Caliph al-Wathiq
Abbasid caliph in Samarra
- Reign
- 842–847
- Father
- Caliph al-Mutasim
- Capital
- Samarra
- Policy
- Enforced the mihna (inquisition) on the created Quran
- Successor
- al-Mutawakkil
Ninth-century Abbasid caliph who, after a dream, sent Sallam the Interpreter to see whether the wall of Gog and Magog still stood.
What is Caliph al-Wathiq known for?
Abu Jafar Harun al-Wathiq was the ninth Abbasid caliph, ruling from 842 to 847 from the capital at Samarra. He was the son of al-Mutasim and continued his father's reliance on Turkish military commanders.
Britannica notes that he vigorously enforced the mihna, the inquisition requiring officials and scholars to affirm the Mu'tazilite doctrine that the Quran was created, a policy dropped under his successor al-Mutawakkil. He was also known as a patron of scholars and poets.
According to the geographer Ibn Khordadbeh, al-Wathiq dreamed that the barrier Dhul-Qarnayn had built against Gog and Magog had been breached. He sent his interpreter Sallam with an expedition to find and inspect it, around 842. The story of the dream comes from that single account.
He sent Sallam the Interpreter to find the wall of Gog and Magog.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeGog and Magog
- PersonIbn Khordadbeh
- PersonSallam the Interpreter
Sources
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