He then cited, through the isnād of Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī: al-Aswad ibn Shaybān narrated to us, from Abū Nawfal ibn Abī ʿAqrab, from Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr, that she said to al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us that in Thaqīf there will arise a liar and a ruthless destroyer (mubīr). As for the liar, we have already seen him; as for the destroyer—I think it is none other than you.” (1)

He added: Muslim (2) also recorded it from al-Aswad ibn Shaybān, and the report comes by several routes from Asmāʾ with variant wordings that will be presented in their proper place.

Al-Bayhaqī said (3): al-Ḥākim and Abū Saʿīd related to us, from al-Aṣamm, from ʿAbbās al-Darāwardī, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr al-Ḥumaydī (4): Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah narrated to us, from Abū al-Muḥayyah (5), from his mother, who said:

“When al-Ḥajjāj killed ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, he entered upon Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr and said, ‘Dear mother, the Commander of the Believers has charged me to look after you. Do you have any need?’

“She replied, ‘I am not your mother; I am the mother of the man who was crucified on the hilltop. I have no need—but wait until I tell you something I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “From Thaqīf there will emerge a liar and a destroyer. As for the liar, we have seen him; as for the destroyer, it is you.”’

“Al-Ḥajjāj retorted, ‘I am the destroyer of the hypocrites.’”

Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī also said: Shurayk narrated to us, from Abū ʿAlwān—ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿIṣmah—from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘In Thaqīf there will appear a liar and a destroyer.’” (6)

The story of the arch-liar al-Mukhtār ibn Abī ʿUbayd—who held authority over Iraq, claimed prophethood, and asserted that Gabriel brought him revelation—has reached the level of mass transmission. Someone said to Ibn ʿUmar—who was married to al-Mukhtār’s sister Ṣafiyyah—“Al-Mukhtār claims that revelation comes to him.” Ibn ʿUmar replied, “He speaks truly. Allah, exalted is He, says, ‘Indeed, the devils do inspire their allies’ (al-Anʿām 6:121).”

Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī further reported: Qurrah ibn Khālid narrated to us, from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, from Rifāʿah ibn Shaddād, who said:

“I used to harbour resentment against the liar al-Mukhtār. One day I entered upon him and he said, ‘You have come in, and just moments ago Gabriel rose from this chair!’ I reached for the hilt of my sword to strike him, but then I remembered a ḥadīth that ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥamiq al-Khuzaʿī had narrated to me, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘When a man grants another safety for his life and then kills him, a banner of treachery will be raised for him on the Day of Resurrection.’ (7) So I refrained from him.”