Son of al-Mutawakkil and virtual ruler of the `Abbasid caliphate during the reign of al-Mu`tamid.
al-Muwaffaq witnessed the murder of his father, al-Mutawakkil, at the hands of the Turkish military in 247/861. In 251/865, he became the commander of the army under his brother al-Mu`tazz, pushing aside al-Musta`in and Muhammad b. `Abd Allah b. Tahir. In this position, al-Muwaffaq made strong ties with the Turkish military leaders. When al-Mu`tazz tried to limit the powers of the Turkish generals, al-Muwaffaq went into a self-imposed exile in Mekka until the accension of al-Mu`tamid in 256/870 when he and Musa b. Bugha became effective rulers of the empire.
al-Muwaffaq was the governor of Iraq and Arabia until 261/875 when he was given a place in the succession along side al-Mufawwad and gained control over the eastern half of the empire. From this position, al-Muwaffaq used his contacts in the Turkish military including Musa b. Bugha, Kayghalagh, and Ishaq b. Kundaj along with his viziers Sulayman b. Wahb, Sa`ib b. Makhlad, and Isma`il b. Bulbul to confine al-Mu`tamid in Samarra after his attempted escape to Tulunid Egypt in 269/882. During this time, al-Muwaffaq essentially ruled from Baghdad.
In the east, al-Muwaffaq defeated the Saffarids in 262/876 and the Zandj in 270/883, though the tide starting turning in al-Muwaffaq's favor in 266/879. From the west, al-Muwaffaq faced continual pressure from Ahmad ibn Tulun, who openly questioned the legitimacy of al-Muwaffaq's place in caliphal succession. In 263/877, Ahmad ibn Tulun first made his concerns of al-Muwaffaq's place known. By 269/882, Ahmad ibn Tulun had organized religious scholars and leaders in Egypt and Syria against al-Muwaffaq.
After the end of the Zandj revolt, al-Muwaffaq became less active, giving his son, al-Mu`tadid, more power. It was al-Mu`tadid who lead al-Muwaffaq's forces against Khumarawayh in 271/884-885. By 276/889, al-Muwaffaq had left Baghdad for al-Jibal and returned in 278/891 when he had become ill and eventually died.
Kennedy, Hugh. "al-Muwaffaq". in EI2.
247 - al-Mutawakkil murdered by Turkish military leaders.
251 - al-Muwaffaq becomes commander of `Abbasid military under his brother al-Mu`tazz.
256 - The death of al-Muhtadi brings al-Muwaffaq back from his exile in Mekka.
261 - al-Muwaffaq placed within the succession arrangements for al-Mu`tamid.
262 - al-Muwaffaq defeats the Saffarids.
263 - Ahmad ibn Tulun makes his first formal proclimation against the succession of al-Muwaffaq to the caliphate.
269 - al-Muwaffaq puts al-Mu`tamid under virtual arrest after he attempts to seek refuge in Tulunid Egypt. Ahmad ibn Tulun organizes a conference of religious scholars in Damascus against al-Muwaffaq.
270 - al-Muwaffaq defeats the Zandj.
278 - al-Muwaffaq dies in Baghdad.