Ibn Saba the Original Shi'ite Heresiarch

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدي يا رسول الله

وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدي يا نور الله

The infamous Yemenite Jew, Abdullah bin Saba, pretended to convert to Islam as a scheme to infiltrate the community of Believers and sow seeds of discord from within. He instigated the people against the Prophet’s third successor, Uthman bin Affan رضى الله عنه which led to the latter’s assassination and martyrdom. He was not only a heresiarch, teaching doctrines that became associated with the Shi’ah, especially the extremist Ghulat thereof, but also a false prophet. In modern times, some Shi’ite apologists and others claim Ibn Saba is a fiction invented by the Sunnis as a polemic to discredit Shi’ism. However, such a claim is easily demolished when we refer to Shi’ite literature which not only acknowledges the existence of this evil individual but also lays bare his heresies and his fate at the hands of Amir ul-Mu’minin Ali bin Abi Talib كرم الله وجهه

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُولَوَيْهِ الْقُمِّيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ الْقُمِّيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْعَبْدِيُّ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَبَإٍ كَانَ يَدَّعِي النُّبُوَّةَ وَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع هُوَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى‌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فَدَعَاهُ وَ سَأَلَهُ فَأَقَرَّ بِذَلِكَ وَ قَالَ نَعَمْ أَنْتَ هُوَ وَ قَدْ كَانَ أُلْقِيَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ وَ أَنِّي نَبِيٌّ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَيْلَكَ قَدْ سَخِرَ مِنْكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَارْجِعْ عَنْ هَذَا ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ وَ تُبْ فَأَبَى فَحَبَسَهُ وَ اسْتَتَابَهُ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَلَمْ يَتُبْ فَأَحْرَقَهُ بِالنَّارِ وَ قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ اسْتَهْوَاهُ‌ فَكَانَ يَأْتِيهِ وَ يُلْقِي فِي رُوعِهِ ذَلِكَ

Abu Ja’far (Imam Muhammad al-Baqir) narrated that Abdullah bin Saba claimed prophethood and asserted that the Commander of the Faithful (Ali) was Allah. Exalted be He! Regarding this, the Commander of the Faithful heard of it, so he summoned him and questioned him. He (Ibn Saba) acknowledged it and said, “Yes, you are He. It has been suggested to me that you are Allah and that I am a prophet.” The Commander of the Faithful said to him, “Woe to you! Satan has mocked you, so turn away from this, may your mother be bereaved of you, and repent.” But he refused, so he imprisoned him and gave him a chance to repent for three days, but he did not repent, so he burned him with fire. And he said that Satan had tempted him, so he used to come to him and instill that in his mind.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُولَوَيْهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ وَ هُوَ يُحَدِّثُ أَصْحَابَهُ بِحَدِيثِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَبَإٍ وَ مَا ادَّعَى مِنَ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ فِي أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَمَّا ادَّعَى ذَلِكَ فِيهِ اسْتَتَابَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فَأَبَى أَنْ يَتُوبَ فَأَحْرَقَهُ بِالنَّارِ

Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) said while he was telling the story of Abdullah bin Saba and what he claimed of divinity for the Commander of the Faithful Ali bin Abi Talib, so he said that when he claimed that about him, the Commander of the Faithful told him to repent but he refused to repent, so he burned him with the fire.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُولَوَيْهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ الْأَزْدِيِّ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَبَإٍ إِنَّهُ ادَّعَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ فِي أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَ كَانَ وَ اللَّهِ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع عَبْداً لِلَّهِ طَائِعاً الْوَيْلُ لِمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيْنَا وَ إِنَّ قَوْماً يَقُولُونَ فِينَا مَا لَا نَقُولُهُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا نَبْرَأُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ نَبْرَأُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ

Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) said, “May Allah curse Abdullah ibn Saba, for he claimed divinity for the Commander of the Faithful, while by Allah, the Commander of the Faithful was an obedient slave of Allah. Woe to those who lie about us, for there are people who say about us what we do not say about ourselves. We disassociate ourselves from them before Allah. We disassociate ourselves from them before Allah.”

قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع لَعَنَ اللَّهُ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيْنَا إِنِّي ذَكَرْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَبَإٍ فَقَامَتْ كُلُّ شَعْرَةٍ فِي جَسَدِي لَقَدِ ادَّعَى أَمْراً عَظِيماً مَا لَهُ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ع وَ اللَّهِ عَبْداً لِلَّهِ صَالِحاً أَخُو رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص مَا نَالَ الْكَرَامَةَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا بِطَاعَتِهِ لِلَّهِ وَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَ مَا نَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْكَرَامَةَ مِنَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا بِطَاعَتِهِ

Ali bin al-Husain (Imam al-Sajjad) said, “May Allah curse whoever lied upon us! I mentioned Abdullah bin Saba and every hair on my body stood on end. He claimed a great matter that he did not have. May Allah curse him. By Allah, Ali was a righteous slave of Allah, the brother of the Messenger of Allah. He did not attain honor from Allah except through his obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and the Messenger of Allah did not attain honor from Allah except through his obedience.”

Commenting on these narrations, Muhammad bin Umar al-Kashshi says:

بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ‌ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ سَبَإٍ كَانَ يَهُودِيّاً فَأَسْلَمَ وَ وَالَى عَلِيّاً ع وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ وَ هُوَ عَلَى يَهُودِيَّتِهِ فِي يُوشَعَ بْنِ نُونٍ وَصِيِّ مُوسَى بِالْغُلُوِّ فَقَالَ فِي إِسْلَامِهِ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِي عَلِيٍّ ع مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ وَ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ شَهَّرَ بِالْقَوْلِ بِفَرْضِ إِمَامَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَ أَظْهَرَ الْبَرَاءَةَ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ وَ كَاشَفَ مُخَالِفِيهِ وَ أَكْفَرَهُمْ

Some of the people of knowledge said that Abdullah bin Saba was a Jew who converted to Islam and supported Ali. He used to say, while he was upon Judaism, that Joshua son of Nun was the executor of Moses’s will, with exaggeration. So he said the what is like it in Islam after the passing away of the Apostle of Allah about Ali. And he was the first to mandate the Imamate of Ali and to manifest disassociation from his enemies, to expose his (Ali’s) opponents and to make Takfir of them. (Rijal al-Kashshi, v.1, pp.84-85)

What has been reported by al-Kashshi confirms the Sunni narrative, that the hypocrite and heretic Ibn Saba was the first to declare that Amir ul-Mu’minin Ali رضى الله عنه was divinely appointed an Imam. He has also reported that Ibn Saba taught that Amir ul-Mu’minin رضى الله عنه is Allah Himself and that he (Ibn Saba) was a prophet! Amir ul-Mu’minin رضى الله عنه imprisoned Ibn Saba and told him to repent from such blasphemy, though he refused. Amir ul-Mu’minin رضى الله عنه then had Ibn Saba executed by immolation. He has also reported that the great Imams of Ahl al-Bayt like Imam Ali al-Sajjad, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq رضى الله عنهم cursed and denounced Ibn Saba.

Ibn Saba’s claim of being a prophet ought to be understood in the sense of being a prophet of the Imam (Ali), whom he considered God Himself. It became a precedent for later Ghali Shi’ite heresiarchs who claimed prophethood in the sense of being a prophet of an Imam: Hence, al-Mukhtar bin Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi claimed to be a prophet calling the people to the Imamate of Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah.

Bayan bin Sam’an claimed to be a prophet, calling the people to the Imamate of Abu Hashim Abdullah bin Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah.

Al-Mughirah bin Sa’id claimed to be a prophet, calling the people to the Imamate of Muhammad bin Abdallah, Nafs al-Zakiyah.

Abul-Khattab claimed to be a prophet, calling the people to the Imamate of Ja’far al-Sadiq.

Hamdan Qarmat bin al-Ash’ath claimed to be a prophet, calling the people to the Imamate of Muhammad bin Isma’il bin Ja’far.

Muhammad bin Nusayr claimed to be a prophet calling the people to the Imamates of Ali al-Hadi, Hasan al-Askari and the supposed Twelfth Imam.