Abdallah ibn Ja'far, known as Ibn al-Wathhab

عبد الله بن جعفر المعروف بابن الوثاب

Abdallah ibn Ja'far, known as Ibn al-Wathhab, was attached to al-Ta'i li-llah. When al-Ta'i was seized and deposed, he fled and wandered through the lands, reached al-Butayha and stayed with Muhadhdhab al-Dawla, then set out again. Al-Qadir sent to bring him in custody, and he was imprisoned; he later escaped and went to Jaylan, where he claimed to be al-Ta'i li-llah himself, citing signs he recognised from his familiarity with the caliphal palace. They accepted him and held him in high regard; Ibn al-Abbas, one of their amirs, gave him his daughter in marriage and proclaimed his claim in his town. People of other regions obeyed him and paid him the tithe. Then some of them came to Baghdad, his real condition became plain to them, and they turned away from him ¹.