 He was a son of sultan Zidan al-Nasir (r. 1603–1627).His mother was a Spanish slave and had two Spanish wives, which may have led to him to continue the long-time services of royal advisor Moses Pallache, nephew of Samuel Pallache of the Pallache family.His portrait can be found in an engraving of Marrakesh by Adriaen Matham in 1640, made on the occasion of a visit by the ambassador of the Netherlands to the sultan.