Leading the funeral prayers of famous Muslim theologian Malik ibn Anas in 795
Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Zaynabi (Arabic: عبد الله بن محمد بن إبراهيم الزينبي)[1] was a minor Abbasid prince. He served as the governor of several provinces, including the Yemen and Egypt, in the late eighth and early ninth centuries.
Life
A member of the Abbasid dynasty, Abdallah was the descendant of notable personages on both sides of his family. His father Muhammad was a son of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Ali, who had been a leading figure in the early stages of the Abbasid Revolution before being killed by the last Umayyad caliph Marwan II in 749.[2] His mother, Zaynab, was the daughter of Sulayman ibn Ali and a senior princess at the Abbasid court, and Abdallah himself was usually known by the names of "al-Zaynabi" or "Abdallah ibn Zaynab."[3] He was a second cousin of the fourth and fifth Abbasid caliphs al-Hadi (r. 785–786) and Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809).[4]
During his career Abdallah was appointed to several provincial governorships. Either during the caliphate of al-Hadi or al-Mahdi he was made governor of the Yemen,[5] and under Harun al-Rashid he was once or twice governor of Mecca[6] (and possibly Medina).[7] In 805 he was appointed over Egypt, in which position he remained for approximately a year.[8]
Abdallah was also known for leading the prayers at the funeral of Malik ibn Anas in 795.[9]
Ibn Abd al-Majid, Taj al-Din 'Abd al-Baqi al-Yamani (1985). Ta'rikh al-Yaman al-Musamma Bahjat al-Zaman fi Ta'rikh al-Yaman (in Arabic). Sana'a: Dar Kalimah.