When Ráfi' reached Mihrawán, he heard that the Caliph al-Mu'taḍid had given the government of Níshápúr to 'Amr b. Layth, whereupon he took the oath of allegiance to Muḥammad b. Zayd, on condition that he should hold Gurgán. On Tuesday, the 5^th of Rabí' II, the latter came to ´Amul, and Ráfi' went to Gurgán. At this juncture news arrived that Aḥmad al-'Ijlí, the Caliph’s governor, had died at Ray, and that his son had succeeded him. Thereupon, on the 7^th of Jumádá I, Ráfi' marched on Ray, attacked and defeated him, and sent his army to Kúh-páya. A month later al-Mu'taḍid sent his son* to Ray, whereupon Ráfi' abandoned the country. Ibn [Abi`l-] Aṣbagh, the deputy of the Caliph’s son, ruled justly, and reduced the country to order. In this same year Bakr b. 'Abdu`l-'Azíz al-'Ijlí came to Sayyid Muḥammad b. Zayd at ´Amul, and was received by him with much honour and many gifts, including a million dir hams made up into a hundred bags, and was finally given the government of Rúyán and Jálús. On his arrival at Nátil, however, he was poisoned in some sherbet (<Arabic>), and was buried there at the Bridge of Laythám. Ráfi', returning defeated to Gurgán, wished to attack 'Amr b. Layth, encouraged thereto by an officer who had deserted from that Amír. He besieged Níshápúr, but 'Amr remained within the walls. While fighting was going on round the city between the troops of Ráfi' and those of Muḥammad b. Hárún, Abú Naṣr-i-Ṭabarí, Mahdí b. Mukhayyas and (f. 122a) Faḍl b. Ja'far, 'Amr with 5000 men suddenly attacked and defeated them. Ráfi' and 'Amr b. Layth both sought help from the Sayyid, but he refused to help Ráfi', who, after various further misfortunes from rain and flood, was compelled to make peace and to renew his treaties with him.