Musaylima

Musaylima's actual name was Maslama, but Muslims altered his name to Musaylima, which is the diminutive of Maslama (i.e., 'Little Maslama').{{cite news|url=http://elaph.com/Web/Culture/2015/1/973971.html|title=مسلمة الحنفي في ميزان التاريخ لجمال علي الحلاّق|publisher=Elaph|language=Arabic|date=14 January 2015|access-date=20 September 2017}} The name maslama contains an Arabic or Syriac participal-nominal substratum like muslim (submitter). Maslama may be a title derived from aslam which is a verb associated with prophethood.{{Cite book |last=El-Badawi |first=Emran |author-link=Emran El-Badawi |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Qur_an_and_the_Aramaic_Gospel_Tradit/iIhiAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA72&printsec=frontcover |title=The Qur'an and the Aramaic Gospel Traditions |date=2013-12-17 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-92933-8 |language=en}}

Musaylima was the son of Habib, of the tribe Banu Hanifa, one of the largest tribes of Arabia that inhabited the region of Najd. The Banu Hanifa were a monotheist branch of Banu Bakr and led an independent existence prior to Islam.{{cite book |title=The Qur'an and the Aramaic Gospel Traditions |first=Emran |last=El-Badawi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iIhiAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 |page=69 |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317929338 }}

Among the first accounts of him describe events in the late 9th Hijri, the Year of Delegations, when he accompanied a delegation of his tribe to Medina. The delegation included two other prominent Muslims. They would later help Musaylima rise to power and save their tribe from destruction. These men were Nahar Ar-Rajjal bin Unfuwa{{sfn|Ibn Kathir|2000|p=69}} and Muja'a bin Marara. In Medina, the deputation stayed with the daughter of al-Harith, a woman of the Ansar from the Banu Najjar. When the delegation arrived at Medina the camels were tied in a traveler's camp, and Musaylima remained there to look after them while the other delegates went in.

They had talks with Muhammad. The delegation before their departure embraced Islam and renounced Christianity without compunction. As was his custom, Muhammad presented gifts to the delegates, and when they had received their gifts one said, "We left one of our comrades in the camp to look after our mounts."

Muhammad gave them gifts for him also, and added, "He is not the least among you that he should stay behind to guard the property of his comrades." On their return they converted the tribe of Banu Hanifa to Islam.

Musaylima, who is alleged as having been a skilled magician by Muslim historians, is said to have performed unusual feats that amazed onlookers.{{sfn|Ibn Kathir|2000|p=67}} Musaylima also shared verses purporting them to have been revelations from God.{{sfn|Ibn Kathir|2000|p=69}}

Al-Tabari in his History of the Prophets and Kings chronicles that Musaylima also proposed to share power over Arabia with Muhammad. On 10 Hijri, he wrote to Muhammad:

{{cquote|"From Musaylimah, Messenger of God, to Muhammad, Messenger of God. Salutations to you. I have been given a share with you in this matter. Half the earth belongs to us and half to the Quraish. But the Quraish are people who transgress."

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Muhammad, is said to have replied:

{{cquote|"From Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to Musaylimah, the arch-liar. Peace be upon him who follows (God's) guidance. Now then, surely the earth belongs to God, who bequeaths it to whom He will amongst his servants. The ultimate issue is to the God-fearing."{{cite book |title=The History of Al Tabari By Ṭabarī |first=Ismail K. |last=Poonawala |author-link=Ismail K. Poonawala |page=107 }}

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During the Ridda wars which emerged following the death of Muhammad, Sajah bint al-Harith declared that she was a prophetess after learning that Musaylima and Tulayha had declared prophethood.E.J. Brill's first encyclopedia of Islam, 1913–1936 By M. Th. Houtsma, p665 4,000 people gathered around her to march on Medina. Others joined her against Medina. However, her planned attack on Medina was called off after she learned that the army of Khalid ibn al-Walid had defeated Tulayha al-Asadi (another self-proclaimed prophet).The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya By Ibn Kathir, Trevor Le Gassick, Muneer Fareed, pg. 36. Thereafter, she sought cooperation with Musaylima to oppose the threat of Khalid. A mutual understanding was initially reached with Musaylima. Eventually, the two married and she accepted his prophethood (although she later recanted and died a Muslim). Khalid then defeated the remaining rebellious elements around Sajah, and then moved on to defeat Musaylima.

Musaylima fought in the Battle of Yamama, and was killed by Wahshi ibn Harb.

• Al-Aswad Al-Ansi
• Ibn an-Nawwaha
• Non-Muslim interactants with Muslims during Muhammad's era
• Ridda wars
• Saf ibn Sayyad
• Sajah bint Harith
• Tulayha

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last=Gelder |first=Geert Jan van |author-link=Geert Jan van Gelder |title=Classical Arabic Literature |date=2012 |publisher=De Gruyter |pages=110–113 |chapter=Examples of Early Rhymed Prose (Sajʿ) |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.18574/nyu/9780814745113.003.0040/html}}
• {{cite book |title=The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya |last=Ibn Kathir |date=2000 |translator-first1=Trevor |translator-last1=Le Gassick |translator-link1=Trevor LeGassick |translator-first2=Muneer |translator-last2=Fareed |translator-link2=Muneer Fareed |volume=4 |author-link=Ibn Kathir |url=https://ia803208.us.archive.org/11/items/AlSiraAlNabawiyya4VolumeSet/Al-Sira%20al-Nabawiyya%20Vol%204.pdf}}

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Category:Year of birth unknown

Category:633 deaths

Category:Medieval Arabs killed in battle

Category:Converts to Islam from Christianity

Category:Opponents of Muhammad

Category:Arab prophets

Category:People of the Ridda Wars

Category:Self-declared messiahs

Category:632 deaths