alMuqtafi

Al-Muqtafi was a Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate who ruled from 1075 to 1094. His real name was Al-Mustansir, although he took the laqab (also known as alias or honorific title) al-Muqtafi. At the time of his accession, the Fatimid Caliphate, Shia Muslims based in North Africa, had been making inroads into the Abbasid Caliphate's territories in the Middle East.

Al-Muqtafi's early reign was marked by attempts to stabilize the situation by showing magnanimity towards his opponents. He tried to restore the influence of the Abbasid Caliphate and quelled the rebels by pre-emptive strikes. In 1080, he was offered the imamship by his grandfather, the Abbasid Caliph Al-Qadir, but the latter was opposed by the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir, who sought to extinguish the power of his rival.

As a result of his early efforts, Al-Muqtafi was successful in halting the advances of the Fatimid forces. He achieved this by emphasizing the supremacy and power of the Abbasid as Caliphs, and reaching agreement with tribal leaders which broke their alliance with the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt.