1.
Some early historians have given this man's name as Rahhal.
2.
Ibn Hisham: Vol. 2, pp. 576-7.
3.
Ibid
4.
Ibid
Page 4
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In reply the Holy Prophet wrote to Musailima:
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. From Muhammad, Messenger of
Allah, to Musailima the Liar. Salutations to whosoever follows the Guidance. Lo! The
earth belongs to Allah. He gives it to whomsoever He chooses from among His
servants. And the Hereafter is for the virtuous."
1
The impostor was henceforth known as Musailima the Liar!
Now Nahar Ar-Rajjal, whom we have mentioned earlier as a member of the Bani Hanifa
delegation, came into action. This man had stayed behind at Madinah when the rest of the
delegation returned home; and had attached himself to the Holy Prophet, from whom he
acquired a great deal of knowledge about Islam. He learnt the Quran and rose in stature
as a close and respected Companion of the Prophet. In a few months he had built up an
enviable reputation as a devout and virtuous Muslim, and so he became known over most
of Arabia.
When reports of the spread of Musailima's mischief became more alarming, the Holy
Prophet began to consider ways and means of countering the influence of the Liar.
Yamamah was too far away for a military operation, so he decided to send a man to work
against Musailima amongst the people. And who could be better suited to this task than
Rajjal? He was a chief of the Bani Hanifa, he had learnt the Quran; he had acquired
wisdom and grace at the feet of the Prophet. And so Rajjal was sent by the Prophet to
undo the mischief that Musailima had wrought at Yamamah.
As soon as he arrived at Yamamah, the rascal declared that Musailima was indeed a
prophet.
"I have heard Muhammad say so"
, he lied
2
and who could doubt the words of
this respected Companion! The arrival of the renegade proved a windfall for Musailima,
and the Bani Hanifa came in even larger numbers to swear allegiance to 'Musailima,
Messenger of Allah!'
Musailima and Rajjal now formed an evil and accursed partnership. Rajjal became the
right hand man of Musailima, and the impostor made no important decision without
consulting him.
With the death of the Holy Prophet, Musailima's hold over the Bani Hanifa became total.
People flocked to him, and Musailima began making his own rules in matters of moral
and religious conduct. He made alcohol lawful. He also ordered that once a man had
fathered a son he would live in celibacy unless the son died, in which case women were
permitted to him until he got another son.
His people began to believe that Musailima had miraculous powers, and Rajjal helped
foster this image. Once Rajjal suggested that he stroke the head of every newborn babe,
as Prophet Muhammad used to do as a form of blessing. Orders were issued accordingly.
Thereafter every newborn babe in Yamamah was brought to Musailima to have its head
stroked. Historians narrate that when these infants had grown to full manhood or
womanhood, they did not have a single hair on their heads! But it this was not, of course,
known till after Musailima's death. Many are the instances of Musailima emulating the
acts of Muhammad with opposite and disastrous results.
Though all the Bani Hanifa followed him, not all believed in his divine mission, certainly
not the intelligent ones. Some accepted him for political convenience or for reasons of
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personal advancement while many were motivated by feelings of tribal loyalty. One day
Musailima appointed a new man as Muazzin, to call the men to prayer. This man, Jubair
bin Umair, was a doubter. Instead of the words "I bear witness that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah", in which the name of Musailima had to be substituted for that of
Muhammad, this new
muazzin
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