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Abu Hafs Umar ibn Yahya al-Hintati

Abū Ḥafṣ ʿUmar b. Yaḥyā al-Hintātī (, born Faskāt ū-Mzāl Īntī; c. 482–571 Hijri / 1090–1175 or 1176), chief of the Hintata, was a close companion of Ibn Tumart and a shaper of the Almohad Empire greatly responsible for the unification of the Almohad corps. His grandson Abū Zakariyyāʾ Yahyā b. ʿAbd al-Waḥīd founded the Hafsid dynasty in Ifriqiya. He lived a long life and helped maintain ties between the Almohad movement's early revolutionary doctrine and its later dynastic period established by ʿAbd al-Muʾmin.

Abu Hafs's original Berber name was "Faskat u-Mzal Inti", but he was renamed "Abu Hafs" by Ibn Tumart, choosing a name associated with one of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's companions.

Abū Ḥafṣ led the Hintata tribe of the central Moroccan High Atlas, and mobilized his soldiers to fight against the Almoravids in support of the Almohads. Due to the necessity of unifying the tribes of the Atlas, and with Ibn Tumart's confidence, Abū Ḥafṣ led soldiers from his own tribe in battle, one of the few allowed to do so. Without this critical military support, it is unlikely that the Almohad offensive would have come together so quickly.

According to al-Baydhaq, Abū Ḥafṣ was a member of the Council of Ten, Ibn Tumart's closest advisors. Abū Ḥafṣ held a position just under ʿAbd al-Muʾmin in the Almohad hierarchy.

Hafsid genealogy

This is the claimed genealogy of Abu Hafs as reported by Al-Zarkashi.

  1. Omar
  2. 'Abd Allah
  3. Sàlim ben 'Abd Allah
  4. Ka'b ben Sàlim
  5. Najba ibn Ka'b
  6. Muhammad ibn Najba
  7. Yasin ibn Muhammad
  8. 'Umar ibn Yasin
  9. Elyas ibn 'Umar
  10. Elisa ibn Elyas
  11. Khalid ibn Elisa
  12. Idris ibn Khalid
  13. Welal ibn Idris
  14. Ahmad ibn Welal
  15. 'Ali ibn Ahmad
  16. Wanuddin ibn 'Ali
  17. Muhammad ibn Wanuddin
  18. Yahya ibn Muhammad
  19. Abu Hafs Umar ibn Yahya al-Hintati

References