Musaylima
مسيلمة
c. 580 CE – c. December 632 CE · c. Dhu al-Hijja 11 AH
Chief and religious claimant of Banu Hanifa in Yamama who preached a parallel prophecy to Muhammad's and exchanged letters with him — killed at Yamama in the bloodiest battle of the Ridda wars.
At a glance
- Roles
- Politician
- Era
- The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
Civil wars and revoltsBattlesProphets
Place in the story
- Rival claimanttowardMuhammad · c. 630 CE · c. 9 AH† – 632 CE · 11 AH†Historical
- RebeltowardRashidun Caliphate · 632 CE · 11 AH† – 632 CE · 11 AH†Historical
Arabian polytheism (debated)
How others named them
- “al-Kadhdhab (the arch-liar)” — Muslim tradition
Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.
Overview
Musaylima ibn Habib, chief of Banu Hanifa at al-Yamama — he claimed prophethood parallel to Muhammad's and wrote to him proposing to divide it, then led his people in the bloodiest of the Ridda battles, in which he was killed.
Life
Banu Hanifa were the greatest of al-Yamama's tribes, and Musaylima claimed prophethood among them while the Prophet was alive. The sources preserve his letter "from Musaylima the messenger of God to Muhammad the messenger of God" proposing that half the affair be his — and the Prophet's reply to him 1 2.
When the Prophet died and Abu Bakr sent Khalid, the two armies met at Aqraba' in al-Yamama in 632 CE — a battle that ended with Musaylima's killing; the account ascribes the blow to the spear of Wahshi. So many memorisers of the Quran fell that the battle was counted a cause for hastening its compilation 1.
For young visitors
Musaylima claimed to be a prophet like Muhammad and wrote to him proposing they divide the affair between them. When the Prophet died, their peoples fought a great battle in which he was killed.
Opinions on the question
The question: How is Musaylima read in the Sunni tradition and by historians?
First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference
More opinions (1)
Academic viewSecondary opinion
Connections
- Born in
- al-Yamama
- Died in
- al-Yamama
- Member of
- Banu Hanifa
- Corresponded with
- Muhammad
- Fought
- Khalid ibn al-Walid
- Participated in
- Battle of YamamaThe delegation of Banu Hanifa
- Spouse of
- Sajah bint al-Harith
- Fought by
- Wahshi ibn Harb
People and things also explored
The Battle of UhudThe Battle of HunaynThe Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)The delegation and mission to HamdanKhalid's mission to Ukaydir of Dumat al-JandalReturn of the Mu'tah army to Medina and the Prophet's receptionThe siege of Ta'ifThe Treaty of Hudaybiyya
Sources
- al-Tabari, History vol. X: The Conquest of Arabia (Donner translation, SUNY)
- Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Bewley translation, Ta-Ha)
- Watt, Muhammad at Medina (1956)
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri
- Sahih al-Bukhari
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Musaylima”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/musaylima/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.