Saf ibn Sayyad

Saf ibn Sayyad (Arabic: الصف بن الصياد‎‎), later known as Abdullah ibn Sa'id (Arabic: عبد الله بن سعيد‎‎), was an alleged claimant of prophethood during the time of Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions.

Claims of prophethood in childhood

Ibn Sayyad claimed he was a prophet when he was on the threshold of adolescence, and was initially believed to be the False Messiah (Dajjal), as his characteristics were the same as those of the False Messiah:

It was narrated that Muhammad met Ibn Sayyad, at that time Ibn Sayyad was just at the threshold of adolescence. Muhammad said: "Don't you bear testimony to the fact that I am the Messenger of Allah?" Ibn Sayyad said: "No, but you should bear testimony that I am the messenger of Allah." Thereupon `Umar ibn Khattab said: "Allah's Messenger, permit me that I should kill him." Thereupon Muhammad said: "If he is that person [the Dajjal] who is in your mind, you will not be able to kill him, and if he is not, then killing will not do you any good."

Characteristics

Ibn Sayyad's characteristics were similar to those believed to be of the False Messiah:

Nafi' reported that `Abd Allah ibn `Umar met Ibn Sa'id on some of the paths of Medina and he said to him a word which enraged him and he was so much swollen with anger that the way was blocked. Ibn `Umar went to Hafsa bint Umar and informed her about this. Thereupon she said: "May Allah have mercy upon you, why did you incite Ibn Sayyad in spite of the fact that you knew it would be the extreme anger which would make Dajjal appear in the world?"

Denial of being the Dajjal in adulthood

In adulthood Ibn Sayyad repented and embraced Islam:

Nafi' reported that Ibn `Umar met Ibn Sayyad (now known as Abdullah ibn Sa'id) and said to some of his friends: "You state that it was he (the Dajjal)." Ibn Sa'id said: "By Allah, it is not so". Ibn `Umar said: "You have not told me the truth; by Allah some of you informed me that he would not die until he would have the largest number of offspring and huge wealth and it is he about whom it is thought so."

Abu Sa`id al-Khudri reported: Ibn Sa'id said: "What I have gathered from people is that they think that I am Dajjal. Has Muhammad not said that he would be a Kafir whereas I am a Muslim and he also said that he would not have children, whereas I have children, and he also said: verily, Allah has prohibited him to enter Mecca whereas I have performed Pilgrimage." He also said: "I know his place of birth his abode where he is just now."