History states that in the year 169 AH, a battle took place in Makkah at a location called Fakh, near the grave of the Companion of Prophet Mohammad, Abdullah ibn Umar. At Fakh, more than 198 members of the Prophet’s family were killed by the Abbasids— their own cousins. Only one survived: Idris, later known as Moulay Idris ibn Abdullah al-Kamil, ibn al-Hasan al-Muthanna, ibn al-Hasan, ibn Ali, ibn Fatima al-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) from his first wife, Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her). The sole survivor fled alone to Morocco as a wanted fugitive, without an army, family or power. Upon arriving, he found a king crowned by a European kingdom, named Ishaq ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Urubi.
When this ruler learned of Moulay Idris’s lineage to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), he relinquished the throne in his favor, despite Idris having arrived alone and without influence. The Sultan and the Madman It is said that one day a sultan left his palace for a short time. During his absence, a madman entered the palace and sat on the sultan’s throne. When the guards saw him, they condemned his act, dragged him down from the throne, beat him severely, and left him crying in a corner of the palace.
When the sultan returned and saw him in that condition, he felt compassion and asked why he was crying, and whether the beating had hurt him. The madman replied, “I am not crying because of the beating, I am crying over you.” Surprised, the sultan asked, “How can you cry over me?” The madman said, “I sat on this throne for only a few moments, and all this suffering befell me. You have sat on it for years. What will your condition be tomorrow when you are questioned about governance and justice?” The sultan wept and realized that kingship is a heavy responsibility, and that accountability increases with authority. Thus, thrones are not measured by their splendor, but by the weight of the trust placed upon those who occupy them.
The longer a ruler remains in power, the longer his questioning before Allah will be. Blessed is the one who remembers his responsibility before judgment comes. It is narrated that Commander of the Faithful Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), once said: “If a mule were to stumble in Baghdad, I would fear that Allah would question me about it: ‘Why did you not pave the road for it, O Umar?’” The Story of Murad IV After the deposition of Sultan Mustafa in 1622 CE, Sultan Murad IV ascended the Ottoman throne at the age of 12. His mother, Kösem Sultan — a Janissary assumed the role of regent and exercised real authority on his behalf. At the time, the Ottoman Empire was facing severe internal turmoil. The governor of Tripoli in Syria took advantage of the weakness and chaos and declared independence from the Ottoman State. Abaza Pasha did the same in Erzurum.
Meanwhile, the Safavid State seized Baghdad, and the Janissaries revolted against the Sultan following the dismissal of Khusraw Pasha, to whom they were loyal. After Kösem Sultan’s guardianship over her son ended, Murad IV resolved to reform internal affairs so that he could confront external threats. He began eliminating the Janissary tyrants, executing rebels in Istanbul and throughout the empire. He established a powerful intelligence network, through which he identified despots throughout the state.
Whenever Murad IV traveled to a region, he would arrest the rebels and order their immediate execution. Through patience, determination, and strategic cunning, Murad IV consolidated power and shifted the balance decisively in his favor. In 1634, war erupted with the Safavids in Iraq. Sultan Murad IV personally led the army and marched on Baghdad, which Abbas Shah captured after killing the Ottoman governor. Murad IV besieged Baghdad, destroyed its walls with artillery, and successfully recaptured the city. He ordered its reconstruction, repaired its defenses, and appointed a new governor of Iraq. Sultan Murad IV died in 1640 after restoring the lost prestige and glory of the Ottoman Empire.
