Abu Al-Haija’ Al-Bakri
Abu Al-Haija’ Al-Bakri (1): Emir Abu Al-Haija’ Muqatil Bin Atiya Bin Muqatil of Quraysh was a descendant of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and a native of the Hejaz. Known as Shibl Al-Dawla (The Lion Cub of the Empire), he was a poet from a ruling family in the badia.
The son of an Arab chief, he and his brothers became estranged after a quarrel, obliging him to leave. He proceeded to Baghdad and then set out for Khorasan, finally ending up in Ghazna. He then returned to Khorasan, where he devoted his services to the vizier, Nizam al-Mulk, and married into his family.
When Nizam al-Mulk was assassinated, Abu Al-Haija’ composed an elegy for him consisting of two verses. He then returned to Baghdad and remained there for a period of time, after which he decided to go to Kerman in order to seek the assistance of the vizier there, Nasr Al-Din Mukrim Bin Al-Alaa, who was renowned for his generosity. He thus headed to Kerman, after which he returned to Baghdad, staying there for a short period of time before traveling to Transoxiana. After this, he returned to Khorasan, where he stayed in the city of Herat and he fell in love with a woman there, composing numerous love poems about her. He then left to Maru and took up residence there.
Abu Al-Haija’ became ill near the end of his life and was also afflicted with waswas. He was taken to a bimaristan (hospital) to live out his final days.
Abu Al-Haija’ was a witty author and a skilled poet. He authored Al-Nathm Al-Badi’ Al-Ra’iq and exchanged letters and jokes with the scholar Abi Al-Qasim Al-Zamakhshari. He died in Maru in either 506 or sometime around 505 AH (1111 AD).
Source: Kitab Al-Sulala Al-Bakria As-Siddiqia – Part II, by Ahmed Farghal Al-Dabassi Al-Bakri
Date of Publication
1 Ramadan 1438 AH / May 26, 2017 AD
(1) Al-Nujum Al-Zahira fi Muluk Misr wa Al-Qahira 5/ 204, Wafayat Al-Ayan 5/ 257, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala’, Al-Hadith Ed. 14/ 238, Al-A’lam, by Al-Zarkali 7/ 281