The delegation of Banu Hanifa

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

The seventeen-man Banu Hanifa delegation lodged at an Ansari's house, then came to the Prophet and became Muslim ². The accounts differ over Musaylima; al-Mubarakpuri inclines to the view that he showed disdain and ambition for rule from the start, that he had not attended with the rest of the delegation, and that the Prophet first sought to win him with kindness — then, when it availed nothing, discerned evil in him ¹. The Prophet came to him with a piece of palm-frond in his hand and his spokesman Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas with him; Musaylima said to him: if you wish, we will leave the matter between you and it, then make it ours after you — and he answered: "were you to ask me for this piece I would not give it you; this is Thabit, who will answer you for me" ³. The Prophet had seen in a dream two gold bracelets, blown upon them so they flew away, and interpreted them as two liars who would arise after him ³. Musaylima claimed prophethood in year ten, took to composing rhymed prose, made wine and adultery lawful to his people, and was called Rahman of al-Yamama; he wrote to the Prophet offering to split authority in two, and the Prophet answered: "the earth is God's — He gives it in inheritance to whom He wills of His servants, and the outcome belongs to the God-fearing" ⁴. Musaylima was killed in the war of al-Yamama in Abu Bakr's caliphate, in Rabi' al-Awwal 12 AH, killed by Wahshi ⁴.