42/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2274a — Musailima and the Two Liars
The Dreams Of The Prophet (SAW)
Hadith About Musailima, Gold Bangles, and False Claims
Sahih Muslim : 2274a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2274a
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ التَّمِيمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، بْنِ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ حَدَّثَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ مُسَيْلِمَةُ الْكَذَّابُ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ إِنْ جَعَلَ لِي مُحَمَّدٌ الأَمْرَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ تَبِعْتُهُ . فَقَدِمَهَا فِي بَشَرٍ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعَهُ ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ وَفِي يَدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قِطْعَةُ جَرِيدَةٍ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ " لَوْ سَأَلْتَنِي هَذِهِ الْقِطْعَةَ مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَهَا وَلَنْ أَتَعَدَّى أَمْرَ اللَّهِ فِيكَ وَلَئِنْ أَدْبَرْتَ لَيَعْقِرَنَّكَ اللَّهُ وَإِنِّي لأُرَاكَ الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيكَ مَا أُرِيتُ وَهَذَا ثَابِتٌ يُجِيبُكَ عَنِّي " . ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ عَنْهُ . فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ، صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّكَ أَرَى الَّذِي أُرِيتُ فِيكَ مَا أُرِيتُ " . فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ 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 مِنْ بَعْدِي فَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْعَنْسِيَّ صَاحِبَ صَنْعَاءَ وَالآخَرُ مُسَيْلِمَةَ صَاحِبَ الْيَمَامَةِ " .
Ibn `Abbas reported that Musailima al-Kadhdhab (the greater liar) (who claimed prophethood after the death of the Holy Prophet) came during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) to Medina and said: If Muhammad assigns his caliphate to me after him I would follow him, and there came along with him a large body of persons of his tribe, and there came to him Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) along with Thabit b. Qais b. Shammas and the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) had a piece of wood in his hand until he came in front of Musailima in the company of his companions and said: If you were to ask even this (wood), I would never give it to you. I am not going to do anything against the will of God in your case, and if you turn away (from what I say) Allah will destroy you. And I find you in the same state which I was shown (in the dream) and here is Thabit and he would answer you on my behalf. He (the Holy Prophet) then went back. Ibn `Abbas said: I asked the (meaning of the) words of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): "You are the same what I was made to see about you in my dream." and Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: While I was sleeping I saw in my hands two gold bangles. This had a disturbing effect upon me and I was given a suggestion in the sleep that I should blow over them, so I blew over them and they were no more. And I interpreted these (two bangles) as the two great liars who would appear after me and the one amongst them was Al-`Anasi the inhabitant of San`a' and the other one Musailima the inhabitant of Yamama.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2273, 2274aIn-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 39USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 29, Hadith 5650
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2274a
This Hadith about Musailima repeats the same account found in the previous report. Musailima came to Medina and said he would follow Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم if authority after him were assigned to him. Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم came to him with Thabit b. Qais b. Shammas and a piece of wood in his hand. He refused Musailima’s demand and said he would not go beyond Allah’s command. The Hadith then explains the Prophet’s words about what he had been shown in a dream. He saw two gold bangles on his hands, felt troubled by them, blew over them, and they disappeared. He interpreted them as two liars after him: Al-Anasi and Musailima.
What we learn from this hadith
- Faith is not presented here as a bargain for leadership.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم stood by Allah’s command in his response to Musailima.
- The dream was interpreted as a sign about two false claimants after him.
