IBN SAIYAD ابن صياد
A mysterious personage who lived in the time of Muhammad, and who was mistaken by some people for ad Dajjalu ‘l-Masih, or the Anti-Christ. ‘Abdu ‘l-Haqq says some say he was a Jew of al-Madinah named ‘Abdu ‘llah.
Ibn ‘Umar relates that the Prophet went to Ibn Saiyad, accompanied by a party of his companions, and found him playing with boys; and at this time he had nearly reached puberty; and Ibn Saiyad had no intimation of the coming of the Prophet and the companions, till the Prophet struck him upon the back, and said, “Do you bear witness that I am the Prophet of God?” The Ibn Saiyad looked at the Prophet and said, “I bear witness that you are the Prophet of the illiterate.” After that he said to the Prophet, “Do you bear witness that I am the Prophet of God?” Then the Prophet pressed him with both his hands and said, “I believe in God and His Prophets”: and then said to Ibn Saiyad, “What do you look at?” He said, “Sometimes a person comes to me telling the truth; and sometimes another person telling lies; like as magicians to whom devils bring truth and falsehood.” The Prophet said, “The Devil comes to you and brings you news, false and true.” After that, the Prophet said, ‘Verily, I have concealed a revelation from you” (which was the one in which there is mention of the smoke); and Ibn Saiyad said, “Is it the one with the smoke?” Then the Prophet said, “Begone! You cannot surpass your own degree!” Ibn ‘Umar said, “O Prophet of God! Do you permit me to strike off Ibn Saiyad’s head?” He said, “If Ibn Saiyad be Dajjal, you will not be able to kill him, because Jesus will be his slayer; and it he is not Dajjal there can be no good in your killing him.” After this the Prophet and Ubaiy ibn Ka’b al Ansari went towards some date trees belonging to Ibn Saiyad and the Prophet hid himself behind branches, to listen to what he would say before Ibn Saiyad discovered him. And at this time Ibn Saiyad was lying upon his bed, with a sheet over his face, talking to himself; and his mother saw the Prophet standing behind the branches of the trees, and said to her son, “Muhammad is standing.” At this he became silent; and the Prophet said, “Had not his mother informed him he would have said something to have discovered what he is. Then the Prophet repeated, “Praised be God, by that which is worthy of him”; and then mentioned Dajjal and said, “Verily, I fear for you from Dajjal; there is no Prophet but he alarmed his people about him. Verily, Noah frightened his people about Dajjal; but I will tell you a thing in the matter of Dajjal, which no Prophet ever told his people; know that he is blind, and that verily God is not blind.”
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri says: “Ibn Saiyad asked the Prophet about the earth of Paradise; and he said, ‘The earth of Paradise is in whiteness like flour twice sifted and in smell like pure musk.’ And I accompanied Ibn Saiyad from al-Madinah to Makkah; and he said to me, ‘What trouble I have experienced from people’s supposing me Dajjal! Have you not heard, O Ibn Saiyad, the Prophet of God say, “Verily Dajjal will have no children? And I have; and verily, the Prophet has said, “Dajjal is an infidel,” and I am a Muslim’; and the Prophet said, “Dajjal will neither enter al-Madinah nor Makkah”; and verily, I am going from al-Madinah and intend going to Makkah.’ After that, Ibn Saiyad said, in the latter part of his speech, ‘Beware; I swear by God, I know the place of Dajjal’s birth, and where he stays; and I know his father and mother.’ Then this made me doubtful; and I said, ‘May the remainder of your days be lost to you.’ A person present said to Ibn Saiyad, ‘Would you like to be Dajjal?’ He said, ‘If I possessed what Dajjal is described to have, such as the power of leading astray, I should not dislike it.”
Ibn ‘Umar says: “I met Ibn Saiyad when he had swollen eyes, and I said, ‘How long has this been?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ I said, ‘Do not know, now that your eyes are in your head?’ He said, ‘If God pleased He could create eyes in your limbs, and they would not know anything about it; in this manner also; man is so employed as to be insensible to pains.’ Then Ibn Saiyad made a noise from his nose, louder than the braying of an ass.’ (Mishkat, book xxiii. ch. v.)
A mysterious personage who lived in the time of Muhammad, and who was mistaken by some people for ad Dajjalu ‘l-Masih, or the Anti-Christ. ‘Abdu ‘l-Haqq says some say he was a Jew of al-Madinah named ‘Abdu ‘llah.
Ibn ‘Umar relates that the Prophet went to Ibn Saiyad, accompanied by a party of his companions, and found him playing with boys; and at this time he had nearly reached puberty; and Ibn Saiyad had no intimation of the coming of the Prophet and the companions, till the Prophet struck him upon the back, and said, “Do you bear witness that I am the Prophet of God?” The Ibn Saiyad looked at the Prophet and said, “I bear witness that you are the Prophet of the illiterate.” After that he said to the Prophet, “Do you bear witness that I am the Prophet of God?” Then the Prophet pressed him with both his hands and said, “I believe in God and His Prophets”: and then said to Ibn Saiyad, “What do you look at?” He said, “Sometimes a person comes to me telling the truth; and sometimes another person telling lies; like as magicians to whom devils bring truth and falsehood.” The Prophet said, “The Devil comes to you and brings you news, false and true.” After that, the Prophet said, ‘Verily, I have concealed a revelation from you” (which was the one in which there is mention of the smoke); and Ibn Saiyad said, “Is it the one with the smoke?” Then the Prophet said, “Begone! You cannot surpass your own degree!” Ibn ‘Umar said, “O Prophet of God! Do you permit me to strike off Ibn Saiyad’s head?” He said, “If Ibn Saiyad be Dajjal, you will not be able to kill him, because Jesus will be his slayer; and it he is not Dajjal there can be no good in your killing him.” After this the Prophet and Ubaiy ibn Ka’b al Ansari went towards some date trees belonging to Ibn Saiyad and the Prophet hid himself behind branches, to listen to what he would say before Ibn Saiyad discovered him. And at this time Ibn Saiyad was lying upon his bed, with a sheet over his face, talking to himself; and his mother saw the Prophet standing behind the branches of the trees, and said to her son, “Muhammad is standing.” At this he became silent; and the Prophet said, “Had not his mother informed him he would have said something to have discovered what he is. Then the Prophet repeated, “Praised be God, by that which is worthy of him”; and then mentioned Dajjal and said, “Verily, I fear for you from Dajjal; there is no Prophet but he alarmed his people about him. Verily, Noah frightened his people about Dajjal; but I will tell you a thing in the matter of Dajjal, which no Prophet ever told his people; know that he is blind, and that verily God is not blind.”
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri says: “Ibn Saiyad asked the Prophet about the earth of Paradise; and he said, ‘The earth of Paradise is in whiteness like flour twice sifted and in smell like pure musk.’ And I accompanied Ibn Saiyad from al-Madinah to Makkah; and he said to me, ‘What trouble I have experienced from people’s supposing me Dajjal! Have you not heard, O Ibn Saiyad, the Prophet of God say, “Verily Dajjal will have no children? And I have; and verily, the Prophet has said, “Dajjal is an infidel,” and I am a Muslim’; and the Prophet said, “Dajjal will neither enter al-Madinah nor Makkah”; and verily, I am going from al-Madinah and intend going to Makkah.’ After that, Ibn Saiyad said, in the latter part of his speech, ‘Beware; I swear by God, I know the place of Dajjal’s birth, and where he stays; and I know his father and mother.’ Then this made me doubtful; and I said, ‘May the remainder of your days be lost to you.’ A person present said to Ibn Saiyad, ‘Would you like to be Dajjal?’ He said, ‘If I possessed what Dajjal is described to have, such as the power of leading astray, I should not dislike it.”
Ibn ‘Umar says: “I met Ibn Saiyad when he had swollen eyes, and I said, ‘How long has this been?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ I said, ‘Do not know, now that your eyes are in your head?’ He said, ‘If God pleased He could create eyes in your limbs, and they would not know anything about it; in this manner also; man is so employed as to be insensible to pains.’ Then Ibn Saiyad made a noise from his nose, louder than the braying of an ass.’ (Mishkat, book xxiii. ch. v.)
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam
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