Ibrahim ibn al-Walid

Ibrahim ibn al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik was an Umayyad caliph, and a son of Caliph al-Walid I. He ruled from 4 October 744 to 4 December 744. He was the penultimate Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Background

Ibrahim was a son of the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I. His mother was a slave concubine named Su'ar or Budayra.

Reign

Yazid III named his brother Ibrahim as his successor. Yazid fell ill of a brain tumour and died on October 3 or 4, 744. Ibrahim duly succeeded him.
Ibrahim ruled for two months in 744 before he abdicated, and went into hiding out of fear of his political opponents. The shortness of this time and his incomplete acceptance led Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari to state that he did not succeed in becoming caliph. However, al-Tabari does record that Ibrahim as caliph did confirm the appointment of Abdallah ibn Umar as governor of Iraq.

Abdication

Ibrahim was named heir apparent by his brother Yazid III. Marwan II decided to oppose Yazid III, and even though he later gave allegiance to Yazid, on the early death of that caliph, Marwan continued his own ambitions. Ibrahim requested and was granted Marwan's assurance of personal safety. He travelled with Marwan to former Caliph Hisham's residence at Rusafah in Syria. Like most members of the Umayyad family, Ibrahim was executed by the Abbasids in 750.