Muharish bin Al-Mujalli

Abu Al-Harith Muhārish bin Al-Mujallī (Arabic: أبو الحارث مهارش بن المجلي) who holds the honorific titles of Muhyi Ad-Deen (محيي الدين) meaning: Reviver of The Religion, and Amīr Al-'Arab (أمير العرب): Emir of The Arab Bedouins, and Al-Amīr Al-Taqī (الأمير التقي): The Pious Prince.^[1][2] Was the Uqaylid emir of Haditha, Anah, the waters of Anbar, and their surroundings.^[3][4][5] His fiefdoms included Hit, Dujail, and Naarmalcha.^[6][7] He was considered one of the most prominent bedouin Arab leaders, a Military Leader, and an emir of the Uqaylid Dynasty and Banu Uqayl.^[8]

The Banu Uqayl were an Arab tribe of Bedouin origin,^[9] and Muharish held this bedouin identity hence why he was also referred to as Al-Badawi (البدوي): The Bedouin.^[7][10]

He is: Muhārish bin Al-Mujallī bin 'Ukaith bin Qabbān bin Shaghab bin Al-Muqallad Al-Akbar bin Ja'far bin 'Amr bin Al-Muhanna bin Abdul-Rahman bin Yuzaid bin Abdullah bin Zaid bin Qais bin Joutha bin Tahfah bin Rubay'ah bin Huzn bin 'Ubadah bin 'Uqayl.

Other titles: Majd ad-Deen (Glory of The Religion), Fathr ad-Deen (Pride of The Religion), Mujeer ad-Deen (Protector of The Religion),^[4] Fakhr Al-Mulk (Pride of The Kingdom); except he wasn't known by it,^[11] Wajh Al-'Arab (Face of The Arabs); he was called one of the faces of Banu Uqayl.^[5]

The kunya of Muharish was Abu al-Harith (lit. 'Father of The Cultivator'), though its actual meaning is: The Lion. Prior to 1058 Muharish was the keeper of the Fort of Haditha where he was able to form the Emirate of Ãl Al-Mujalli subject to The Uqaylid Dynasty.^[9][12][13] His house was located in the courtyard of the Mosque of Baghdad.^[6] Muharish was a refined and accomplished prince, literate, and held an esteemed position among the great emirs of his era.

He was known for his dutifulness, righteousness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and his devotedness to prayer and fasting, consistently attending Friday and congregational prayers, and was said to hold sound and commendable beliefs.^[14][15] He loved scholars and people of virtue, and he gave a daily charity in Baghdad in the form of three hundred pounds of bread. He was known for his chivalry, piety, courage, knowledge in Arabic Literature, and writing poetry.^{[16][5][8][17][11][18]}

In his name it is also said: Al-Hadīthi, Al-'Ānī: The Hadithian The Anian; in relation to Haditha and Anah which he ruled.^[19] It is theorized that Muharish was responsible for maintaining security in the desert, tasked with protecting the Uqaylid trade caravans that transported goods across the central desert, and ensuring their safe passage before the Abbasid state and its agents.^[12]

Al-Basasiri's Revolt or in Arabic (فتنة البساسيري): Fitnat Al-Basāsīrī, was a political and religious revolt victoring the Fatimids against the Abbasids during which Baghdad would be overtook by the Turkish military leader Al-Basasiri and Muharish's relative, Emir of The Uqaylid Dynasty Quraysh bin Badran.

On Friday 22nd of January 1059, the Islamic sermons in Baghdad were not delivered in the name of the then Abbasid Caliph Al-Qa'im Bi-Amr Allah, but to The Fatimid ruler of Egypt Al-Mustansir Billah. And on this day a conflict arose between Al-Basasiri and Quraysh ibn Badran regarding what to do with the Caliph, which led to their decision on his removal (exile) from Baghdad. They decided that he should not remain with either of them, so they resolved to hand him over to the ruler of Haditha, Muharish, to be held in custody until a decision was reached.^[10]

The Caliph became aware of their decision and feared it might be a plot, so he sent a request to Quraysh ibn Badran, asking him to come to him. When Quraysh refused, the Caliph rose himself, walked to Quraysh's tent, entered, and clung to the hem of his garment, saying:

"You are well aware of the decision to remove me from your protection and place me beyond your reach. I did not surrender myself to you except based on the guarantee you gave me—a pledge that obligates you to honor it. Now I have come to you under a second pledge. So I implore you, by God, to safeguard my life. For if you were to hand me over, you would destroy me and bring about my ruin—something unbecoming of the traditions of the Arabs."

So Quraysh replied

"No harm shall come to you, nor will you suffer any indignity. However, this tent is not a place for your likeliness to remain, and Abu al-Harith does not wish for your continued presence in this country. I will transfer you to Haditha and place you in the custody of Muharish, my cousin, who is a man of religion and devotion. So do not be afraid—trust in my concern for your safety, and return to your place." The Caliph, despairing of him, rose and said: "God has a decree that He will carry out."

On the night of Wednesday, 27 January, the Caliph and Quraysh departed. On the following day, a group of Al-Basasiri’s and Quraysh’s men arrived, took custody of the Caliph from his escort, seated him in a howdah atop a camel, and sent him to Al-Anbar and Hit, then to Haditha on the Euphrates. There, Muharish received the Caliph with great honor and took him to Anah, where he spent his detention in a residence known as Bayt al-Qāʾim ("the House of al-Qāʾim"). Some accounts say he was exiled in Haditha. Muharish conducted himself with noble character during this period, as he personally, along with his sons, attended to all the Caliph’s needs and ensured his full care and comfort.^{[8][20][7][15][10]}

In the year 1058, Al-Yāzūrī and the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mustansir planned to send ten thousand dinars to Muharish in exchange for the surrender of the Abbasid Caliph to them. The plan was for the Caliph to be received in Cairo with full honors and to be housed in the Western Palace. However, the plan was never carried out.^[3]

After a series of events, the position of Quraysh ibn Badran became unstable, and he turned against Al-Basasiri when he saw power shifting in favor of Tughril Beg. Quraysh fled into the desert, heading north towards Mosul, after sending Abu Al-Hasan bin Al-Mufarrij to Muharish with the following message:

"We had entrusted the Caliph to your care out of confidence in your trustworthiness and reliance upon your religiosity, so that we might, through him, ward off the aggression of the Ghuzz from our lands, our lives, and our tribes. Now they have returned and appeared before us, and it is possible they may target you, besiege you, and seize him from you. Therefore, take him—and your family and children—and come to me. If they learn that he is in our hands, they will not dare to attack us for fear of endangering him, nor will they advance along the roads of Iraq. And should they demand him from us, we shall impose conditions upon them: that they not violate our lands or our tribes, and that they grant us money and territory in return for his release. I do not seek to receive him myself; rather, let him remain with you, exactly as he is, such that he cannot be forcibly taken from us, and his condition under your care shall remain as it has been."^[7][10]

It was also reported to Muharish secretly that he should take the Caliph to Egypt and hand him over to Al-Mustansir. Muharish said to the messenger:

"Tell him: Al-Basasiri betrayed me and did not fulfill what he had promised me, and there remain no oaths binding upon me to you. I sent my companion to Baghdad and told him: I am absolved from the oath you hold over me, so take your companion from me, but they failed. The Caliph himself came to know that I was freed from the oath that was upon me, and he swore to me on his own behalf."

Muharish said to the Caliph:

"My counsel is that we depart and proceed to the town of Badr bin Al-Muhalhil to observe what will become of this incoming Sultan. There, we will be in a position where we can secure our safety and manage our affairs according to circumstances. We cannot be certain that Al-Basasiri will not come and besiege us, nor can we repel him if he does; and if that happens, we will lose control over our choices."

So Caliph replied to him: "Do as you see fit.". Before this Tughril Beg had written to Muharish regarding the Caliph, requesting that he return him; however, it was not expected that Muharish would comply.^[7]

At the end of the year, on Sunday 19 December 1059 , Muharish released the Caliph from his detention. Muharish departed with him (some accounts say it was Muharish's son, but the more accurate version affirms it was Muharish himself, though it is possible his sons accompanied them^[3]). Muharish and his kinsmen accompanied the Caliph in their journey in finding the Seljuk Sultan. They crossed the Euphrates and set their destination to be the territory of Badr bin Al-Muhalhil, and made their course in secret seeking safety from any who might pursue them. Muharish led the Caliph through the desert toward Tikrit and hastened the journey until they reached the Tigris— Tal Ukbara (Hill of Ukbara) —where they crossed the river. Continuing in Muharish’s company, they made for the mountains (toward Badr’s territory in modern day Iran), as it had reached Muharish that Tughril Beg was in Shahrizor. After covering most of the route, they learned that Tughril Beg had already arrived in Baghdad, so they turned back, after meeting with Ibn Fawrak and Badr bin Al-Muhalhil.^[14][15]

In Ibn Fawrak's account he said:

"I had just returned from Quraysh bin Badran’s territory to the encampment of Badr bin Al-Muhalhil, filled with anxiety over the fate of the Caliph, due to what I had heard from Quraysh concerning him. I also feared that he might head toward Haditha and seize the Caliph, thereby placing him under his own authority. While I was contemplating this and planning to report the matter to the Sultan, a message from Badr bin Al-Muhalhil reached me. I went to him, and there appeared a man from the Sawād who had come to him. Badr said to him, 'Repeat what you have reported.' The man said, 'Last night I saw an army heading toward Tal Ukbara. I asked about them, and it was said: This is the Caliph with Muharish, coming from Haditha.' Badr replied, 'I found it unlikely.' But I remained where I was until a messenger arrived from the fortress of Tal Ukbara's, saying: 'They have arrived at Tal Ukbara So I confirmed the news, and was overjoyed. We went to the fortress, and Badr set up tents for him. The Caliph descended into them, and I handed over to him what I had brought of money and clothing."^[7]

Ibn Fawrak wrote to the Sultan informing him of the Caliph's arrival and requesting tents, pavilions, and furnishings for him. Upon reading Ibn Fawrak's letter and learning of the Caliph's arrival he was overcome with joy, for it is said he did not expect it nor even imagine it. He dispatched Anūsharwān along with the entire delegation, including Amid Al-Mulk.

When Muharish and the Caliph proceeded to the location of the vizier Amid al-Mulk, they all met at the waters of Nahrawan.^[21][22] The vizier received them and expressed his gratitude to Muharish for his noble conduct. They informed Muharish of the Sultan’s appreciation and his intention to honor him in a manner befitting such a deed.^[7][10][23]

Thus, Muharish was one of those who saved the Abbasid dynasty. It later became clear that Quraysh bin Badran had been deceitful, having attempted to deceive Muharish, as intention had been to take the Caliph to the wilderness and hand him over to the ruler of Egypt—a move that could have led to a collapse of the Sunni world and resulted in numerous new events and shifts in the course of Islamic history as we know it today.^[7]

Muharish played a decisive role during the Fitna by taking charge of the Caliph’s protection. He utilized the fortresses to safeguard his emirate and ensure the Caliph’s safety—some of which remain standing to this day.^[24]

Muharish was among those who offered strategic proposals for the elimination of Al-Basasiri. He presented numerous suggestions, and significant events unfolded based on them. Tughril Beg acknowledged his role and granted him the fiefdom of Hit along with three thousand dinars. However, Muharish was not satisfied with the treatment he received, nor was there content with what had been allotted to him.^[7] However, it is also said that Muharish's stature grew greatly due to his actions during the Fitna, and that the Caliph later granted him considerable wealth and fiefdoms—so much so that the saying goes he became the most comfortable of Banu Uqayl.^[15]

Muharish departed from Baghdad with three hundred Turkish mamluks, heading toward Al-Rahba. On Sunday 28 January 1060, news of his approach reached the city’s deputy governor, the young son of Al-Basasiri. Alarmed and fearful of remaining there, he considered giving Muharish Balis. Meanwhile, the qadi, Ibn Mahkan, and Abu Al-Karam, the state secretary, were preparing the Friday khutba in the name of Sultan Tughril Beg and Caliph Al-Qa'im. At that time, Muharish had already advanced toward Al-Rahba in a swift military detachment, and the officials had not grasped the true nature of the situation.

When the young son of Al-Basasiri learned of Muharish’s advance, he realized he could no longer remain. On Thursday the same week, he fled the city. The gates were shut behind him, and those who had once pledged loyalty to him turned against him, cursing him and shooting arrows at him. He was forced to flee toward Balis, and from there continued on to Aleppo.^[7]

In the year 1063, Sharaf al-Dawla Muslim ibn Quraysh dispatched his brother, Ibrahim, to the land of Awāna—a town near Dujail—to collect its revenues in order to finance his campaign against Baghdad. To defend Awāna, the vizier prepared a force of two hundred mamluks as archer, while Muharish and Muhammad bin Mansur led approximately fifty cavalrymen to Awāna to confront Ibrahim. They defeated him and expelled him from the area.^[7]

On April of 1072, although Muharish himself was not mentioned explicitly, the control over Muharish’s territories shifted from being subject to the Uqaylids to the Seljuks. As the Sultan took Hit, Anah, and other areas under Uqaylid influence from Muslim ibn Quraysh. Muharish continued to serve as a local emir over these lands, known to be loyal to both the Seljuks and the Abbasids.

In 1080, Malik-Shah granted the fiefdom of the cities of Hit and Anah to the Uqaylid emir Salim bin Malik. Consequently, Muharish was relieved of his fiefdom over Hit, while Salim took possession of the fiefdom of a part of Muharish's emirate.^[7]

After Al-Qa'im expressed his gratitude to Muharish, Muharish praised him with a poem he sent, including the following lines:^[8][25]

And it is said that the poem is longer.^[5]

Muharish died around September to November of 1105 in Haditha at the age of around 76-77 years, succeeding his emirate is his son Sulayman bin Muharish. Upon the account of his death most books say afterwards: May God have mercy upon him (رحمه الله تعالى).^{[5][16][17][26]}