The Iberian Peninsula has been occupied by Muslim Arab forces for some time, and Abd al-Rahman (nicknamed al-Dākhil, the 'Immigrant') recognizes political opportunity for himself in the rivalries of the Qais and Yaman, the dominant Arab factions here.

By shifting alliances and using mercenary support, he places himself in a position of power.

On May 14, 756, in the Battle of Musarah, Abd al-Rahman defeats Yusuf ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri in a battle for control of the Iberian Peninsula and re establishes the Umayyad dynasty at Córdoba with himself himself as Emir.

He refuses to submit to the Abbasid caliph, as Abbasid forces have killed most of his family.

As news of his success spreads eastward, men who had previously worked in the Umayyad administrative system come to Spain to work with 'Abd ar-Rahman, and his administration comes to resemble that formerly operative in Damascus.

Over a thirty-year reign, he will establish a tenuous rule over much of al-Andalus, overcoming partisans of both the al-Fihri family and of the Abbasid caliph.