64/70. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4374 — The Prophet's Firm Reply to Musailima
The delegation of Banu Hanifa
Musailima Hadith: Firmness Against False Claims
Sahih Bukhari : 4374
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4374
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ مُسَيْلِمَةُ الْكَذَّابُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ إِنْ جَعَلَ لِي مُحَمَّدٌ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ تَبِعْتُهُ. وَقَدِمَهَا فِي بَشَرٍ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعَهُ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ، وَفِي يَدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قِطْعَةُ جَرِيدٍ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالَ " لَوْ سَأَلْتَنِي هَذِهِ الْقِطْعَةَ مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَهَا وَلَنْ تَعْدُوَ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ فِيكَ، وَلَئِنْ أَدْبَرْتَ لَيَعْقِرَنَّكَ اللَّهُ، وَإِنِّي لأَرَاكَ الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ، وَهَذَا ثَابِتٌ يُجِيبُكَ عَنِّي ". ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ قَوْلِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّكَ أُرَى الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيهِ مَا أُرِيتُ ". فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " بَيْنَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ رَأَيْتُ فِي يَدَىَّ سِوَارَيْنِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، فَأَهَمَّنِي شَأْنُهُمَا، فَأُوحِيَ إِلَىَّ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِ انْفُخْهُمَا، فَنَفَخْتُهُمَا فَطَارَا فَأَوَّلْتُهُمَا كَذَّابَيْنِ يَخْرُجَانِ بَعْدِي، أَحَدُهُمَا الْعَنْسِيُّ، وَالآخَرُ مُسَيْلِمَةُ ".
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
Musailima Al-Kadhdhab came during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and started saying, "If Muhammad gives me the rule after him, I will follow him." And he came to Medina with a great number of the people of his tribe. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to him in the company of Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas, and at that time, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had a stick of a date-palm tree in his hand.When he (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ) stopped near Musailima while the latter was amidst his companions, he said to him, "If you ask me for this piece (of stick), I will not give it to you, and Allah's Order you cannot avoid, (but you will be destroyed), and if you turn your back from this religion, then Allah will destroy you. And I think you are the same person who was shown to me in my dream, and this is Thabit bin Qais who will answer your questions on my behalf." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) went away from him.I asked about the statement of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) : "You seem to be the same person who was shown to me in my dream," and Abu Huraira informed me that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When I was sleeping, I saw (in a dream) two bangles of gold on my hands and that worried me. And then I was inspired Divinely in the dream that I should blow on them, so I blew on them and both the bangles flew away. And I interpreted it that two liars (who would claim to be prophets) would appear after me. One of them has proved to be Al Ansi and the other, Musailima."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4373, 4374In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 399USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 659
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4374
This Hadith repeats the report of Musailima Al-Kadhdhab coming during the Prophet's lifetime. Musailima's words were conditional: if Muhammad gave him the rule after him, he would follow him. The Prophet's answer was firm. Even if Musailima asked for the small piece of date-palm stick in his hand, he would not give it to him. The Prophet said Musailima would not pass beyond Allah's command and pointed to the dream he had seen. Abu Huraira's explanation of the dream gives the main meaning: two gold bangles troubled the Prophet, he blew on them in the dream, and they flew away. He interpreted them as two liars who would appear after him, one being Al-Ansi and the other Musailima.
What we learn from this hadith
- Faith is not treated as a bargain for power in this narration.
- The Prophet's answer to Musailima was firm and clear.
- The dream was understood as a sign about two liars.
- The Hadith names Musailima among those false claimants.
