 At the age of 27, he went to Africa to Jawhar, a freeman and general of the Fatimid al-Mansūr.When he received only 200 dinărs from the latter for a qasida addressed to him, he went to al-Masila (Msila) in Algiers where his compatriots Ja'far b. Ali b. Falah b. Abi Marwăn and Yahya b. Ali b. Hamdun al-Andalusi were ruling.Treated with great respect by them he composed some notable poems in their honor.