OverviewAn Abbasid caliph remembered for supporting learning and imposing a religious test.CategoryHistorical figurePeriodc. 786 – c. 833 CE
Life and settingAl-Ma’mun gained power after a civil war with his brother al-Amin. His reign linked the political worlds of Baghdad and Khurasan.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam
Work and legacyAl-Ma’mun imposed the mihna, requiring scholars to affirm that the Qur’an was created. Ahmad ibn Hanbal refused. The policy continued under later caliphs, and Ahmad's imprisonment and flogging are associated with al-Mu‘tasim's reign.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam
SourcesOriginal concise biography based on the cited references. Historical reports, later devotional traditions and uncertain dates are distinguished where relevant.TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam
