In this year, the Qarmatians (Qarmatīler) caused turmoil in the Sawad region of Kufa. Some governors defeated them and captured their leader, Abū'l-Fawāris, sending him to al-Muʿtaḍid. In the presence of the caliph al-Muʿtaḍid, Abū'l-Fawāris insulted Abbas. Al-Muʿtaḍid then ordered his teeth to be pulled out and his arms to be cut off. Afterwards, both his arms and legs were severed, and after he was killed in this manner, he was hung in Baghdad.
In this year, the Qarmatians attacked Damascus (Dimashq) with a large group. The governor of Damascus, Ṭughāj b. Jaf, who had been appointed by Hārūn b. Khumarawayh, fought against them. However, they repeatedly defeated him. Their mischief grew ever greater. This was a movement led by Yaḥyā b. Zikrawayh, known as Bahrawayh, who claimed among the Qarmatians to be Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib. However, he was lying in this claim. He asserted that 100,000 people had followed him in this matter, that his camel was spiritually guided, and that whichever direction he turned, he would be victorious over the people in that direction. His followers considered his claim to be true and gave him the title "Shaykh." A group from the Banū Asbagh tribe, who called themselves Fatimids, also followed him. The caliph dispatched a large army against them.
They routed the army sent against them. Then they moved to Rusafa. They burned the Rusafa Mosque, and plundered every village and town they passed through. In this state, they reached Damascus. Although the governor of Damascus fought against them, they repeatedly defeated him. They killed many of his men and plundered a great amount of their possessions. Inna lillāh wa inna ilayhi rājiʿūn (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return).
In this severe and distressing situation, the caliph al-Muʿtaḍid died in the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal of this year.