Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi

Ibrahim was born in 779. He was the son of Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi,^[7] and was born during the Caliphate of his father. His mother was Shaklah, a Negress,^[8] whose father was Khwanadan, steward of Masmughan.^[9] She had a brother named Humayd.^[10] She was acquired by Al-Mahdi when she was a child. He presented her to his concubine Muhayyat, who, discovering a musical talent in the child, sent her to the famous school of Taif in the Hijaz for a thorough musical education. Years later Al-Mahdi, then caliph, took her as his concubine.^[11]

One of his wives was Umm Muhammad. She was the daughter of Salih al-Miskin and Umm Abdullah bint Isa ibn Ali. After Inrahi divorced her, she married Harun al-Rashid.^[12]

During the Fourth Fitna, Ibrahim was proclaimed caliph on 20 July 817 by the people of Baghdad, who gave him the regnal name of al-Mubarak (Arabic: المبارك) and declared his reigning nephew al-Ma'mun deposed. Ibrahim received the allegiance of the Hashemites.^[13] He had to resign in 819, and spent the rest of his life as a poet and a musician. He is remembered as "one of the most gifted musicians of his day, with a phenomenal vocal range",^[6] and a promoter of the then innovative 'Persian style' of song, 'which was characterized inter alia by redundant improvisation'.^[14]

Ibrahim died in 839 during the Caliphate of his younger nephew al-Mu'tasim.^[7]

Ibrahim was related to several Abbasid caliphs. He was also contemporary to several Abbasid caliphs, princess and princesses. Ibrahim was at one point married to Abbasid princess Umm Muhammad.