 On the way home he stopped at Baghdad, where the Buyid amir Mu'izz al-Dawla gave him an audience with the Abbasid caliph al-Muti.The caliph confirmed him in his rule of Sistan and gave him a robe of honor and standard.Khalaf felt, however, that Abu'l-Husayn Tahir would not willingly give up control of Sistan upon his return, so he went to the Samanids for assistance and received an army.