Name Abd Al-Rahman | ||
Abd Al-Rahman was the head of an Abadite dynasty, which existed in central Maghrib (now known as Morocco) from about 776 or 778 CE to 908 CE. He was also the founder of the new Tahert.
Life
He is purported to be the son of a Persian man, Rostem b. Bahram, according to a number of scribes from the Abadite sect. Bahram was also supposedly of royal descent and had bloodlines tracing back to the Sasanide dynasty.
Abd Al-Rahman was born in Iraq, after his parents had supposedly gone on a pilgrimage to Mecca that year. While Al-Rahman's father died in Mecca, his mother had quickly remarried a pilgrim she had met from Maghrib and the couple raised Al-Rahman at Kairawan.
Abd Al-Rahman was a quick and energetic learner, and had studied under Abu Ubaida Muslim in Basra. Abd Al-Rahman became one of the five missionaries who was ultimately responsible for the spread of the Abadite doctrine in Morocco.
The first Imam of the Abadites had captured Kairawan from the Warfadjuma warriors and after his conquest, he gave several parts of Ifrikiya to Abd al-Rahman (unfortunately, in June 758- the same year- Ibn al-Asha'ath retook Kairawan). Ibn al-Ash'ath was after him though.
Quickly though, Abd Al-Rahman and his son Abd al-Wahhab and their companions took refuge in central Maghrib and ended up finding the town of Tahert, which is now known as Tagdemt near Kuzul. The city was quickly populated with Abadite emigrants from Ifrikiya and Djebel Nefusa.
At about 776 or 778 CE, Abd Al-Rahman became the Imamate of the Abadites of Tahert. He seems to have had a very peaceful reign and worked hard to ensure that justice and simplicity were also instilled in Tahert's legal system. The eastern Abadite communities held high respect for him and sent him a number of money and presents, in addition to recognizing his right to an Imamate. He is allegedly to have died at about 784 CE and his son Abd Al-Wahhab was supposed to have succeeded him.