The delegation of Banu Hanifa

Seventeen men of Banu Hanifa, among them Musaylima, came to Medina in 9 AH and became Muslim. After returning to al-Yamama, Musaylima claimed prophethood ¹.

The seventeen men of Banu Hanifa lodged at the house of an Ansari, then came to the Prophet ﷺ and became Muslim ². The accounts differ about Musaylima. Al-Mubarakpuri considers that he showed disdain and an ambition for leadership, that he had not come with the rest of the delegation, and that the Prophet first sought to win him over with kindness. When that failed, the Prophet sensed evil in him ¹.

The Prophet came to him holding a piece of palm frond, with his spokesman Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas (may God be pleased with him) beside him. Musaylima said to him: "If you wish, we will leave the matter between you and us, and then make it ours after you." He replied: "Were you to ask me for this piece, I would not give it to you. This is Thabit, who will answer you on my behalf" ³. The Prophet had seen in a dream two gold bracelets; he blew on them and they flew away. He interpreted them as two liars who would appear after him ³.

Musaylima claimed prophethood in the tenth year. He began composing rhymed sayings, made wine and fornication lawful for his people, and was called "the Rahman of al-Yamama". He wrote to the Prophet proposing to split the affair in two. The Prophet replied with a Qur'anic verse about the earth belonging to God, who gives it in inheritance to whom He wills of His servants (the Qur'anic text is not reproduced here) ⁴. Musaylima was killed in the battle of al-Yamama in the caliphate of Abu Bakr, in Rabi' al-Awwal 12 AH, slain by Wahshi ⁴.

The delegation of Banu Hanifa, including Musaylima ibn Habib al-Hanafi, came to Medina. Ibn Ishaq calls him "the liar", while Ibn Hisham calls him Musaylima ibn Thumama and gives his kunya as Abu Thumama ⁵. Their lodging was in the house of a woman of the Ansar of Banu al-Najjar ⁵. Ibn Ishaq relates from a scholar of Medina that Banu Hanifa brought Musaylima to the Prophet, concealing him with garments. The Prophet was sitting with his Companions, holding a palm-frond stalk with some leaves at its top. Musaylima spoke with him and asked him, and the Prophet said: "Were you to ask me for this stalk, I would not give it to you" ^{5 6}. Ibn Ishaq also relates from a shaykh of Banu Hanifa of al-Yamama a different account: the delegation left Musaylima among their baggage, and when they had become Muslim they remembered him and that he was keeping their belongings safe. The Prophet ordered that he be given the same as the others and said: "He is not the least of you in position," meaning that he had kept his companions' property safe ⁶. Then they returned home, and when they reached al-Yamama Musaylima apostatised and claimed prophethood. See Musaylima's apostasy and his claim to prophethood ⁶.

• There are two accounts of Musaylima's presence. Ibn Ishaq comments: "God knows which of these was so" ⁶.
• The number of the delegation, seventeen, is from the Sealed Nectar, not from Ibn Ishaq ².
• The word "the liar" is Ibn Ishaq's term, not the museum's ⁵.