Forty Thieves

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The Forty Thieves were a group of thieves that operated in and around Baghdad during the 9th century. Comprising forty members, including their leader Kasim, the "King of Thieves", the group was based in a cave southwest of the city, where they hid their riches behind a door that could only be opened with the code phrase "افتح يا سمسم" (iftah ya simsim), or "Open sesame".

History[edit | edit source]

Sometime in 860s, the Forty Thieves began dealing with the renowned merchant Ali Baba, offering him protection while both parties worked together to increase their wealth and influence.^[1]^[2] When Ali Baba came close to uncovering the treasure behind their hideout's door, however, they silenced him to prevent him from exposing their secrets. Ali Baba's daughter Murjana, sensing the danger her father had placed himself in, enlisted the help of the Alamut Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq to locate the hideout, where the pair eliminated some of the thieves and discovered Ali Baba's body.^[3]

Following her father's funeral, Murjana was targeted by the thieves, who deemed her a "loose end" and marked her house with a red cross. However, Basim marked other empty houses in the area to mislead the thieves, and assassinated them once they arrived. A few thieves managed to find and injure Murjana, but she defeated them with Basim's help.^[4]

The last remaining thieves were killed by Basim once he returned to their hideout to deal with the King of Thieves and put an end to the attacks against Murjana. After gaining access to the hideout using the correct code phrase, Basim found Kasim reprimanding one of his men for their failure to eliminate Murjana. Immediately, he assassinated the King and all of his guards, bringing an end to the Forty Thieves' activities.^[5]