Muhammad ibn Mikal was an Iranian nobleman from the Mikalid family, who served as a military commander of the Tahirid governor.
He was the son of Mikal, a nobleman who had left Iraq and settled in Khurasan, and could trace his descent back to the Sogdian ruler Divashtich.
Muhammad also had a brother named Shah ibn Mikal, who, during his early career, along with Muhammad, played an important role under the Tahirid ruler Abdallah ibn Tahir al-Khurasani.
Hasan, however, quickly made a counter-attack under his Dailamite general Wajin, who managed to rout the army of Muhammad ibn Mikal, and kill the latter.
Muhammad had a son named Abd-Allah Mikali, who achieved prominence under the Saffarids, a dynasty which had conquered Khurasan from the Tahirids.