[aammar]

Years 623 and 624 A.H.

Ath-Thaahir Bi Amr Allaah, son of An-Naasir Li Deen Allaah, took over the Abbasid Caliphate, and was quite different from his father. He was righteous and pious, unprecedented in his justice and kindness, to the extent that Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, said, "If it is said that none like him took office after ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez, it will be true." He cancelled out the heavy taxes, returned to the people their rights, brought out the wronged from prisons, and gave in charity to the poor, so much that it was said about him, "He was peculiar in that corrupt time."

Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, and he was contemporary with him, said an amazing statement, "I feel afraid that the term of his caliphate would be short, since neither our time nor its people deserve his caliphate."

Was the society corrupt to such an extent?



Exalted be Allaah! Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, was true in his anticipation, and very soon, the caliph Ath-Thaahir Bi Amr Allaah died, after ruling the Muslims for 9 months and a few days. Narrators mentioned that the prices fell so much and the economy of Iraq improved during his era. Those are signals not hidden from a rational person. All perfect praise be to Allaah who established on earth unchangeable norms. So, is there anyone who will remember?
After Ath-Thaahir, Al-Mustansir Billaah took power and remained in office for 17 years, i.e. until 640 A.H.

During this period, Jalaal Ad-Deen went on his wars in the region, not against the Tatars but rather against the Muslims. He seized some cities and territories. One of his most atrocious crimes was his besieging the inhabitants of the Muslim city of Khalat or Akhlat, now in the East of Turkey, and killing a great number of them. In this event, the Khwarezmid soldiers usurped everything in the city through looting and robbery, to the extent that they captured the Muslim women.

In fact, I could not logically justify that degradation of morality, understanding, policy and wisdom. Had this not been recorded in more than a reference, no mind would have believed it; and there is no strength and no power save in Allaah.

The year 624 A.H. witnessed an important and significant event, i.e. the death of the criminal Tatarian leader, Genghis Khan at the age of 72 years, after he had devoted his life to killing, slaying, bloodshed, looting and robbery. During the period of his ruling, he built a vast kingdom extending from Korea in the East to Persia in the West. This kingdom was built on the people's skulls, pieces and blood, and, unfortunately, most of those people were from among the Muslims. However, blame, all blame, is on those who reached such a state of weakness as enabled that mischievous person to do what he willed in the Muslim territories.

By the death of Genghis Khan, things calmed down relatively; the Tatars preserved what they occupied of the Muslim territories to the middle of Iran, while Jalaal Ad-Deen assumed his control over the territories of the West of Iran, and the West of the Caspian Sea. Each party seemed to have been satisfied with what was in hand, and preferred to keep what it thought to be its own right.

---

Years 623 and 624 A>H> 624