The Rise
Al-Aswad had a reputation as a sorcerer and crowd-mesmerizer (sha’badha) in Yemen before his claim to prophecy. In 10 AH, with the Prophet’s health declining and Medina’s attention elsewhere, he declared himself a prophet and rapidly raised a large following.
He overthrew the Muslim administrators in Yemen and conquered most of the province — including Sanaa and Najran. His state posed a genuine threat to the early Muslim community’s control of the Arabian peninsula’s southern flank.
The Conspiracy
The Prophet sent word to the Muslims remaining in Yemen to resist and seek an opportunity. The conspiracy involved al-Aswad’s wife Azad, who had reportedly been mistreated by him, and Fayruz al-Daylami (a Persian Muslim who had converted and remained loyal to Medina).
Fayruz, with Azad’s assistance, killed al-Aswad in Sanaa. The date was the night before the Prophet died in Medina.
The Providential Timing
When the news of al-Aswad’s death arrived in Medina, some reports say the Prophet received it through revelation and reported it — then died the next morning. This convergence became a celebrated parallel: the false prophet of Yemen died the same night as the true Prophet — and the news reached the community almost simultaneously.
Abu Bakr famously said when the death of the Prophet and the death of al-Aswad were confirmed together: “God has linked them.”
See also: Nubuwwa Prophethood, Al Ridda, Seerah Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, Seerah Pre Islam