Punishment of Apostacy in Islam — Page 61
61 facts refute them. The object of the activities of Musailamah Kazzab was to obtain political power and his false claim of prophethood was only a means towards that end. During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, he had come to Medina with a delegation of Banu Haneefah and had proposed to the Holy Prophet that he would submit to him in case he was nominated the successor of the Holy Prophet. He was told by the Holy Prophet that he would not yield him even a twig of a date palm tree. When he went back he claimed to be a prophet and announced that half the country belonged to him and half belonged to the Quraish. He sent the following letter to the Holy Prophet: From Musailamah, Messenger of Allah, to Muhammad, Messenger of Allah. Peace be on you. I have been appointed your partner in authority. Half the country belongs to us and half belongs to the Quraish, but the Quraish are a people who transgress (Tabari, V 01. IV, p. 1849). The Holy Prophet replied to him: The earth belongs to Allah; He bestows it as heritage on whomsoever He pleases of His servants, and the pleasing end is that of the righteous (7:129). Thereafter, Musailamah established his authority in Hajar and Yamamah and expelled therefrom the functionaries who had been appointed by the Holy Prophet (Khamees, Vol. II, p. 177). He made a junction with Sajah, the female rebel, who had intended to fight the Muslims and assured her: I shall establish my authority over the whole of Arabia with the help of my people and thy people (Tabari, Vol. IV, p. 1918). After his claim of prophethood, he encountered Habeeb bin Zaid and Abdullah bin Wahb Aslami, two of the Companions of the Holy Prophet, and