Abu'l-Hasan Muhammad ibn al-Mustakfi ( ar, أبو الحسن محمد بن المستكفي) was a son of the Abbasid caliph al-Mustakfi (). He was designated as his father's heir, and a few coins were minted at Baghdad with his name before his father was overthrown by the Buyids in early 946. Muhammad fled to the Ikhshidid court in Egypt, from where he launched a covert propaganda effort against the Buyids and the caliph installed by them, al-Muti. In this he obscured his real identity, assuming the mantle of the Mahdi, the expected Islamic messiah, and his messages were apparently well received by both

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

s and Shia in Iraq, including in Baghdad itself. These efforts were intensified after the death of the Buyid conqueror of Baghdad, Mu'izz al-Dawla, in 967. His chief convert was none other than the Buyid commander of Baghdad, the Turk Sübüktegin al-Ajami, who invited him into the city, gave him protection and was preparing to mount a coup in his name, before his identity was uncovered and he was handed over to al-Muti. The Caliph did not severely punish him, other than ordering his nose cut off, thereby disqualifying him from the succession; Muhammad eventually managed to escape, but his hopes of seizing the throne were never realized.

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* {{cite book , last = Busse , first = Heribert , title = Chalif und Grosskönig - Die Buyiden im Irak (945-1055) , trans-title = Caliph and Great King - The Buyids in Iraq (945-1055) , language = German , origyear = 1969 , year = 2004 , location = Würzburg , publisher = Ergon Verlag , isbn = 3-89913-005-7 10th-century births 10th-century deaths 10th-century people from the Abbasid Caliphate Prisoners and detainees of the Abbasid Caliphate Sons of Abbasid caliphs Heirs apparent who never acceded Self-declared mahdi