Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The Hour will not come until tribes from my nation join the polytheists and worship idols. There will indeed be thirty liars among my nation, each claiming to be a prophet. I am the Seal of the Prophets; there is no prophet after me.” (1)

There are many hadiths concerning the appearance of these impostors. Some state categorically that they will number thirty, as in the hadith of Thawbān, while others state that they will number close to thirty, as in the hadith found in the two Sahih collections. Perhaps the wording of Thawbān’s report follows the convention of rounding the number to a whole. (2)

Among these thirty was Musaylima the Liar, who appeared and claimed prophethood toward the end of the Prophet’s lifetime. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wrote to him and called him Musaylima the Liar. His followers became numerous, and the harm he inflicted upon the Muslims grew severe, until the Companions finally put an end to him during the caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), at the famous Battle of Yamāma.

Al-Aswad al-Ansī also appeared in Yemen and claimed prophethood. The Companions killed him before the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away.