Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab

Musaylimah the Liar — the false prophet of Banu Hanifa in al-Yamama, the most notorious of the “30 dajjals” the Prophet ﷺ foretold, and the first man ever to imitate the Quran.

One-line: the false prophet who demanded a share of prophethood — “if you asked me for this stick I would not give it to you.”

Identity & lineage

Maslamah ibn Habib of Banu Hanifa; an aged (60s–70s) Christian who had studied in Jerusalem and learned Latin, long revered in al-Yamama.

Role in the Seerah

• Came in the delegations (paraded like a king under fine cloth) demanding “if Muhammad makes me his successor and shares prophethood with me, I will follow him.” The Prophet ﷺ, holding a palm-branch: “were you to ask me for this stick I would not give it to you; Allah will humiliate you.” He was the fulfilment of the dream of the two gold bracelets (Bukhari) — blown away as “two liars,” he and al-Aswad al-Ansi.
• Back home he wrote “from Musaylimah the Messenger of Allah, to Muhammad the Messenger of Allah…”; his two envoys said they shared his claim — “were envoys not protected, I would execute you” (see Ridda (Apostasy) & the False Prophets, diplomatic immunity).
• First imitator of the Quran — mocking doggerel he called suras (“of the Frog,” “of the Elephant”); even a non-Muslim passerby told him, “you know that I know you are a liar.”

Character & lessons

A living illustration that Arabia had never known a prophet-claimant before Muhammad ﷺ — his success bred copycats. The pomp that had surrounded Musaylimah all his life made submission unthinkable to him.

Death

Killed in the Wars of Ridda (12 AH) by Wahshi — with the same javelin that had killed Hamzah, in atonement.

Cross-references

Ridda (Apostasy) & the False Prophets · The Year of Delegations · Wahshi ibn Harb (ra) · Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (ra) · Muhammad ﷺ

Sources

• S012 — Yasir Qadhi Seerah EP 096. Sahih Bukhari (the dream of the two bracelets; the envoys), seerah works.