He ruled Fars until 869, when he was defeated and captured by Ya'qub ibn al-Layth, the Saffarid amir of Sistan.
When al-Mu'tamid left Samarra in March 876 to lead the army south to confront the Saffarid army in what would be the Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul, al-Mufawwad was left behind to supervise the capital, with the aid of Muhammad al-Muwallad.