“If you were to ask me for this piece of palm stalk, I would not give it to you. You will not go beyond Allah’s decree concerning you; and if you turn away, Allah will surely strike you down. Indeed, I see that you are the one concerning whom I was shown what I was shown.”

Abu Hurayrah then informed me that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“While I was asleep, I saw two gold bracelets on my hands, and they troubled me. Then it was revealed to me in a dream that I should blow upon them, so I blew upon them and they flew away. I interpreted them as two liars who would emerge after me: one of them was al-‘Ansi, and the other was Musaylimah the liar, the man of al-Yamamah.”

Al-Tirmidhi (2292), al-Nasa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (7649), and Abu Ya‘la (5894) narrated from it the account of the dream.

Al-Bukhari (7461), al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (10750), and al-Baghawi in al-Anwar (869) narrated from it the account of Musaylimah’s arrival.

Al-Bukhari (4378 and 4379) also narrated it in full, with similar wording, through Salih ibn Kaysan, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn Nishit, from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Utbah, from Ibn ‘Abbas ... and cited it.

Al-Bukhari (7033 and 7034) also narrated it in abbreviated form through this same route.

In a version recorded by Ahmad (1/263) and al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra (7648), through this same route, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn Nishit is omitted.

I consider both versions authentic, for Salih’s narration from ‘Ubayd Allah—in reports other than this hadith—meets al-Bukhari’s criteria; and likewise does ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn Nishit’s narration from ‘Ubayd Allah. And Allah knows best. *