Abdullah Bin Saba
Abdullah Bin Saba
Abdullah Bin Saba
www.twelvershia.net
To seekers of truth,
from all the Islamic sects,
in all shapes, sizes, and forms
Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
The Existence of the Sabaee Sect
12
16
Chapter Two
The Existence of Abdullah bin Saba
through Authentic Chains
20
20
28
32
Chapter Three
Responding to Olawuyis Fallacies about
the supposed Khilafah of Ahl Al-Bayt
34
Chapter Four
Responding to Olawuyis Fallacies
about Al-Raj`ah
37
37
Sunni Texts
40
Conclusion
43
Bibliography
44
Glossary
47
Introduction
The controversy that is the life, the existence, and the effects of
Abdullah bin Saba upon the early years of Islam has become a
focal point in polemical circles during the last few generations.
Originally, the existence of the man was a point of consensus
amongst historians; however, it was in the 18th century when
Orientalists noticed a peculiar pattern regarding his reports
which caused a break in the consensus. These narrations came
from a single source, namely, Sayf bin Omar Al-Tameemi, a
historian that is regarded as weak in the eyes of the scholars of
Hadith. This discovery led to the publishing of articles and then
books on the subject, which ultimately led Shias, like Murtadha
Al-`Askari to adopt the view that Ibn Saba was a figment of AlTameemis imagination.
Not too long after this view spread within Shia circles did we
find Sunni scholars like Sulaiman Al-`Awdah responding by
simply providing alternative sources, in both Sunni and Shias
books, which prove the existence of Ibn Saba. The irrefutable
proofs provided by these Sunnis caused the spawning of a new
book on the matter. This new study Abdullah ibn Saba:
Dirasah wa Tahleel by the Shia scholar Ali Aal-Muhsin spread
amongst the Shi`ee youth. His arguments were then translated
into English in a book called Abd Allah ibn Saba: Myth
Exploded, by Shiee apologist Toyib Olawuyi, the book of Ali
Aal-Muhsin provides a new outlook on how the narrations
about Abdullah bin Saba should be consumed.
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2
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11
Chapter 1
Al-Kamil 7/275
Ibid
8
As for those whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow
that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an
interpretation [suitable to them]. Aal-Imran: 7
7
12
have not been revealed in a Book (of Allah) nor are they from
the sunnah of a prophet.9
Abdullah bin Awn said: I asked Ibraheem al-Nakh`ee (d. 96)
about two men from the Sabaaiyyah which he knew, AlMugheerah bin Sa`eed and Aba Abd Al-Raheem, He replied,
Be aware of them for they are liars.10
Al-Zuhri (d. 125) said, I did not see a group of people that are
more similar to the Christians than the Sabaaiyyah.11 He also
said about Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ali that he used to
collect the hadiths of the Sabaaiyyah.12
Interestingly, one does not find the tabieen or the atbaa refer
to specific rafidhi sects as much as the Sabaees, nor do we find
much of a focus in the following centuries on any specific sects
except the larger blankets of these smaller sects, like the Zaidis
and the rafidha, each of which include many smaller divisions.
This implies that the Sabaaiyyah were at one time a rather
infamous sect, unlike other smaller offshoots that didnt get
much attention. This sect, without a doubt includes a set of
beliefs which separates it from other sects. It is there where the
works of the scholars of milal becomes most useful.
One example is the lengthy explanation of how this sect
snowballed into a group of sects that differed in specifics. Abu
Al-Hussain Al-Malti (d. 377 AH) stated that the Sabaees split
into four groups:
The first says that Ali did not die and cannot die.
9
Al-Ibanah 1/269
Al-Ilal wa Marifat Al-Rijal (p. 144)
11
Al-Shareeah (p. 723)
12
Al-Marifah wal Tareekh 3/70
10
13
The second says that Ali is not dead but is in the clouds.13
The third says that he died and will come back before the Day of
Judgment and that others from the graves will come with him to
fight the anti-Christ and that he will fill the earth with justice.14
The fourth group says that the Imam is Muhammad bin Ali and
that he is in the mountain of Radhwa and is guarded by a
dragon and a lion, and that he will fight the anti-Christ.
Al-Malti furthermore speaks about them in a fashion that
indicates their existence during his time, not only is he thorough
in the explanation of their beliefs, but in his tone of speech as
well.15
We find in Abd Al-Qadir Al-Baghdaadi16 (d. 429 AH) an even
clearer tone in which he lists questions to debate the
Sabaaiyyah with. This leaves little doubt that forms of the
Sabaee sect remained until at least the fourth century.
Of course, closed-minded Shiee scholars like Murtadha AlAskari would never find this sufficient to prove that the sect
existed. When faced with a plethora of statements about the
beliefs of the Sabaaiyyah from the scholars of milal, he
responded by saying, It seems as though they wrote
explanations about these sects that detailed their ideologies,
and each author wanted to surpass the rest with strange tales
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15
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16
Sabaee sect had some similarities with the modern day Twelver
Shiasm, and these include:
1- The disassociation from Abi Bakr and Umar Not surprisingly,
we find this clear in narrations that are authentically attributed
to Ibn Saba himself. These will be covered in the following
chapter. This opinion is also attributed to the Sabaaiyyah by
early Shia scholars like Al-Nawbakhti and Saad bin Abdullah AlAshari.22 Al-Mugheera bin Saeed, an infamous Sabaee
according to his contemporaries,23 was also known for openly
cursing Abu Bakr and Omar.24 Today, we find a direct
connection between this practice and Twelver Shias, so to
believe that Ibn Sabas attitudes towards the sahaba evolved
into the modern Shiee attitude towards the sahaba would not
be a stretch at all.
2- The belief in raja`ah Ibn Hibban commented that
Muhammad bin Saib Al-Kalbi, was a Sabaee, and that they held
this belief. However, he suggested that the Sabaees believed
that Ali never died, but was living on a cloud.25 Rushaid Al-Hajri,
another Sabaee,26 also held the view that Ali came to life after
death and was sweating under the blanket that covered his
body.27 Ibn Hibban also states that Jabir Al-Ju`fi also held the
belief that Ali would return to life and that he was from the
companions of Ibn Saba.28 Also, Al-Fasawi narrates that Jabir
22
17
18
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19
Chapter 2
The Existence of
Abdullah bin Saba
through Authentic
Chains
As mentioned in the previous chapter, authentic chains prove
the existence of Abdullah bin Saba. These narrations show that
he used to curse Abu Bakr and Omar and these will be studied
in this chapter. These narrations were originally weakened by
Olawuyi, but upon further inspection, we have found that some
of them are indeed authentic.
20
36
This should correctly be and from Zaid bin Wahb since Abu AlZaraa does not narrate from Zaid bin Wahb this Hadith, but narrates
it directly from `Ali as we shall see soon. Another evidence that it is
and from Zaid bin Wahb is because that is how we find it in the
same narration from Al-Barqani as Ibn Hajar recorded in Al-Tahtheeb
1/366.
37
It is very possible that the words evil black man are actually black
container since there is a similarity in the drawing of both words in
the Arabic language. Furthermore, the narration of both Abu Al-Zaraa
and Zaid bin Wahb which we shall examine later refer to Ibn Saba as
the black container.
38
21
39
22
Al-Kuna 1/221
Al-Tareekh Al-Kabeer 3/177
23
24
48
25
49
26
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53
27
We also know for a fact that some of the examples that Olawuyi
provided are very flawed since a number of these men, namely
Salman (d. 33 AH), Al-Miqdad (d. 33 AH), and Abi Dharr (d. 32
AH), all died before Ali became a caliph and made this
statement.
54
28
55
29
against Amr bin Marzooq.58 Perhaps the least that one can say is
that Amr bin Marzooq is hasan in his Hadith.
Another objectionable issue with Olawuyis quote is his
translation of the term awhaam. A wahm is a term that refers
to any error in hadith, while translating it into the term
hallucination greatly exaggerates Al-Daraqutnis criticism.
In conclusion, both narrations are established as evidences in
the eyes of Ahl Al-Sunnah.
Olawuyi though, seeks to criticize the text in order to
strengthen his argument. He argues:
First and foremost, it is mudraj (interpolated). We
have already seen the version of the Athar
transmitted by Muhammad b. Jafar from Shubah
from Salamah from Zayd. It does not contain the
last phrase above, indentifying the black
container explicitly as Abd Allah b. Saba, and
explaining his lies upon Allah and His Messenger
as his attacks on Abu Bakr and Umar! Therefore,
neither Shubah nor any of the earlier transmitters
in the chains was the source of that addition.
Rather, it must have been either Amr bin Marzuq
or any of the later sub-narrators. This means that
the explanation was an interpolation into the
riwayah of Zayd, by someone who was NOT an
eye-witness to the event, by someone who was
disconnected from the incident by at least one
century! Even Shubah and Salamah who are
much earlier in the sanad were not eye58
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32
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Chapter 3
Responding to
Olawuyis Fallacies
about the supposed
Khilafah of Ahl AlBayt
In order to deter the opinion of Muslims from the view that Ibn
Saba was the first person to claim that Ali is the caliph of the
Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam), Olawuyi provides two
narrations that suggest that this was established in authentic
hadiths.
Firstly, the view that Ali was given the wasiyyah is not simply
one that is held by Sunnis, but by Shias as well. Refer to the
opinion of Al-Nawbakhti and Saad bin Abdullah Al-Ashari in the
preface of this book.
Olawuyi though provides narrations that suggest the opposite:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said
to Ali: You are to me of the status of Harun to
Musa, with the exception that you are not a
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63
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69
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Chapter 4
Responding to
Olawuyis Fallacies
about the Rajaah
Refuting General Evidences of Rajaah
from Sunni Texts
Regarding the matter of Rajaah, Olawuyi provides a detailed
explanation of the term and specific examples using the Quran.
Verses 55-56, 243, and 259 from Al-Baqara, are used by him to
suggest that there have been exceptions in which Allah
(subhanahu wa taala) brought the dead back to life. Olawuyi
correctly states that, These are all instances of people
returning from Barzakh into this world through resurrection.
They are all instances of Rajaah.71
Even though there is a consensus by Muslims regarding this, the
Shiee view extends this belief to the twelve Shia Imams and
their followers, meaning that they will be brought back to life.
This belief is referred to by Shias as rajaah, and Ahl Al-Sunnah
reject it due to the lack of evidence that such a matter would
ever occur.
71
37
Olawuyi provides vague verses from the Quran that state that
you will not find any change in the sunnah of Allah along with
a narration that says that everything that occurred to the
offspring of Israel will occur to my Ummah,72 in order to
suggest that there are textual evidences that suggest that
rajaah may occur.
It is obvious to the objective reader that there is nothing
conclusive to be gathered from these vague texts to suggest
rajaah. From the context of the narration, one understands
that the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam) was referring to
calamities and punishments, for the examples given in the
narration include incest in public and the formation of religious
sects. Olawuyi is not fooling anyone in suggesting that this is
conclusive evidence that rajaah will occur in the Ummah of
Mohammad (salalahu alaihi wa salam).
Olawuyi, realizing that there is no basis for rajaah in Sunni
texts, attempts to find evidences in the words of the sahaba. He
begins by quoting the narration of the Prophet's (salalahu alaihi
wa salam) death. It was devastating news for all believers and
many were in a state of disbelief and confusion, which caused
some Sahabah, such as Omar bin Al-Khattab to go as far as to
deny the death of the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam) and to
threaten to punish anyone who suggested that such a thing
happened.
Olawuyi then quotes Omar, who said, "Allah will RESURRECT
him and he will cut the hands and legs of some men."73
72
73
38
Al-Aaraf : 103
Aal-Imran : 144
76
Saheeh Al-Bukhari (p. 757)
75
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40
79
41
82
Al-Kafi 1/160
`Abd Allah bin Saba (p. 65)
84
Abd Allah bin Saba (p. 66)
85
Al-Musnad 2/464
86
Mizan Al-Iitidal 3/272
87
Tareef Ahl Al-Taqdees (p. 132)
83
42
Conclusion
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See introduction.
43
Bibliography
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46
Glossary
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