In the Battle of Hama against the Qarmatians in November 903, Isa commanded the guard of the Abbasid baggage train under the overall leadership of Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib.[6] In the next year, when Muhammad recovered Syria and Egypt from the autonomous Tulunid dynasty, Isa was appointed as governor of Egypt.[7] His tenure in Egypt was troubled from the start: within months, he was forced to abandon Fustat and flee to Alexandria due to a secessionist rebellion under a certain Ibrahim al-Khalanji. He was possibly the same person as a certain Muhammad ibn Ali al-Khalij, who also led a pro-Tulunid revolt at about the same time. Reinforcements arrived from Baghdad, but in late 905 an army under Ahmad ibn Kayghalagh was defeated by the rebel at al-Arish before the rebel was defeated.[1][8]