[1] Abd al-Haqq was the son of Sultan Abu Said Uthman III, who made an unsuccessful attempt to recover Ceuta from the Portuguese in 1419.
This led to instability in the Marinid state culminating in a coup in Fez in 1420, in which Abu Said Uthman III was assassinated.
[4][3] Hearing the news of the sultan's assassination, Abu Zakariya hurried to seize control of the royal palace of Fez, proclaiming the orphan child Abd al-Haqq as the new Marinid sultan and appointing himself his regent and chief minister (vizier).
[6] In 1437 a Portuguese attempt to take advantage of the dispute and take Tangier by siege proved unsuccessful, raising the morale of the Moroccans and increasing the prestige of the sharifs who had led the defense.
[8] In January 1438, under his administration, the tomb of Idris II, founder of Fez and of the Idrisid dynasty, was rediscovered, becoming an important destination for pilgrims.