the books of Sunnah, such as the two Sahīhs and other works. Nothing in the hadiths concerning Ibn Sayyād conflicts with the spirit of hadith or the essence of truth. As noted above, Ibn Sayyād’s true nature was unclear to the Muslims. He was one of the many impostors whose lies and falsehood Allah exposed to the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the Muslims.

Abū Ubayya contradicts himself. In some of his comments on the hadiths concerning Ibn Sayyād, he says: “The truth is that Ibn Sayyād uttered an incomplete, meaningless word, as soothsayers are wont to do. He intended nothing by it; he was merely a fraudulent charlatan.” (1)

His words here acknowledge that Ibn Sayyād was a fraudulent charlatan! How, then, can he be a myth at one time and a charlatan at another?!

There is no doubt that Abū Ubayya contradicts himself.

Anyone who follows Shaykh Abū Ubayya’s annotations on al-Hāfiz Ibn Kathīr’s al-Nihāya / al-Fitan wa-l-Malāhim will encounter astonishing things. Abū Ubayya gave his reason free rein in judging the hadiths cited by Ibn Kathīr: whatever he personally deemed acceptable was the truth, while everything else he either forced into interpretations contrary to the hadiths’ plain meaning or declared authentic hadiths fabricated, without any sound evidence or proof.

Commenting on the hadiths concerning Ibn Sayyād, Abū Ubayya says: “Is a child morally accountable? Could the Messenger’s concern over this alleged figure have gone so far that he approached him and asked him this question? Is it reasonable that he should wait to receive his answer? Is it acceptable that he should allow him to give such an unbelieving answer, laying claim to prophethood and messengership? Does Allah commission children? Questions