Musa was a son of Yahya ibn Khalid. He was not as prominent as his brothers Ja'far and al-Fadl, but was well known for his bravery in battle.[1] He served as governor of Syria in 792, to suppress the Qays–Yaman conflict in the province.[1][2][3] In 802, he was denounced to Caliph Harun al-Rashid by the governor of Khurasan, Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan, as planning to raise the province in revolt against the Caliph. According to a report relayed by al-Tabari, at the same time Musa had to go into hiding from his debtors, so the Caliph became suspicious that he was about to secretly go to Khurasan; when Musa appeared before the Caliph, he had him arrested, and released only after his father vouchsafed for him.[4]
When the Barmakids were deposed and arrested by Caliph Harun al-Rashid in 803, Musa too was imprisoned with his father and brothers until the accession of al-Amin, who released them and showed them again some favour.[1] During the Fourth Fitna, Musa sided with al-Amin, fighting in the ranks of the loyalist army against al-Ma'mun, but he later entered the latter's service.[1] Al-Ma'mun appointed him as governor of Sindh. Musa died in office in 835, and was succeeded by his son, Imran.[1][2]
A grandson of Musa, Ahmad ibn Ja'far, surnamed Jahza, was one of the closest companions of the 10th century Caliph al-Muqtadir (r. 908–932).[1]
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