Tulaihah
Asadi
Tulaihah was a soothsayer who
entered Islam but claimed for himself prophethood during the last days of the
Messenger of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
Some tribes of Children of Israel joined his party. Dirâr bin Al-Azwar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was sent to punish
him but the task was not completed because he hurried back to Al-Madinah on
hearing the sad news of the demise of the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم). During that period, Tulaihah Asadi had
an opportunity to rebuild his position. The people of Ghatfân and Hawâzin
tribes who had already been routed by Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) collected themselves once again to join the bandwagon of
Tulaihah's party. He pitched his camp at Buzâkhah, the well-known stream of
Najd, and the people of Ghatfân, Hawâzin, Banu Asad, Banu Âmir and Banu Tai
gathered around him to make it a massive force.
Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) launched an attack on Tulaihah's troops
at Buzâkhah, which was fighting under the command of Tulaihah's brother
Khayyâl. Tulaihah himself was sitting farther from his troops in a mantle
pretending to be waiting for a 'revelation'. The battle became intense.
When the apostates' troops began to
suffer reverses, Uyainah bin Hisn came to Tulaihah and asked him if any
revelation was sent down to him. "Not yet," Tulaihah replied. After a
while he came again, repeated the same question, and received the same reply.
Now the Muslim detachment was clearly dominating the battle scene and the
apostates were getting routed. When Uyainah came to Tulaihah and put the same
question to him for the third time, he replied rather cunningly, "Jibril
has come to me to say that things will happen according to what is in store for
us." Uyainah got enraged at this artful reply and exclaimed, "O
people! Tulaihah is a liar, so I am leaving now." Having heard this, the
apostates took to their heels leaving behind a great number of dead and many
were captured. A large number of people returned to Islam on the spot.
Tulaihah, along with his wife fled
on horseback and took refuge with the Qudâ'ah tribe. When all the other tribes,
including his own, came back to the fold of Islam, Tulaihah also confessed
Islam and came to Al-Madinah during the caliphate of Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). Uyainah was brought before Khâlid bin
Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) as a captive and was
sent to Al-Madinah. Here he accepted Islam in state of humiliation but
afterward he made himself sincere to it.
The fugitives from the army of
Tulaihah, made up of the Ghatfân, Sulaim and Hawâzin tribes, collected at Hawâb
and chose Salma bint Mâlik bin Hudhaifa bin Badr bin Zafar as their chief.
Following this they made large-scale preparations against the Muslims. Informed
of this, Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
moved to meet the lurking threat. Salma was herself heading the army. Khâlid
bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) attacked the enemy
which resulted in fierce fighting between the two forces. About one hundred
apostates were killed safeguarding her dromedary. At last she fell down from
the injured she-camel and was instantly killed. Her followers immediately
disappeared from the battleground.
About the same time a chieftain of
Banu Sulaim, Al-Fajâh bin Abd Yâlil called on Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and said to him,
"I am a Muslim. Please help me with weapons so that I can go and fight
against the apostates." Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) granted his request. When he left Al-Madinah, he pronounced his
apostasy and sniped at the sections of Banu Hawâzin and Banu Sulaim who had
confessed Islam. After being informed of this treachery, Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) sent Abdullah bin
Qais (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) with a small party
who caught the culprit, who was trying to escape, and brought him to Al-Madinah
where he was killed.
Sajâh
and Mâlik bin Nuwairah
Banu Tamim inhabited a few
settlements where, during the lifetime of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), Mâlik bin Nuwairah, Waki' bin Mâlik,
Safwân bin Safwân, Qais bin Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) were working as collectors of Zakât and other charities. Now
as the news of the Prophet's demise spread, Qais bin Asim (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) turned apostate while Mâlik bin Nuwairah
expressed his joy. However, Safwân bin Safwân (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) remained firm as a Muslim.
In the meantime Sajâh bint Al-Hârith
bin Suwaid of the Taghlib tribe declared her prophethood. Hudhail bin Imrân-the
chief of Banu Taghlib, Uqbah bin Hilâl-the chief of Banu Namir and Salil bin
Qais-the chief of Banu Shaibân accepted her claim. She was able to collect about
four thousand soldiers around her and she moved ahead to invade Al-Madinah. She
came to know that Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) was also on the move from the opposite direction. This news
was quite disturbing for her. Moreover Sajâh and Musailamah were afraid of each
other, as both of them had claimed prophethood. Their anxiety multiplied when
they came to know that both Ikrimah and Shurahbil (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) had reached Yamâmah with Muslim detachments. Thus both of them
were practicing caution.
At last, Musailamah wrote a letter
to Sajâh to find out her intentions. She wrote back, "I wanted to invade
Al-Madinah. Since both of us are prophets, let us launch a joint attack."
Musailamah very haughtily replied, "While the Prophet Muhammad was alive,
I had surrendered half of my country in his favor; after him I am the sole
ruler of the country. However, since you too claim prophethood, I shall confer
half of my prophethood on you. It is better that you come to me alone leaving
your troops behind so that we can sit together in consultations concerning the
division of the prophethood and the invasion of Al-Madinah."
Marriage
of the Liar-prophetess:
Immediately after receiving the
message of Musailamah she left to meet him. He welcomed her in a camp specially
erected in front of his fortress. They held secret talks, which resulted in
Sajâh accepting his prophethood and giving herself to him in marriage. She
stayed with Musailamah for three days and then came back to her camp. The army
asked about the bride price. She sent this request back to Musailamah and he
exempted them from the dawn and night prayers as her bride price. As she moved
ahead she came across the Muslim army led by Khâlid bin Walid (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). The soldiers of
Sajâh became so terrified that they fled to far off places leaving Sajâh alone
and she could barely save herself. She joined her tribe and passed the rest of
her life in obscurity.
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