emirates7 - Abu Jaʿfar Harun ibn Muḥammad ar-Rashid was the fifth Abbasid caliph, ruling from September 786 until his death in March 809. His reign is traditionally seen as the beginning of the Islamic Golden Age. His title, al-Rashid, means "the Orthodox," "the Just," "the Upright," or "the Rightly-Guided."

Harun founded the renowned library Bayt al-Hikma ("House of Wisdom") in Baghdad, which became a major center for knowledge, culture, and trade. Under his rule, Baghdad flourished as a world hub. His reign also saw the decline of the influential Barmakid family. In 796, Harun moved his court and government to Raqqa in present-day Syria.

He continued policies similar to those of his father, Al-Mahdi, releasing many Umayyads and 'Alids imprisoned by his brother, Al-Hadi, and granting amnesty to various political groups of the Quraysh. His rule marked a period of peak Abbasid power, although it also saw large-scale conflicts with Byzantium.

Born in Rey, now part of Tehran Province, Iran, Harun faced a major revolt led by Rafi ibn al-Layth in Samarqand, which forced him to move to Khorasan. He initially dismissed and arrested Ali bin Isa bin Mahan, but the revolt persisted. Harun, having replaced Ali with Harthama ibn A'yan, marched east in 808 to address the rebellion but fell ill and died in March 809 near Sanabad village in Tus. He was buried in Dar al-Imarah, the summer palace of Humayd ibn Qahtaba, the Abbasid governor of Khorasan.