Abdullah ibn Saba
Encyclopedia
Abd Allah ibn Sabaʾ al-Ḥimyarī (or "Sabāʾ", also sometimes called ibn al-Sawdāʾ, ibn Wahb, or ibn Ḥarb) was a 7th-century figure in Islamic history who may or may not have had an actual historical existence and often associated with a group of followers called the Sabaʾiyya.
Modern historical view, is not clear what historical person or persons lay behind this figure. It is believed that Abdulah Ibn Saba may have been actually several figures(e.g. Hodgson ), semi legendary (Caetani, Momen Moojan), or legendary and fictional (Taha Hussein, Ali al-Wardi , Bernard Lewis
, Wilferd Madelung
, Askari) but Israel Friedlander
and Sabatino Moscati
affirm his existence. His Jewish origin has also been contested and he was not probably Jewish. Modern Muslim writers also tend to discredit Tabari
's account of Ibn Saba as "sheer fiction". Regarding his importance in killing of Othman and introducing Shi'a is disputed as surer sources other than Tabari exclude him from any major role. Modern historians assert that Sayf fabricated the episode about killing of Uthman to "exonerate the people of Medina from participation in the caliph's murder".
In Sunni tradition, he was a Yemenite Jew who embraced Islam. During the time of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, he introduced a number of concepts that later were ascribed to more extreme factions of Shia Islam, or ghulat
. According to Sunni tradition, the exaltation of Ali, his divine appointment by the Islamic prophet Muhammad
as a successor, his ghayba and return (rajʿa) are all concepts that were first formulated and expressed by Ibn Sabaʾ and his followers (the Sabaʾiyya). He and his followers are also said to be the ones who enticed the Egyptians against Uthman
on ground of Ali's special right of succession, and participated in further instigation at later conflicts.
In Shia' views, the claim that Ibn Saba' as a convert Jew is the founder of Shia is a propaganda. Although the existence of Abdullah Ibn Saba' is seriously under question, even if such a person existed, the stories propagated about this person are legendary, false, fabricated, and fictitious. In traditional Shi'a sources, he is sometimes viewed as an extremist Shia (ghulat
), himself cursed by Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq. Nevertheless, Ibn Sabaʾ became the subject of a tradition used by different Shia factions to both attack and defend extreme Shia groups. According to this tradition, and depending on the different interpretations, Ali either burned or exiled him and his followers for declaring Ali as God.
, Ibn Saba in origin was a purely political supporter of Ali, "around whom later generations imagined a religious conspiracy like that of the Abbasids." Modern Muslim writers tend to discredit Tabari
's account of Ibn Saba as "sheer fiction". Taha Hussein and Ali al-Wardi maintain that Ibn Saba' was the creation of Umayyad propaganda. According to Bernard Lewis
modern critical scholarship has successfully cast doubt on his historical existence. Ibn Saba is called a semi-legendary figure by Moojan and a legendary figure by MariaMassi Dakake. Israel Friedlander
concludes that Ibn Saba' and the Sabi'iyya did, in fact, exist. The episode about his role in killing of Uthman has been fabricated, however. His work has also been attested to by Sabatino Moscati
.
Ali Al-Wardi after affirming that Ibn Saba is fictional name, suggests that Ammar Yaser
may actually be the historical figure lay behind Ibn Saba figure. He noted at similarities of Ammar Yaser life to Ibn Saba. Ammar was also from Yemen. He was called Ibn Sawda (son of a black woman). He was zealous supporter of Ali's right for caliphate. He went to Egypt to rouse Muslims against Uthman. He obstructed the peace effort between Ali and Aisha
, ....
states that modern critical scholarship cast doubted on his Jewishness. Bernard Lewis
, citing the example of Ibn Saba', states that there is tendency in Islamic sources to attribute subversive and extremist doctrines to Jewish origins, conspiracy or instigation. G. Levi Della Vida also rejects his Jewish origin and maintains that Ibn Saba' was an Arab.
However, according to Hartwig Hirschfeld, Abdullah bin Saba' was a Jew from Yemen who embraced Islam. Israel Friedlander
suggested that he may have been a son of an Ethiopian
Falasha woman, which explains why he was called "ibn al-Sawdāʾ". W. F. Tucker, after examining the different arguments, concludes that "Whatever is the case regarding his ethnic identity, it is quite probable that Ibn Saba' was a Yemenite, and that he came from a Jewish milieu".
. He may have been the first to deny that Ali
had died and predicting his return (rajʿa), which was considered one form of ghulū. Also, the notion of the absence (ghayba) of an imam seem to have appeared first among the ghulāt.
Concerning Ibn Saba' religious beliefs, particularly that of the Sabaʾiyya, Tucker noted that they are more complete and better recorded in sources devoted to heresiography. But Hodgson states that there are contradictions in what religious views is ascribed to him and his followers.
Heinz Halm records him as a representative of a Ghulat
group from the city of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
(al-Madā'in) who came to see ‘Alī in Kūfah
. When Ibn Saba' proclaimed ‘Alī's divinity, ‘Alī denied this angrily and exiled him back to Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Heinz Halm adds that Islamic Islamic writers such as Ašʿari in Maqālāt, Baḡdādi in Feraq have said that Ibn Saba' was the first person who idolizedAli ibn Abi Talib . He preached that ʿAli was God (al-elāh). After ʿAli’s death, he is said to maintain this idea that "a devil in ʿAli’s appearance had been murdered" and ʿAli had ascended to heaven and that his occultation
(rajʿa) was imminent.
's killing.
Wilferd Madelung
after reviewing the accounts of Sayf ibn Umar
on the alleged role of Abdullah ibn Saba' in the rebellion against Uthman and emergence of Shi'a asserts ‘’few if any modern historians would accept Sayf's legend of Ibn Saba’’
Taha Hussein asserts that the "fabrication" of ibn Saba' was done by the enemies of the Shī‘a; that the insertion of a "Jewish element" would discredit the Shī‘a. He noted that the absence of any record of ibn Saba' being present at the Battle of Siffin
suggests that ibn Saba' is a fictitious person.
Israel Friedlander
, Julius Wellhausen
, and most particularly, Leone Caetani
, assert that Sayf fabricated the episode about killing of Uthman to "exonerate the people of Medina from participation in the caliph's murder" and as Friedlander adds finding a "scapegoat for the troubles surrounding Uthman" and any complicity in the strife resulting in the death of third caliph. Tucker asserts that although it may have been the case, there is no concrete evidence supporting this theory. Tucker also states that even Sayf's accounts of Ibn Saba' was a fabrication, he appears to be only the transmitter of the story and not the ultimate source. He pointed out that accusations of bias could equally be leveled at other akhbārīs contemporary to Sayf, including the Shi'a historian Abu Mikhnaf
.
Israel Friedlander
, Julius Wellhausen
, and Leone Caetani
, note that that sources older than al-Tabari are silent on Ibn Saba' and his role in the agitation against Uthman. "They aver that the movement for supporting Ali as heir and testamentary trustee of the prophet did not exist in the time of Uthman as Ibn Saba' had alleged. Therefore they refuse to accept the authenticity of Ibn Saba's claim that Ali was the heir of prophet".
Caetani noted that a religious conspiracy may have been created around the person of Ibn Sabaʾ even though he may have been just a political supporter of Ali.
W. F. Tucker notes that some scholars argued that Tabari's account of Ibn Saba conspiracies against Uthman is a fabrication of Sayf Ibn Umar. and should be generally considered unreliable. However, one scholar, Landau-Tasseron, notes that although Sayf may have been an unscrupulous hadith
collector, this should not detract on his reliability as a transmitter of historical information (akhbārī).
Linda D. Lau, accepted Sayf's accounts and the role of the Saba'iyya at the Battle of the Camel. She points out that traditionalists other than Sayf did not give an explanation to why the hostilities broke out after the near-settlement. Not only Sayf's account is the sole exiting account with an explanation of what happened, it is also logically consistent.
In Shī‘a views believe that fabricated stories around the character of Abdullah Ibn Saba' are the malicious production of Sayf Ibn Umar al-Tamimi. He was a story teller who shaped his fictional stories based on primary facts he found in the documented history of Islam available at that time.
For the Shi'a he sometimes figured as type of the extremist, the ghali
. It is said that Jafar Sadiq, the sixth Shia' Imam and the founder of Shi'a Islamic fiqh, cursed him. In Shia' traditions ordered Ibn Saba' and his followers burned because they assumed Ali God. Shī‘a scholars such as Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Musa al-Nubakhti, Abu Amr bin Abdul Aziz al-Kash-shi, Al-Hasan bin Ali al-Hilly, al-Astra Abadi,Al-Sadooq, and Al-Nawbakhty
. gave the stories and narrations of Ibn Saba.
Multiple Sunni scholars state that Sayf Ibn Umar, who wrote extensively about ibn Saba, was untrustworthy, thus rejecting his accounts of ibn Saba. For example, al-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) has quoted from the book of Sayf in his History. In "al-Mughni fi al-Dhu'afa'" al-Dhahabi wrote:"Sayf has two books which have been unanimously abandoned by the scholars."
Tabari narration on Ibn Saba' goes back to Sayf Ibn Umar
. There are two other historians mentioned Ibn Saba' accounts which is said to have independente sources. However, it can be shown that their chains of isnad go back to Sayf Ibn Umar.
The Shī‘a believe that both works are fabricated. Prominent early Sunni scholars, have generally thought the same including al-Hakim, Abu Dawud, al-Suyuti and al-Nisa'i The Shī‘a point out that although al-Dhahabi mentions Sayf ibn Umar as a weak narrator, stating "Sayf has two books which have been unanimously abandoned by the scholars", he also accepts the story of Abdullah ibn Saba' relayed from Sayf ibn Umar in his book. However, these are not the only scholars of Baghdad citing that Sayf's sources are not reliable.
Modern historical view, is not clear what historical person or persons lay behind this figure. It is believed that Abdulah Ibn Saba may have been actually several figures(e.g. Hodgson ), semi legendary (Caetani, Momen Moojan), or legendary and fictional (Taha Hussein, Ali al-Wardi , Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University...
, Wilferd Madelung
Wilferd Madelung
Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung is a scholar of Islam. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where he completed his early education at Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium....
, Askari) but Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander, also spelled Friedlaender was a rabbi, educator, translator, and biblical scholar...
and Sabatino Moscati
Sabatino Moscati
Sabatino Moscati was an Italian archaeologist and linguist known for his work on Phoenician and Punic civilizations...
affirm his existence. His Jewish origin has also been contested and he was not probably Jewish. Modern Muslim writers also tend to discredit Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
's account of Ibn Saba as "sheer fiction". Regarding his importance in killing of Othman and introducing Shi'a is disputed as surer sources other than Tabari exclude him from any major role. Modern historians assert that Sayf fabricated the episode about killing of Uthman to "exonerate the people of Medina from participation in the caliph's murder".
In Sunni tradition, he was a Yemenite Jew who embraced Islam. During the time of Ali ibn Abi Taleb, he introduced a number of concepts that later were ascribed to more extreme factions of Shia Islam, or ghulat
Ghulat
Ghulāt , is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to a member of Muhammad's family , or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology...
. According to Sunni tradition, the exaltation of Ali, his divine appointment by the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as a successor, his ghayba and return (rajʿa) are all concepts that were first formulated and expressed by Ibn Sabaʾ and his followers (the Sabaʾiyya). He and his followers are also said to be the ones who enticed the Egyptians against Uthman
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....
on ground of Ali's special right of succession, and participated in further instigation at later conflicts.
In Shia' views, the claim that Ibn Saba' as a convert Jew is the founder of Shia is a propaganda. Although the existence of Abdullah Ibn Saba' is seriously under question, even if such a person existed, the stories propagated about this person are legendary, false, fabricated, and fictitious. In traditional Shi'a sources, he is sometimes viewed as an extremist Shia (ghulat
Ghulat
Ghulāt , is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to a member of Muhammad's family , or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology...
), himself cursed by Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq. Nevertheless, Ibn Sabaʾ became the subject of a tradition used by different Shia factions to both attack and defend extreme Shia groups. According to this tradition, and depending on the different interpretations, Ali either burned or exiled him and his followers for declaring Ali as God.
Historicity
According to M. G. S. Hodgson, it is not clear what historical person or persons lay behind this figure. According to Hodgson Abdullah Ibn Saba may have been actually several figures. He also suggests that Ibn Saba' and Ibn al-Sawada' should be considered as two separate individuals. According to Leone CaetaniLeone Caetani
Leone Caetani , Duke of Sermoneta , was an Italian scholar, politician and historian of the Middle-East....
, Ibn Saba in origin was a purely political supporter of Ali, "around whom later generations imagined a religious conspiracy like that of the Abbasids." Modern Muslim writers tend to discredit Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
's account of Ibn Saba as "sheer fiction". Taha Hussein and Ali al-Wardi maintain that Ibn Saba' was the creation of Umayyad propaganda. According to Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University...
modern critical scholarship has successfully cast doubt on his historical existence. Ibn Saba is called a semi-legendary figure by Moojan and a legendary figure by MariaMassi Dakake. Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander, also spelled Friedlaender was a rabbi, educator, translator, and biblical scholar...
concludes that Ibn Saba' and the Sabi'iyya did, in fact, exist. The episode about his role in killing of Uthman has been fabricated, however. His work has also been attested to by Sabatino Moscati
Sabatino Moscati
Sabatino Moscati was an Italian archaeologist and linguist known for his work on Phoenician and Punic civilizations...
.
Ali Al-Wardi after affirming that Ibn Saba is fictional name, suggests that Ammar Yaser
Ammar ibn Yasir
ʻAmmār ibn Yāsir al-Ansi was one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was one of the Muhajirun, and referred to as by Shia Muslims as one of the Four Companions....
may actually be the historical figure lay behind Ibn Saba figure. He noted at similarities of Ammar Yaser life to Ibn Saba. Ammar was also from Yemen. He was called Ibn Sawda (son of a black woman). He was zealous supporter of Ali's right for caliphate. He went to Egypt to rouse Muslims against Uthman. He obstructed the peace effort between Ali and Aisha
Aisha
Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...
, ....
Ancestry
M. G. S. Hodgson concludes that he was probably not a Jew. W. F. Tucker suggests that it was possible that the attribution of Jewish ancestry to Ibn Saba' on his parental side and imputation of black descent on his mother's side, was fabricated to discredit his credentials as a Muslim Arab and "thus stigmatize all ideas associated with him". Bernard LewisBernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University...
states that modern critical scholarship cast doubted on his Jewishness. Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis
Bernard Lewis, FBA is a British-American historian, scholar in Oriental studies, and political commentator. He is the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University...
, citing the example of Ibn Saba', states that there is tendency in Islamic sources to attribute subversive and extremist doctrines to Jewish origins, conspiracy or instigation. G. Levi Della Vida also rejects his Jewish origin and maintains that Ibn Saba' was an Arab.
However, according to Hartwig Hirschfeld, Abdullah bin Saba' was a Jew from Yemen who embraced Islam. Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander, also spelled Friedlaender was a rabbi, educator, translator, and biblical scholar...
suggested that he may have been a son of an Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
Falasha woman, which explains why he was called "ibn al-Sawdāʾ". W. F. Tucker, after examining the different arguments, concludes that "Whatever is the case regarding his ethnic identity, it is quite probable that Ibn Saba' was a Yemenite, and that he came from a Jewish milieu".
Ghulat
Traditionally, Abd Allah ibn Sabaʾ is considered as the the first of the ghulātGhulat
Ghulāt , is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to a member of Muhammad's family , or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology...
. He may have been the first to deny that Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
had died and predicting his return (rajʿa), which was considered one form of ghulū. Also, the notion of the absence (ghayba) of an imam seem to have appeared first among the ghulāt.
Concerning Ibn Saba' religious beliefs, particularly that of the Sabaʾiyya, Tucker noted that they are more complete and better recorded in sources devoted to heresiography. But Hodgson states that there are contradictions in what religious views is ascribed to him and his followers.
Heinz Halm records him as a representative of a Ghulat
Ghulat
Ghulāt , is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to a member of Muhammad's family , or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology...
group from the city of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
Al-Mada'in
Al-Mada'in, meaning "The cities", is the name given to an ancient metropolis formed by Ctesiphon and Seleucia on opposite sides of the Tigris River in present-day Iraq...
(al-Madā'in) who came to see ‘Alī in Kūfah
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
. When Ibn Saba' proclaimed ‘Alī's divinity, ‘Alī denied this angrily and exiled him back to Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Heinz Halm adds that Islamic Islamic writers such as Ašʿari in Maqālāt, Baḡdādi in Feraq have said that Ibn Saba' was the first person who idolizedAli ibn Abi Talib . He preached that ʿAli was God (al-elāh). After ʿAli’s death, he is said to maintain this idea that "a devil in ʿAli’s appearance had been murdered" and ʿAli had ascended to heaven and that his occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
(rajʿa) was imminent.
Examining his roles in Uthman’s Killing and emergence of Shia
According to M. G. S. Hodgson, "surer sources" than Tabari and Sayf ibn Umar seem to exclud Ibn Sabaʾ from playing any major role in the political events that led to UthmanUthman
Uthman ibn Affan was one of the companions of Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He played a major role in early Islamic history as the third Sunni Rashidun or Rightly Guided Caliph....
's killing.
Wilferd Madelung
Wilferd Madelung
Wilferd Ferdinand Madelung is a scholar of Islam. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, where he completed his early education at Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium....
after reviewing the accounts of Sayf ibn Umar
Sayf ibn Umar
Sayf ibn umar Usayyidi Tamimi , was an early Islamic historian. He was from Bani Tamim tribe. He belongs to the school of Kufa. In his reports, he represents the Iraqi view of history. His works affected by tribal traditions of Banu Tamim.-Works:...
on the alleged role of Abdullah ibn Saba' in the rebellion against Uthman and emergence of Shi'a asserts ‘’few if any modern historians would accept Sayf's legend of Ibn Saba’’
Taha Hussein asserts that the "fabrication" of ibn Saba' was done by the enemies of the Shī‘a; that the insertion of a "Jewish element" would discredit the Shī‘a. He noted that the absence of any record of ibn Saba' being present at the Battle of Siffin
Battle of Siffin
The Battle of Siffin occurred during the First Fitna, or first Muslim civil war, with the main engagement taking place from July 26 to July 28. It was fought between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muawiyah I, on the banks of the Euphrates river, in what is now Ar-Raqqah, Syria...
suggests that ibn Saba' is a fictitious person.
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander, also spelled Friedlaender was a rabbi, educator, translator, and biblical scholar...
, Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen , was a German biblical scholar and orientalist, noted particularly for his contribution to scholarly understanding of the origin of the Pentateuch/Torah ....
, and most particularly, Leone Caetani
Leone Caetani
Leone Caetani , Duke of Sermoneta , was an Italian scholar, politician and historian of the Middle-East....
, assert that Sayf fabricated the episode about killing of Uthman to "exonerate the people of Medina from participation in the caliph's murder" and as Friedlander adds finding a "scapegoat for the troubles surrounding Uthman" and any complicity in the strife resulting in the death of third caliph. Tucker asserts that although it may have been the case, there is no concrete evidence supporting this theory. Tucker also states that even Sayf's accounts of Ibn Saba' was a fabrication, he appears to be only the transmitter of the story and not the ultimate source. He pointed out that accusations of bias could equally be leveled at other akhbārīs contemporary to Sayf, including the Shi'a historian Abu Mikhnaf
Abu Mikhnaf
Abi Mekhnaf was a classical Shia Muslim historian from the 8th century. He lived in Kufa and died in . He attributes to Shiism by some Rijal scholars but it's doubtful and not accepted with all of them. However his works represent great tendency to Ali and his sons Hasan and Husayn.-Style:In...
.
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander
Israel Friedlander, also spelled Friedlaender was a rabbi, educator, translator, and biblical scholar...
, Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen
Julius Wellhausen , was a German biblical scholar and orientalist, noted particularly for his contribution to scholarly understanding of the origin of the Pentateuch/Torah ....
, and Leone Caetani
Leone Caetani
Leone Caetani , Duke of Sermoneta , was an Italian scholar, politician and historian of the Middle-East....
, note that that sources older than al-Tabari are silent on Ibn Saba' and his role in the agitation against Uthman. "They aver that the movement for supporting Ali as heir and testamentary trustee of the prophet did not exist in the time of Uthman as Ibn Saba' had alleged. Therefore they refuse to accept the authenticity of Ibn Saba's claim that Ali was the heir of prophet".
Caetani noted that a religious conspiracy may have been created around the person of Ibn Sabaʾ even though he may have been just a political supporter of Ali.
W. F. Tucker notes that some scholars argued that Tabari's account of Ibn Saba conspiracies against Uthman is a fabrication of Sayf Ibn Umar. and should be generally considered unreliable. However, one scholar, Landau-Tasseron, notes that although Sayf may have been an unscrupulous hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
collector, this should not detract on his reliability as a transmitter of historical information (akhbārī).
Linda D. Lau, accepted Sayf's accounts and the role of the Saba'iyya at the Battle of the Camel. She points out that traditionalists other than Sayf did not give an explanation to why the hostilities broke out after the near-settlement. Not only Sayf's account is the sole exiting account with an explanation of what happened, it is also logically consistent.
Shī‘a views
In Shia' views, the claim that Ibn Saba' as a convert Jew is the founder of Shia is a propaganda which its goal was/is to split the Muslims. Although the existence of a person in the name of Abdullah Ibn Saba' in the early history of Islam is seriously under question, even if such a person existed, the stories propagated about this person are legendary, false, fabricated, and fictitious.In Shī‘a views believe that fabricated stories around the character of Abdullah Ibn Saba' are the malicious production of Sayf Ibn Umar al-Tamimi. He was a story teller who shaped his fictional stories based on primary facts he found in the documented history of Islam available at that time.
For the Shi'a he sometimes figured as type of the extremist, the ghali
Ghali
-People with Ghali as a surname:* Boutros Ghali, Egyptian politician* Fathia Ghali, Egyptian princess* Salah Ali Al-Ghali, Sudanese politician* Samia Ghali, French politician-Religion:...
. It is said that Jafar Sadiq, the sixth Shia' Imam and the founder of Shi'a Islamic fiqh, cursed him. In Shia' traditions ordered Ibn Saba' and his followers burned because they assumed Ali God. Shī‘a scholars such as Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Musa al-Nubakhti, Abu Amr bin Abdul Aziz al-Kash-shi, Al-Hasan bin Ali al-Hilly, al-Astra Abadi,Al-Sadooq, and Al-Nawbakhty
Al-Nawbakhty
Al-Nawbakhty Abi Mohammed Al-Hasan Ibm Mousa Al-Nawbakhty. was a Shia Muslim scholar, lived in the 3rd Hijri century....
. gave the stories and narrations of Ibn Saba.
Sayf ibn Umar an dother sources on Ibn Saba
The Shi'a believe that the fabricated stories around the character of Abdullah Ibn Saba' are the malicious production of Sayf Ibn Umar al-Tamimi.Multiple Sunni scholars state that Sayf Ibn Umar, who wrote extensively about ibn Saba, was untrustworthy, thus rejecting his accounts of ibn Saba. For example, al-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) has quoted from the book of Sayf in his History. In "al-Mughni fi al-Dhu'afa'" al-Dhahabi wrote:"Sayf has two books which have been unanimously abandoned by the scholars."
Tabari narration on Ibn Saba' goes back to Sayf Ibn Umar
Sayf ibn Umar
Sayf ibn umar Usayyidi Tamimi , was an early Islamic historian. He was from Bani Tamim tribe. He belongs to the school of Kufa. In his reports, he represents the Iraqi view of history. His works affected by tribal traditions of Banu Tamim.-Works:...
. There are two other historians mentioned Ibn Saba' accounts which is said to have independente sources. However, it can be shown that their chains of isnad go back to Sayf Ibn Umar.
The Shī‘a believe that both works are fabricated. Prominent early Sunni scholars, have generally thought the same including al-Hakim, Abu Dawud, al-Suyuti and al-Nisa'i The Shī‘a point out that although al-Dhahabi mentions Sayf ibn Umar as a weak narrator, stating "Sayf has two books which have been unanimously abandoned by the scholars", he also accepts the story of Abdullah ibn Saba' relayed from Sayf ibn Umar in his book. However, these are not the only scholars of Baghdad citing that Sayf's sources are not reliable.
Further reading
- A paper about a favorable Isma'ili legend formed around the figure of Abdullah ibn Saba':