'Abd al-Mu'min (c.1094-1163) did not establish the first caliphate in the Islamic West, but his encompassed more territory than any that had preceded it. As leader of the Almohads, a politico-religious movement grounded in an uncompromising belief in the unity of God, he unified for the first time the whole of North Africa west of Egypt, and conquered much of southern Spain.

Studying every facet of 'Abd al-Mu'min's rule, from his violent repression of opposition to the flourishing of scholarship during his reign, Maribel Fierro reveals an intelligent leader and a skilled military commander who sought to build a lasting caliphate across disparate and diverse societies.

The first English-language biography of 'Abd al-Mu'min, and a significant contribution to Maghribi and Andalusian Islamic history

About the Author

Maribel Fierro is Research Professor at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas in Madrid. Her work focuses on the intellectual history of the Islamic West, particularly with respect to law, religion, historiography and political thought. She is the author of 'Abd al-Rahman III: The First Cordoban Caliph, which is also published by Oneworld.

Reviews

'Maribel Fierro, an internationally acclaimed authority on the Almohads, presents an accessible account of the true founder of the Almohad empire, 'Abd al-Mu'min... Despite their importance, 'Abd al-Mu'min and the Almohads rarely receive the coverage they deserve in surveys of the Islamic world and Fierro uses her deep erudition to address the balance in a way that will intrigue the novice and encourage the expert to think again.'

-- Amira K. Bennison, Professor in the History and Culture of the Maghrib, University of Cambridge

''Abd al-Mu'min is a little known but very important figure in the history of the Almohad caliphate and the twelfth-century Maghrib in general. Maribel Fierro has brilliantly brought him to life. Grounded in her in-depth scholarship and with a clear narrative strand, this biography should be the first port of call for anyone interested in this controversial figure.'

-- Hugh Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, SOAS, University of London



Book Information
ISBN 9781851684281
Author Maribel Fierro
Format Hardback
Page Count 192
Imprint Oneworld Academic
Publisher Oneworld Publications
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 19mm