Family[edit]

One of al-Mutawakkil's wives was Farida. She belonged to the household of his brother caliph al-Wathiq, who kept her as a concubine and favorite although she belonged to the singer Amr ibn Banah. When al-Wathiq died, Amr presented her to al-Mutawakkil. He married her, and she became one of his favourites.^[25] Another wife was Sa'anin^[26][27] or Sha'anin.^[28] According to an anecdote from Adab al-ghuraba, a book usually attributed to Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, she was a Christian and the daughter of a monk at a Syrian monastery in Homs. Al-Mutawakkil encountered her at the monastery. Enchanted by her beauty and grace, he was infatuated with her. This led to poignant moments with her where he sought her companionship and it turned out that she could sing and recite poetry. Al-Mutawakkil then married her, following her conversion to Islam, and she remained his favourite until his death.^{[26][27][29][30][31]}


Al-Mutawakkil is reputed to have four thousand concubines, all of whom shared his bed.^[32][33] One of his concubines (ummahat al-walad) was Hubshiya. She was a Greek, and was the mother of his eldest son, the caliph al-Muntasir.^[34] After her son's death in 862, she commissioned a tomb for him in public view in Samarra, which made him the first Abbasid caliph whose burial place was not a secret.^[35] She died in 877.^[36] Another of his concubines was Ashar, also known by her teknonym, Umm Ishaq.^{[37][38][39][40]} She was an Andulasian and was one of his favourites. She was the mother of his sons Ibrahim al-Mu'ayyad and Abu Ahmad al-Muwaffaq. She died on 23 December 883 and was buried in al-Rusafa.^[41] Another concubine was Fityan. She was from Kufa and was the mother of caliph al-Mu'tamid.^[42] Another concubine was Qabiha. She was a Greek,^[43] and was the mother of caliph al-Mu'tazz,^[44] Isma'il^[45] and Qurb,^[36] known as Umm Abdullah.^[46] She was renowned for her poetry and her beauty,^[47] and was one of his favourites.^[48] She died in November–December 877.^[49][50] Another concubine was Lujayn.^[50] She commissioned a mosque in Samarra.^[51] Another concubine (hazaya) was Shajar. Al-Mutawakkil was devoted to her, preferring her over all his concubines. On one Mehregan Day, Shajar's gift of twenty gazelles with Chinese saddles, each carrying gold-latticed bags of precious scents, impressed him. Envious, his concubines plotted to kill her with a poisoned drink, leading to her demise.^[52][36] Another concubine (jariya) was Sahib. She possessed both beauty and impeccable manners. However, a mishap involving a servant resulted in one of her front teeth being broken, which subsequently turned black, diminishing her appeal in al-Mutawakkil's estimation. Consequently, he bestowed her to his close companion Abu Abdullah ibn Hamdun, providing her with all her belongings. Following Abu Abdullah's passing, she married an Alid, Ali ibn Yahya al-Munajjim.^[53]


Al-Mutwakkil had taken several courtesans (qiyan) as concubines. One of them was Fadl. She was a poet. She was from Basrah and was born in al-Yamama. She was from the Abd al-Qays tribe. She was purchased by Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhkhaji, who gave her to al-Mutawakkil. She had a dark complexion, was cultured, articulate, and quick-witted.^[54] She died in 870–71.^[55] Another concubine was Mahbuba. She was born in Basrah.^[56] She was a poet and a singer. She had been given to al-Mutawakkil by Ubaydullah ibn Tahir, when he became caliph, as one of a group of four hundred slaves.^[57] She was one of his favourites.^[49] After al-Mutawakkil's death she became the property of Wasif, whom she angered, whereupon Bugha asked for her and freed her. She then went to Baghdad, where she lived in anonymity and eventually passed away due to sorrow.^[58] Another concubine was Mulah. She was a poet and was related to the poet Shāriyah. She was known by her epithet al-Attarah because she made a great use of perfume (attar).^[59] Another concubine was Najla. She was known for her beauty and singing. After al-Mutawakkil's death, caliph al-Musta'in married her to Utamish.^[60][61] Another concubine was Rayya al-Madaniyya. She was a poet.^[62] She and another concubine, Zamya al-Hamadaniyya, who was also a poet, were brought from al-Yamama and sold to al-Mutawakkil. Upon seeing them, he requested they recite a poem mentioning him and his conquests. Both Rayya and Zamya complied, and Rayya's performance pleased him, leading him to keep her.^[63] When Zamya asked why he didn't choose her, he mentioned her freckles, which he saw as a flaw, but her cleverly crafted poetry changed his perception, leading him to ultimately choose her too.^[63][64] Another concubine was Nashib. She was famous for her exceptional singing skills and imaginative talent.^[65] Some other concubines were Bunan, a poet,^[66] and Zajir.^[62]


Al-Mutawakkil had three more sons, Abu'l-Hassan, who died in 885,^[67] Abu Isa Abdullah, who was a musician and a composer,^[68] and who was killed in 892,^[67] and Ishaq.^[69]