Ibn Sa'id

Q 2: Who is Ibn Sa'id? Is he Al-Masih-ul-Dajjal (the Antichrist)? Why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) not mention whether it was him or not?

A: `Abdullah ibn Sayyad appeared in the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and some Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) thought he was Al-Dajjal. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself thought the same, until he knew afterwards that it was not him, rather he was a soothsayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: I have something hidden for you. Ibn Sayyad said, “It is Al-Dukh.” (And he was really hiding for him Surah Al-Dukhan). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, “Be off! You can never go beyond your position.” Meaning: You are one of the fellowmen of the soothsayers who have allies of Satans to tell them a lot of the unseen things which they stealthily hear. Moreover, they used to mix (Part No. 2; Page No. 335) truth with lies as in the Sahih (sound) Hadith related by Al-Bukhari and others, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The angels descend in the clouds and mention this or that matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils listen stealthily to such a matter, come down to inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one-hundred lies of their own. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.