In my posting about Imam al-Hadi, I noticed that sayyidi "Mystic" enjoyed it, and copied and pasted it onto another website. Due to his interest in some of the Imams of the People of the Prophetic House (Ahlul Baytu Nubuwwa), I have typed up a brief biography of Imam Moulay Idris I. Please feel free to copy and paste it.
Moulay Idris I
His lineage
He is Idris bin Abdullah al-Hađ bin al-Hasan ath-Thani bin al-Hasan al-Mujtaba bin Amirul Muminiin Ali bin Abi Tālib. May Allah send prayers and peace upon him and his family.
His mother was a Qurayshi and she was ‘Ātika bint Abdul-Malik bin al-Hārith bin Khalid bin al-‘Ās bin Hāshim bin al-Mughiira al-Makhzuumi.
He was born in al-Madina al-Munawwara. May the best prayers and peace be upon its inhabitants and people. He was the youngest son of his father.
His flight to Morocco
The Alids were in constant suppression by the Abbassids. They were persecuted and pursued to the ends of the Earth. Idris I fled to the maghrib after the battle of Fakhkh near Makkah. The Abbassid governor, Wadih, was said to have Shi'i leanings and helped him escape. As a result, Wadih was executed.
The people of the Maghrib accepted Moulay Idris I and adopted him as their imam. Even to this day, he is considered the "Patron Saint" of Morocco. All of the kings of Morocco make a routine "visit" to the shrine of Moulay Idris when they are first inaugerated and after childbirth.
Abbassid propaganda agianst him
In his book entitled al-Muqaddimah, Ibn Khaldun defends the ancestory of the Idrisids because due to Abbasid propaganda, some people believed that Moulay Idris's son, Idris II was the son of Rashid, a mawla of the Idrisids. However, Ibn Khaldun says that this is impossible because:
1. It was well known that Moulay Idris married a Berber woman
2. the desert cannot hide secrets--meaning that if such a scandal was connected to the noble house of Idris I, the Berbers would've known and subsequently not render the bayah to him.
He states that the root of the false propaganda against the Idrisids is envy of their descent.
An interesting note: Ibn Khaldun defends the Idrisids from the false claims of sexual misconduct by quoting Surah Ahzab:33 {Verily, Allah desires to remove filth from you, O People of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification.} He says that since the Idrisids were from the family of the Messenger (saws), they were above the sin of adultery. "Whoever believes to the contrary, confesses his guilt and invites kufr." Ibn Khaldun then prays that the family of the Messenger intercedes for him on the Day of Judgment.
His death
Moulay Idris I was martyred at night in a city near Fez by poison. Ibn Khaldun records that Harun ar-Rashid sent a spy named, ash-Shammakh to gain the favour of Idris I. He then poisoned him.
His works
There only seems to be two remaining works authored by Moulay Idris I; both of them are letters. One letter is addressed to the people of Morocco and the other is addressed to the people of Egypt.
[Insha-Allah, maybe one of the brothers here on the board can translate his letters into English...ahem! Nader!
]May Allah bless him and place light in his grave!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq83tnHDuUo