Moulay Idris Ier (al-Akbar)

Moulay Idris I, known as al-Akbar, is the founder of the Idrisid dynasty, the first Muslim dynasty of Morocco. A refugee in the Maghreb after the battle of Fakhkh, he was welcomed by the Berber tribes of the Middle Atlas, who pledged allegiance to him. He is a direct ancestor of Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi Al Karkari.

Fakhkh and the flight

Son of ʿAbd Allah al-Kamil, Idris took part in the revolt of the Prophet's descendants against the Abbasids, which ended in 786 with the battle of Fakhkh, near Mecca, where many members of the family perished. He managed to escape.

Exile to the west

Pursued by the Abbasid authorities, he passed through Egypt, then Ifriqiya (present-day Tunisia), before reaching the western end of the Muslim world. He found refuge among the Berber tribes, in particular in the ancient city of Volubilis, near Meknes.

The founding of the kingdom

The tribes, who respected the Prophet's family, gathered around him and recognised him as leader. In 788 the Awraba pledged allegiance to him. He married Kenza, of this tribe, and gave birth to the Idrisid state.

Death

The caliph Harun ar-Rashid, fearing this rival power, sent an emissary who posed as a fugitive and assassinated him, in 791 or 792. His son, Idris II, was born a few months later. Moulay Idris is buried in the town that bears his name, Moulay Idris Zerhoun, near Meknes, where his mausoleum still attracts many visitors.