Al-Hasan succeeded his father, Ali ibn Yahya, upon the latter's death in 1121. Reduced to the coasts of modern Tunisia, during his reign, the Zirid emirate faced the increasingly threatening attacks of the Italo-Norman Kingdom of Sicily.
Following Ali ibn Yahya's death in 1121, Al-Hasan succeeded him. The Zirid emirate, limited to modern Tunisia’s coasts, faced growing threats from the Italo-Norman Kingdom of Sicily during Al-Hasan's rule.