed the ability to declare orthodoxy, religious scholars in the Islamic world believed that al-Ma'mun was overstepping his bounds in the ''mihna''. The penalties of the ''mihna'' became increasingly difficult to enforce as the ''ulema'' became firmer and more united in their opposition. Although the ''mihna'' persisted through the reigns of two more caliphs, [[al-Mutawakkil]] abandoned it in 851.

The ''ulema'' and the major Islamic law schools became truly defined in the period of al-Ma'mun, and [[Sunnism]]—as a religion of legalism—became defined in parallel. Doctrinal differences between Sunni and Shi'a Islam began to become more pronounced. [[Ibn Hanbal]], the founder of the [[Hanbali]] legal school, became famous for his opposition to the ''mihna''. Al-Ma'mun's simultaneous opposition and patronage of intellectuals led to the emergence of important dialogues on both secular and religious affairs, and the ''Bayt al-Hikma'' became an important center of translation for Greek and other ancient texts into Arabic. This Islamic renaissance spurred the rediscovery of Hellenism and ensured the survival of these texts into the European [[Renaissance]].

Al-Ma'mun had been named governor of [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] by Harun, and after his ascension to power, the caliph named Tahir as governor for his military services in order to assure his loyalty. It was a move that al-Ma'mun soon regretted, as Tahir and his family became entrenched in Iranian politics and became increasingly powerful in the state, contrary to al-Ma'mun's desire to centralize and strengthen Caliphal power. The rising power of the [[Tahirid|Tahirid family]] became a threat as al-Ma'mun's own policies alienated them and his other opponents.

Al-Ma'mun also attempted to divorce his wife during his reign, who had not borne him any children. His wife hired a Syrian judge of her own before al-Ma'mun was able to select one himself; the judge, who sympathized with the caliph's wife, refused the divorce. Following al-Ma'mun's experience, no further [[Abbasid caliphs]] were to marry, preferring to find their heirs in the harem.

Al-Ma'mun, in an attempt to win over the [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]] Muslims to his camp, named the eighth [[Imam]], [[Ali ar-Rida]], his successor, if he should outlive al-Ma'mun. Most Shi'ites realized, however, that ar-Rida was too old to survive him and saw al-Ma'mun's gesture as empty; indeed, al-Ma'mun poisoned [[Ali ar-Rida]] who then died in 818. The incident served to further alienate the Shi'ites from the Abbasids, who had already been promised and denied the Caliphate by [[As-Saffah|Abu al-'Abbas]].

The Abbasid empire grew somewhat during the reign of al-Ma'mun. [[Hindu]] rebellions in [[Sindh]] were put down, and most of [[Afghanistan]] was absorbed with the surrender of the leader of [[Kabul]]. Mountainous regions of Iran were brought under a tighter grip of the central Abbasid government, as were areas of [[Turkestan]].

In 832, al-Ma'mun led a large army into [[Egypt]] to put down the last great [[Bashmurian revolts|Bashmurite revolt]].{{sfn|Gabra|2003|p=112}}

== Scientific efforts ==
Al-Ma'mun conducted several astronomical and geological operations. To support his scientific efforts, al-Ma'mun built the first observatory in [[round city of Baghdad]] and subsequent observatories were built in other Abbasid cities. Al-Ma'mun was assisted by several [[geographer]], [[astronomer]] and [[mathematician]]s from the [[House of Wisdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al-Maʾmūn {{!}} EBSCO Research Starters |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/al-mamun |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=www.ebsco.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stirone |first=Shannon |date=2017-02-14 |title=How Islamic scholarship birthed modern astronomy |url=https://www.astronomy.com/science/how-islamic-scholarship-birthed-modern-astronomy/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Astronomy Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ali ibn Isa al-Asturlabi |url=https://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Ali_ibn_Isa_al-Asturlabi_BEA.htm |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=islamsci.mcgill.ca}}</ref>

Around 830 CE, al-Ma'mun commissioned a group of astronomers and geographers to measure the arc from [[Tadmur]] (Palmyra) to [[Raqqa]]. They found that the two cities were separated by one degree of latitude and the corresponding meridian arc distance was {{frac|66|2|3}} [[Arabic mile|Arab miles]] and thus they calculated the circumference of the Earth. This calculation attempt was to achieve the [[Al-Ma'mun's arc measurement|measurement of al-Ma'mun's arc]]. Using these measurements, they managed to get the circumference of the Earth to be 40,007&nbsp;km. This calculation is one of the most accurate medieval calculations, the result of which is close to the modern calculation of the [[Earth's circumference]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Kitāb Ġarāʾib al-funūn wa-mulaḥ al-ʿuyūn |date=2011 |publisher=Dār Ṣādir |isbn=978-9953-13-705-6 |editor-last=Rawāḍīya |editor-first=al-Mahdī ʿĪd ar- |location=Bairūt}}</ref>

==Personal characteristics==
Al-Tabari (v. 32, p.&nbsp;231) describes al-Ma'mun as of average height, light complexion, handsome and having a long beard that lost its dark colour as he aged. He relates anecdotes concerning the caliph's ability to speak concisely and eloquently without preparation, his generosity, his respect for Muhammad and religion, his sense of moderation, justice, his love of poetry and his insatiable passion for physical intimacy.

[[Ibn Abd Rabbih]] in his ''Unique Necklace'' (al-'iqd al-Farid), probably drawing on earlier sources, makes a similar description of al-Ma'mun, whom he described as of light complexion and having slightly blond hair, a long thin beard, and a narrow forehead.

==Family==
Al-Ma'mun's first wife was [[Umm Isa bint Musa al-Hadi|Umm Isa]], a daughter of his uncle [[al-Hadi]] ({{reign|785|786}}),{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} whom he married in 804,<ref name="al-Zubayr">{{cite book | last1=al-Zubayr | first1=A.R.I. | last2=Qaddūmī | first2=G.Ḥ. | title=Book of Gifts and Rarities | publisher=Center for Middle Eastern Studies of Harvard University | series=Harvard Middle Eastern monographs | year=1996 | isbn=978-0-932885-13-5 | pages=127–128, 139}}</ref> when he was eighteen years old. They had two sons, Muhammad al-Asghar, and Abdallah.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} Another wife was [[Buran bint al-Hasan ibn Sahl|Buran]], the daughter of al-Ma'mun's vizier, al-Hasan ibn Sahl.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=23}} She was born as Khadija{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=23}} on 6 December 807.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=26}} Al-Ma'mun married her in 817, and consummated the marriage with her in December 825–January 826 in the town of Fam al-Silh.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=23}} She died on 21 September 884.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=26}}

Al-Ma'mun had also numerous concubines.{{sfn|Rekaya|1991|p=331}} One of them, Sundus, bore him five sons, among whom was [[al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun|al-Abbas]], who rose to become a senior military commander at the end of al-Ma'mun's reign and a contender for the throne.{{sfn|Turner|2013}} Her other sons were Harun, Ahmad, Isa and Isma'il.<ref name="al-Ṭabarī Bosworth">{{cite book | last1=al-Ṭabarī | first1=A.J.M.J. | last2=Bosworth | first2=C.E. | title=The History of al-Ṭabarī |volume= 33: Storm and Stress along the Northern Frontiers of the ʿAbbasid Caliphate: The Caliphate of al-Muʿtaṣim A.D. 833–842/A.H. 218–227 | publisher=State University of New York Press | series=Bibliotheca Persica | year=1991 | isbn=978-0-7914-0493-5 | page=134}}</ref> Another concubine was [[Arib al-Ma'muniyya|Arib]].{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=15}} Born in 797,{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|pp=19, 149 n. 31}} she claimed to be the daughter of [[Ja'far ibn Yahya]], the Barmakid, stolen and sold as a child when the Barmakids fell from power. She was brought by al-Amin, who then sold her to his brother.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=15}} She was a noted poet, singer, and musician.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=15}} She died at Samarra in July–August 890, aged ninety-three.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|pp=19, 149 n. 31}} Another concubine was Bi'dah, known by her epithet ''al-Kabirah''. She was also a singer, and had been a slave of Arib.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=20}} She died on 10 July 915. Abu Bakr, the son of Caliph [[al-Muhtadi]], led the funeral prayers.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=22}} Another concubine was Mu'nisah, a Greek.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=32}} She was one of his favourites.{{sfn|Ibn al-Sāʿī|2017|p=169}} Another concubine was Tatrif, also known as Tazayyuf. She was an accomplished poet and a native of Basra. She was noted for beauty and elegance, and it was said that al-Ma'mun favoured her above all his other concubines. She was inconsolable at his death and mourned him in many poems.<ref name="Caswell">{{cite book | last=Caswell | first=F.M. | title=The Slave Girls of Baghdad: The Qiyan in the Early Abbasid Era | publisher=Bloomsbury Academic | series=Library of Middle East History | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-84885-577-9 | pages=134, 206, 245}}</ref> Another concubine was Badhal. She had been formerly a concubine of his cousin Ja'far bin [[al-Hadi]], his brother al-Amin and Ali bin Hisham. She hailed from Medina and was raised in Basra. Described as charming with fair skin, she was praised for her musical talent, particularly her skill in playing instruments, and was known for her exceptional ability as a songwriter and singer. After al-Ma'mun's death, his brother al-Mu'tasim married her.<ref name="Caswell"/> Another concubine was Nu'n. She was a singer.<ref name="Kilpatrick">{{cite book | last=Kilpatrick | first=H. | title=The Book of Monasteries | publisher=NYU Press | series=Library of Arabic Literature | year=2023 | isbn=978-1-4798-2572-1 | pages=233, 459}}</ref> Another concubine was Nasim. She was a poetess and was one of his favourites.<ref name="Elmeligi">{{cite book | last=Elmeligi | first=W. | title=The Poetry of Arab Women from the Pre-Islamic Age to Andalusia | publisher=Taylor & Francis | series=Focus on Global Gender and Sexuality | year=2019 | isbn=978-0-429-83632-9 | pages=109–110}}</ref>

Al-Ma'mun had another son named Musa.<ref name="al-Zubayr"/> He had three daughters. One was Umm Habib, who married Ali ibn Musa al-Rida. Another daughter was Umm al-Fadl, who married Muhammad ibn Ali bin Musa{{sfn|Bosworth|1987|p=82}} in 818.<ref name="al-Zubayr"/> Another daughter Khadija was a poetess.<ref name="Caswell"/>

==Death and legacy==
Al-Tabari recounts how al-Ma'mun was sitting on the river bank telling those with him how splendid the water was. He asked what would go best with this water and was told a specific kind of fresh dates. Noticing supplies arriving, he asked someone to check whether such dates were included. As they were, he invited those with him to enjoy the water with these dates. All who did this fell ill. Others recovered, but al-Ma'mun died. He encouraged his successor to continue his policies and not burden the people with more than they could bear. This was on 9 August 833.{{sfn|Bosworth|1987|pp=224–231}}

Al-Ma'mun died near [[Tarsus (city)|Tarsus]]. The city's major mosque ([[Tarsus Grand Mosque]]), contains a tomb reported to be his. Al-Ma'mun had made no official provisions for his succession. His son, [[Al-Abbas ibn al-Ma'mun|al-Abbas]], was old enough to rule and had acquired experience of command in the border wars with the Byzantines, but had not been named heir.{{sfn|Kennedy|2006|p=213}} According to the account of al-Tabari, on his deathbed al-Ma'mun dictated a letter nominating his brother, rather than al-Abbas, as his successor,{{sfn|Bosworth|1987|pp=222–223, 225}} and Abu Ishaq was acclaimed as caliph on 9{{spaces}}August, with the [[Laqab]] of al-Mu'tasim (in full ''al-Muʿtaṣim bi’llāh'', "he who seeks refuge in God").{{sfn|Bosworth|1991|p=1}} It is impossible to know whether this reflects actual events, or whether the letter was an invention and Abu Ishaq merely took advantage of his proximity to his dying brother, and al-Abbas's absence, to propel himself to the throne. As Abu Ishaq was the forefather of all subsequent Abbasid caliphs, later historians had little desire to question the legitimacy of his accession, but it is clear that his position was far from secure: a large part of the army favoured al-Abbas, and a delegation of soldiers even went to him and tried to proclaim him as the new Caliph. Only when al-Abbas refused them, whether out of weakness or out of a desire to avoid a civil war, and himself took the oath of allegiance to his uncle, did the soldiers acquiesce in al-Mu'tasim's succession.{{sfn|Kennedy|2006|pp=213–215}}{{sfn|Bosworth|1991|pp=1–2 (esp. note 2)}}

[[File:Almanon crater LRO WAC.jpg|300px|thumb|Image of [[Almanon (crater)]] named after the caliph]]
[[Almanon (crater)|Almanon]], a [[lunar crater|lunar]] [[impact crater]] that lies in the rugged highlands in the south-central region of the [[Moon]], was named after al-Ma'mun.<ref>{{gpn|196}}</ref>

Al-Ma'mun was the last [[Abbasid caliph]] who had a one-word [[Laqab]], his successors had laqab with suffixes like ''Billah'' or ''alā Allāh''.

His nephew, Harun (future ''[[al-Wathiq]]'') learned calligraphy, recitation and literature from his uncle, Caliph al-Ma'mun.{{sfn|Kan|2012|p=548}} Later sources nickname him the "Little Ma'mun" on account of his erudition and moral character.{{sfn|Kan|2012|p=548}}

==Religious beliefs==
[[File:Abbasid copper coin, AH 217.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Fals]] (Copper Coin) of al-Ma'mun. Dated AH 217 (AD 832/3). [[Jerusalem]] mint.]]
Al-Maʾmūn's religious beliefs are a subject of controversy, to the point where other Abbasids,<ref>Naqawī, "Taʾthīr-i qīyāmhā-yi ʿalawīyān", p. 141.</ref> as well as later Islamic scholars, called him a [[Shia]] Muslim. For instance, Sunni scholars [[al-Dhahabi]], [[Ibn Kathir]], [[Ibn Khaldun]] and [[al-Suyuti]] explicitly held the belief that al-Ma'mun was a Shi'a.<ref>Dhahabī, Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ, vol. 11, p. 236; Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya, vol. 10, pp. 275–279; Ibn khaldūn. al-ʿIbar, vol. 2, p. 272; Suyūṭī, Tārīkh al-khulafāʾ, p. 363.</ref> The arguments for his supposed Shi’ism include that, in 816/817, when [[Ali al-Rida]], the Prophet's descendant, refused designation as sole Caliph, al-Ma'mun officially designated him as his appointed successor. The official Abbasid coins were minted showing al-Ma'mun as a Caliph and al-Ridha as his successor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/cyrus_coins/28/product/item_13113_abbasid_medieval_islam_almamun_ah_194218_silver_dirham_204ah_isfahan_mint__with_ali_ibn_musa_alrida_as_heir__rare_album_224__difficult_to_find/564808/Default.aspx|title = Item #13113 Abbasid (Medieval Islam), al-Ma'mun (AH 194–218), Silver dirham, 204AH, Isfahan mint, with Ali ibn Musa al-Rida as heir, Album 224}}</ref> Other arguments were that: the Caliphate's official black colour was changed to the Prophetic green; in 210 AH/825 CE, he wrote to Qutham b. Ja'far, the ruler of Medina, to return [[Fadak]] to the descendants of Muhammad through his daughter, Fatima; he restored [[nikah mut'ah]], previously banned by Umar ibn al-Khattab, but practiced under Muhammad and Abu Bakr; in 211 AH/826 CE, al-Ma'mun reportedly expressed his antipathy to those who praised [[Mu'awiya I]], the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, and reportedly punished such people;<ref name="Suyūṭī p. 364">Suyūṭī, Tārīkh al-khulafāʾ, p. 364.</ref> this later view of al-Suyuti however is questionable since it contradicts the fact that al-Ma’mun promoted scholars who openly defended Muawiyah, such as the Mu’tazilite scholar Hisham bin Amr al-Fuwati, who was a well-respected judge in the court of al-Ma’mun in Baghdad;<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://khartoumspace.uofk.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/2008/Mutazilite%20sudan.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Disputations on 'the Necessity of Imamate' in the Mu'tazilite Political Theory |access-date=1 June 2021 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213758/https://khartoumspace.uofk.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/2008/Mutazilite%20sudan.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=dead }}</ref> in 212 AH/827 CE, al-Ma'mun announced the superiority of Ali ibn Abu Talib over Abu Bakr and Umar b. al-Khattab;<ref name="Suyūṭī p. 364"/> in 833 CE, under the influence of [[Muʿtazila]] rationalist thought, he initiated the [[mihna]] ordeal, where he accepted the argument that the Quran was created at some point over the orthodox Sunni belief that the Book is the uncreated word of God.

However, Shi’ites condemn al-Ma'mun as well due to the belief that he was responsible for [[Ali al-Ridha]]'s poisoning and eventual death in 818 CE. In the ensuing power struggle, other Abbasids sought to depose Ma'mun in favor of [[Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi]], Ma'mun's uncle;<ref>Donaldson, Dwight M. (1933). ''The Shi'ite Religion: A History of Islam in Persia and Irak. Burleigh Press''. pp. 161–170.</ref> therefore, getting rid of al-Ridha was the only realistic way of retaining united, absolute, unopposed rule.<ref>According to Madelung the unexpected death of the Alid successor, "whose presence would have made any reconciliation with the powerful ʿAbbasid opposition in Baghdad virtually impossible, must indeed arouse strong suspicion that Ma'mun had had a hand in the deaths."</ref> Al-Ma'mūn ordered that al-Ridha be buried next to the tomb of his own father, [[Harun al-Rashid]], and showed extreme sorrow in the funeral ritual and stayed for three days at the place. [[Muhammad al-Jawad]], Ali al-Ridha's son and successor, lived unopposed and free during the rest of al-Ma'mūn’s reign (till 833 CE). The Caliph summoned al-Jawad to Baghdad in order to marry his daughter, Ummul Fadhl. This apparently provoked strenuous objections by the Abbasids. According to [[Ya'qubi]], al-Ma'mun gave al-Jawad one hundred thousand ''dirham'' and said, "Surely I would like to be a grandfather in the line of the Apostle of God and of Ali ibn Abu Talib."<ref>Donaldson, Dwight M. (1933). ''The Shi'ite Religion: A History of Islam in Persia and Iraḳ''. AMS Press. pp. 190–197.</ref>

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{{Reflist}}

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* John Nawas, The [[Mihna]] of 218 A.H./833 A.D. Revisited: An Empirical Study, Journal of the American Oriental Society 116.4 (1996) pp.&nbsp;698–708
* {{cite book | last = Nawas | first = John Abdallah | title = Al-Maʼmūn, the Inquisition, and the Quest for Caliphal Authority | year = 2015 | publisher = Lockwood Press | location = Atlanta, Georgia | isbn = 978-1-937040-55-0 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-glPDgAAQBAJ }}
* {{EI2 | title = al-Maʾmūn | first = M. | last = Rekaya | authorlink = | volume = 6 | pages = 331–339 | url = http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/al-mamun-SIM_4889}}
* {{The History of al-Tabari | volume=33 | url={{Google Books|9WqdVdZWcscC|plainurl=y}} }}
* {{TDV Encyclopedia of Islam | volume = 42 | first = Kadir | last = Kan | title = Vâsiḳ-Billâh |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/vasik-billah | pages = 548–549}}
* Peter Tompkins, "Secrets of the Great Pyramid", chapter 2, Harper and Row, 1971.
*{{EI3 | last = Turner | first = John P. | title = al-ʿAbbās b. al-Maʾmūn | year = 2013 | doi = 10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_24639 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikisource author}}
*{{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20060117163425/http://www.dinarstandard.com/innovation/AlMamun122505.htm Al-Mamum: Building an Environment for Innovation]
* {{cite encyclopedia|editor=Thomas Hockey|last=Berggren|first=Len|title=Maʾmūn: Abū al-ʿAbbās ʿAbdallāh ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd|encyclopedia=The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers|publisher=[[Springer Publishing|Springer]]|year=2007|location=New York|page=733|url=http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Ma%27mun_BEA.htm|isbn=978-0-387-31022-0|display-editors=etal}} ([http://islamsci.mcgill.ca/RASI/BEA/Ma%27mun_BEA.pdf PDF version])

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[Abbasid dynasty]]||786||833|name=al-Ma'mun}}
{{s-rel|su}}
{{s-bef|before=[[al-Amin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Abbasid caliphs|Caliph]] of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]|years=813 – 9 August 833}}
{{s-aft|after=[[al-Mu'tasim]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Abbasids}}
{{Abbasid Caliphate topics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamun}}
[[Category:786 births]]
[[Category:833 deaths]]
[[Category:Arab Muslims]]
[[Category:9th-century Abbasid caliphs]]
[[Category:Abbasid people of the Arab–Byzantine wars]]
[[Category:Sons of Harun al-Rashid]]
[[Category:Khurasan under the Abbasid Caliphate]]
[[Category:One Thousand and One Nights characters]]
[[Category:Mu'tazilism]]
[[Category:Great Pyramid of Giza]]