He was involved in the defense of Basra during the Zanj rebellion, and later served as a governor of Mecca.
Ibrahim was a descendant of Sulayman ibn Ali, the uncle of the first two Abbasid caliphs al-Saffah and al-Mansur.
[1] He appears in 869-870 as one of the individuals who took part in the efforts of Jul'an al-Turki to combat the Zanj rebellion, which was then active in southern Iraq.
[2] When the Zanj launched an assault on Basra in late 871, he and the officer Bughraj assumed command of the defenders, but after several days of fighting they decided to flee, allowing the rebels to enter and sack the city unopposed.
[3] Ibrahim was subsequently appointed as governor of Mecca, where he led the pilgrimages of both 873 and 874.