In the meantime, al-Muttaqi with Sayf al-Dawla had fled to Raqqa before Tuzun's advance, but the caliph grew increasingly suspicious of the Hamdanids, and wrote to al-Ikhshid (perhaps as early as the winter of 943), asking for aid.
Pada masa itu, al-Muttaqi dengan Sayf al-Dawla kabur ke Raqqa sebelum Tuzun maju, namun khalifah makin terdesak Hamdaniyah, dan menulis kepada al-Ikhshid (diyakini pada awal musim dingin 943), untuk meminta bantuan.