Ibrahim was the son of Abu Zakariya Yahya and a concubine named Ruwaida, and younger half-brother of Muhammad I al-Mustansir.
[3]: 78 When Al-Mustansir came to power, Ibrahim was placed under close surveillance but in 1253 he fled to the town of Zaraïa (near Sétif) where he took refuge with nomadic Thawawida tribesmen.
In 1282 he was in the Tripoli region, where a former retainer of Yahya II al-Wathiq claimed to recognise him as Al-Fadl, son of the former Caliph who had in fact been executed along with his father by Ibrahim.
Denied refuge in Constantine, he reached Bejaïa in February, where his son Abu Faris obliged him to abdicate, declaring himself Caliph with the name Al-Mu’tamid.
[3]: 85 Abu Faris led an army against Ibn Abi Umara which met his forces in June 1283 near Kalaat es Senam.
The son was able to reach safety in Tlemcen but Ibrahim was injured by a fall from his horse, captured and sent back to Béjaïa where he was executed by an emissary of Ibn Abi Umara in June 1283.