Umm al-Sharif
أم الشريف
The aunt of Amad's defender whose counsel-letter and verses so pleased al-Mu'tadid he hoped her intercession would avail — her nephew answered 'states are not ruled by women's counsel' 1.
At a glance
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Overview
Umm al-Sharif, paternal aunt of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Isa ibn al-Shaykh, lord of Amid 2.
Her letter to al-Mu'tadid
In the year 286 AH she corresponded with Shu'ba ibn Shihab al-Yashkuri, the envoy of al-Mu'tadid to her. She gave generous counsel in her letter, and added verses to it, among them: "Accept the counsel of a mother whose heart is fearful and compassionate for you" 2.
Shu'ba presented the letter to al-Mu'tadid, who admired her verse and her intelligence. He said that he hoped to accept her intercession for many of the people 2.
Her nephew's reply
Her nephew said to her envoy: "States are not governed by the opinions of women, nor is kingship ruled by their minds" 2.
After the conquest of Amid
When Amid was conquered, and her nephew came down under safe conduct, she unveiled her face and composed verse, the first line of which is: "By the vicissitudes of time and its turns" 2.
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 604-606
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.604-606
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Umm al-Sharif”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/umm-al-sharif/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.