where religious reformations were taking place and people were eager to accept new ideas, including that of Muhammad and his contemporary Musaylima. Musaylima claimed he received numerous revelations from God just like Muhammad did. Musaylima gathered an army of 40,000 followers. According to the account of Musaylima in the Dabestan-e Mazaheb (authored mid-17th century), he taught 3 daily prayers to God, facing any direction. He criticized Muslims for selecting the Ka'aba as the direction of prayers, arguing that God is not limited to one direction. Musaylima declared that the Ka'aba was not the House of God, because an all-powerful God has no house. Musaylima said fasting should be at night instead of daytime during Ramadan. He prohibited circumcision. Musaylima considered men and women equal, and allowed premarital sex. Musaylima prohibited polygamy and cousin marriage. Musaylima declared that any slave who converted to his religion would become free. Musaylima stated that Iblis did not exist, because a fair and merciful God would not allow a being like Iblis to throw people into error. Musaylima also said it was wrong to include his name or any prophet’s name in worship to God. Musaylima, who is alleged as having been a skilled magician by Muslim historians, dazzled the crowd with miracles. He could put an egg in a bottle; he could cut off the feathers of a bird and then stick them on so the bird would fly again; and he used this skill to persuade the people that he was divinely gifted. Musaylima shared verses purporting them to have been revelations from God. Thereafter, some of the people accepted him as a prophet alongside Muhammad. Gradually the influence and authority of Musaylima increased with the people of his tribe. He gathered an army of 40,000 followers. He also took to addressing gatherings as a messenger of Allah just like Muhammad, and would compose verses and offer them, as Qur'anic revelations. Al-Tabari in his History of the Prophets and Kings chronicles that Musaylima also proposed to share power over Arabia with Muhammad. Then one day, in late 10 Hijri, he wrote to Muhammad: Muhammad, however, replied back: Personal life During the Ridda wars which emerged following the death of Muhammad, Sajah bint al-Harith declared that she was a prophetess after learning that Musaylima and Tulayha had declared prophethood. 4,000 people gathered around her to march on Medina. Others joined her against Medina. However,