Moulay Idriss 1 , Personal information:
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- Birth : 743 in Makkah / Saudi Arabia.
- Died : 791 in Zerhoun / Morocco
- Burial Place: Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
- Religion : Islam
- Spouse : Kenza al-Awrabiya
- Sons : Idriss 2
- Father : Abd Allah al-Kamil
- Mother : Atika bint Abd al-Malik
- Family : Al-albayt / Alids.
- Occupation : Emir / Sultan / Prince
- Reign : 788–791
- Studying : jurisprudence, science and Islamic law.
- Languages : Arabic
Moulay Idriss in Hejaz (Saudi Arabia) , unstable conditions :
During this time period (late 8th Centuray), the Alids (Moulay Idriss big family) were in Political conflict with their cousins ” Abbasids“, as they believed that the right to rule should belong to the descendants of Ali, (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad). Therefore, they challenged the legitimacy of Abbasid rule and tried several uprisings to overthrow them and establish their own rule, but they often failed ,(at least in this period).
In 786 , another Rebellion took place under the leadership of Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Al-Hassan Al-Muthalath ( cousin of Moulay Idriss ) , but it failed again, and the Alids were defeated in the Battle of Fakh. this defeat had very negative results, and led to severe persecution by the Abbasids, to eliminate their political and religious influence in the region , and indeed they killed many of them.
Moulay Idriss and his brother survived the opression of the Abbasids:
Moulay Idriss and his brother Yahya survived the battle and escaped miraculously , but their destinations were different.
Yahya : decided to head east, and it seems that his decision was not correct.
The East held great significance for the Abbasid caliphate, as it served as the epicenter of their movement and housed their most devoted supporters. Additionally, due to its proximity to the caliphate’s capital in Baghdad (Iraq), attempts at revolution in the East were consistently thwarted and unsuccessful .Therefore, Yahya will not succeed, and the Abbasids will arrest him later and kill him.
Moulay Idriss : decided to head west, and it seems that his decision was right.
From a military standpoint, Morocco was geographically distant from the central government in Baghdad (Iraq). Politically, Morocco was considered to be somewhat autonomous after the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate . Therefore, it was not closely tied to any central authority, either in the East or in Andalusia(South Spain) .
After the battle is over:
After the the Alids defeat in the battle, the Abbasid caliph ( governor of Abbasid Caliphate) assigned spies to search the country’s roads and borders, in order to prevent any remaining or fleeing Alids from escaping, But Rashid, who was Moulay Idriss loyal servant and friend, used camouflage cleverly to help them escape.
He dressed Moulay Idriss in old, torn clothes and disguised him as a servant, giving him orders and prohibitions. He also took advantage of the return of pilgrims from Makkah to Egypt and slipped away with them.
The plan was successful, and Moulay Idriss accompanied by his friend , was able to leave Medina, leaving his family and money behind, and travel from Hejaz (now Saudi Arabia).
Moulay Idriss in Egypt:
As in other countries, the Alids movement had supporters in Egypt , who believed in their cause, including Ouadih, who was in charge of a local post office there.
Moulay idriss wasted no time in contacting Ouadih as soon as he arrived , seeking his assistance in leaving the country quickly.
But why ? was Egypt so dangerous ?
Well Yes, Under Abbasid rule at the time, Egypt posed a dangerous and insecure environment for idriss , who was fleeing from the oppression of the caliphate.
Indeed , Ouadih fulfilled the request and decided to disguise him as an employee of the mail convoy, which was exempt from inspection and scrutiny due to the loyalty of its employees to the caliph.
So in this way , Using his position, Ouadih assisted Moulay Idriss and Rashid in leaving Egypt for Kairouan (Tunisia) , and effectively saving them from danger.
Moulay Idriss in Kairouan (Tunisia):
Idriss arrived safely in Kairouan and stayed there for a while. However, since the city’s governor was loyal to the Abbasids , he became fearful for his safety and decided to leave. He traveled incognito until he reached Tlemcen (Algeria), where he rested for a while before continuing on to Tangier (Morocco).
Moulay Idriss in tangier (northern morocco):
Upon arriving in Tangier, Moulay Idriss began to study its conditions, but it soon became apparent that the city did not meet his expectations. Although Tangier was outside the authority of Baghdad, it was a bustling transit center to Andalusia(Spain), attracting people from all walks of life with disparate inclinations, making it difficult to trust or rely on anyone. Additionally, the city was under constant threat from the Umayyad state in Andalusia, and there were few Alids supporters present to offer aid or assistance.
At that time, Rashid suggested to Moulay Idriss that he should leave Tangier and head towards Mount Zerhoun, where Aouraba (Rashid’s tribe) resided.
In August 788, Idriss and his companion arrived in Oualili (volubilis) where they were welcomed by its emir, Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Urubi.
Oualili was then a city of medium size, abundant with water and olive trees, and surrounded by a great wall.
It’s the perfect city to achieve what Idriss had in mind.
Moulay Idriss settled in Volubilis:
Idriss stayed as a guest with Ishaq for six months, during which time he educated his host on the principles and rulings of Islam.
The host observed his guest’s admirable qualities and virtues: sincerity, gentleness, humility, eloquence, and knowledge of the ruling of Islam.
He became more attached to him, when he saw his good manners, so he decided to pledge allegiance to him , in Ramadan 789 , And he agreed to give him his daughter’s hand in marriage .
The Aouraba tribe was strong and numerous, imposing its control over Zerhoun region, it gathered around Idriss , supported him and called on the neighboring tribes to do the same , And Surprisingly, the neighboring tribes also answered the call and pledged allegiance to him.
But wait, why would Berbers tribes swear allegiance to an Arab man coming from the east so easily ?
Well , there are two answers .
firstly, his lineage – being the grandson of Al-Hassan and great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad – held great respect among the Berbers.
Secondly, aligning with Idriss’s call promised liberation from the Abbasid caliphate and securing political independence for Morocco.
The act of pledging allegiance to Idriss was a crucial moment in Moroccan history, representing the establishment of an independent state for the first time in the country’s Islamic history.
After allegiance:
Gathering an army from the Berbers, Moulay Idriss set out to spread Islam and fight heresies in several phases.
All of these phases were successful, as the majority of the people submitted to him easily.
Idriss relied more on persuasion and negotiation than military force, except in special cases, This is how he established his authority over the Far Maghreb and spread Islam in the region.
Thanks to his seriousness and courage, he achieved significant results in less than two years, expanding his kingdom from Tamesna in the west to Tlemcen in the east.
The End:
Moulay Idriss remarkable accomplishments in a short period of time caused alarm for the Caliph Harun al-Rashid , Especially since he was moving towards the east , which posed a threat to the Ifriqiya state (Tunisia) under Abbasid rule.
The situation in Ifriqiya was already unstable and beset by various conflicts, making the Caliphate nervous about Moulay Idriss growing power.
Given these reasons, Harun al-Rashid decided to get rid of him by any means and as quickly as possible.
But how will he do it?
The distance between East and West is very large, and it is difficult to direct an army from Iraq to Morocco , nor can he rely on the army in Ifriqiya.
Finally, he devised a cunning plan : to assassinate Moulay Idriss using a spy who will send him to Morocco to carry out the mission.
Indeed, this plan was carried out and Moulay Idriss was successfully assassinated using poisoned perfume, and died in 791 , at the age of forty-seven years.
This was not the end, but rather a new beginning:
Idris I passed away, leaving behind his wife Kenza who was seven months pregnant. As a result, his friend Rashid assumed the responsibility of becoming the guardian of Idris’s son who is still in utero.
A few months after his passing, Kenza gave birth to a baby boy whom she named after his father , Idris. This child would later be remembered in history as Idriss II.
After Rashid’s death, one of the Berber sheikhs took care of Idris II until he reached adulthood and assumed power in 808.
Idris II continued the legacy of his father, and eight of his descendants went on to rule after him. This resulted in the Idrisid dynasty lasting for approximately two centuries.
In fact, one could argue that the Idrisid legacy continues to this day, as the Alawite family, who currently rule Morocco under the leadership of Majesty Mohammed VI, are direct descendants of Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya , Idris I big brother.
