He was the son of a bey of Titteri called Othman al-Kurdi ,His date of birth is unknown, although it is known that the Khaznadar (treasurer) of the dey estimated that he was between 40 and 45 years old when he met him in 1779.

[1] He played no small part of the battle and is said to have led a brilliant cavalry charge against the Spanish troops camped around El Harrach.

[2] In 1776 Ibrahim of Miliana died, and despite his wild popularity and great honor, Mohammed was discarded in favor of a very rich and influential man called "Hadj Khrellil".

He stomped out the famine which had started under Hadj Khrellil and opened soup kitchens in the palace of Mascara to alleviate starvation.

[2] He also invested in education of the region, building a new madrasa and library in Mascara, and renovating several old and crumbling schools in Tlemcen and Mostaganem.