| Ishaq ibn al-Muqtadir اسحاق بن المُقتدر | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 910s Baghdad | ||||
| Died | March 988 Baghdad | ||||
| Burial | Baghdad | ||||
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| Dynasty | Abbasid | ||||
| Father | al-Muqtadir | ||||
| Mother | Dimna | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Ishaq ibn al-Muqtadir (Arabic: اسحاق ابن المُقتدر 910s – March 988) was an Abbasid prince, son of Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir. He was a contemporary of the caliph al-Qahir, al-Radi, al-Muttaqi, al-Mustakfi, al-Muti and al-Ta'i'. His son Ahmad became the Abbasid caliph as al-Qadir. Ishaq was one of the few princes in the Abbasid history whose son became a caliph, very few Abbasid princes before him had this prestige.
As the son of al-Muqtadir, he was also a candidate to the caliphal throne during the reign of his brothers.
Ishaq[1][2] was the son of al-Muqtadir from his concubine was Dimna. She was also the grandmother of the future caliph al-Qadir.[1][2] Ishaq was born in Baghdad and he spent most of his life there.
Ishaq had a tragic childhood. His father, the caliph al-Muqtadir, was assassinated when Ishaq was very young. After his father's death his uncle al-Qahir became caliph even though his father had already nominated his elder half brother Abu al-Abbās (future al-Radi). His uncle was supported by some army commanders because they didn't want to be executed for al-Muqtadir's murder by his sons.
Ishaq had inherited some of the inheritance on his father death. His uncle, al-Qahir rule from 932 until 934, when he refused to abdicate in favour of al-Radi (r. 932–940), he was blinded and cast into prison.[3][4]
His brother, al-Radi ruled from 934 to 940. He was succeeded by al-Muttaqi. His brother, al-Muttaqi was succeeded his cousin al-Mustakfi.
His cousin, al-Mustakfi was hostile towards al-Muqtadir's sons, he was deposed by new Amir al-Umara Mu'izz al-Dawla and was succeeded by al-Muti. Ishaq spent his life as a junior courtier in caliph's Court.
During al-Muti's reign it was expected that he would be succeeded by one of his brothers (especially Ishaq) however he nominated his son al-Ta'i as heir.
Ishaq had several concubine and children, his son, Ahmad received a good education; he is recorded as having collected Shafi'i works on jurisprudence (fiqh) by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Harawi.[5] He also had a daughter name Amina.
When Ishaq died in March 988, his son Ahmad quarreled with his half-sister, Amina, over the inheritance. She reported him to their cousin, caliph al-Ta'i (r. 974–991), as seeking to replace him as caliph. To escape capture, Ahmad went into hiding for a while, before seeking refuge with the governor of the swamps of Bathihah near Basra, Muhadhdhib al-Dawla, for about three years.[5][6] From there, Ahmad plotted against al-Ta'i, harping on his own loyalty to the Buyids, whereas al-Ta'i had been installed by a Turkic general, Sabuktakin.[6]