The intellectual roots of Abbasid politics in proving the legitimacy of the caliphate

Abstract

Historical sources agree that the Abbasid state originated in its early stages as an organized movement aimed at ending the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate. The idea for its founding and organization is attributed to Abu Hashim Abdullah ibn Muhammad (al-Hanafiyya), son of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and was later passed on to Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdullah ibn al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. Based on this transfer of power, the Abbasids became the proponents of the movement, which is said to have begun in 98 AH, calling for the end of Umayyad rule and its restoration to its rightful owners. Therefore, it is considered the first widespread and organized movement in the Islamic state. However, after the success of their movement and their assumption of power, they encountered opposition from their own supporters and those who had joined their ranks. This was because their slogan was "For the satisfaction of the family of Muhammad," and when it became clear that it did not refer to the Alawites, they opposed them, understanding that the slogan was intended for the Alawites, not the Abbasids. The Abbasids, having removed the rightful heirs to the caliphate—the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him)—needed to find foundations and means to legitimize their rule. They diligently searched for these foundations and presented a series of claims, the most prominent of which was the abdication of Abu Hashim Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya and their acquisition of the "Yellow Scroll," the document of Imam Ali. Not content with this, they applied all the hadiths of the Prophet concerning the Mahdi to themselves. They brought out their banners from Khorasan, made them black, and entrusted a young man, no more than twenty years old, with carrying them to convince people that they were the ones foretold by the Prophet. However, they did not succeed in their claims due to a clear contradiction between their assertions and their actions after the movement's success, as they did not possess any of the qualities mentioned in the hadiths. The Prophet spoke about the awaited Mahdi and his caliphate.