Of Kurdish origin, al-Fadhl was called "Fadhlun the Kurd" by ibn al-Athir and other Arabic historians.

Al-Fadhl was the first Shaddadid emir to issue coinage, locating his mint first at Partav (Barda'a) and was later transferred to Ganja.

[2] Al-Fadhl built a bridge across the Araxes with the intent to raid the Rawadids, and led an expedition against the Khazars around 1030.

[4] During his reign, there were clashes with the Georgian kings, the Byzantines (1037-1038), the Alans and the Rus.

[7] Al-Fadhl died in 1031 and was succeeded by his son Abu'l-Fath Musa.