Abdullah Ibn Saba and the Shia: 5 Powerful Sources
23/07/2019 Updated-20/06/2020
Abdullah Ibn Saba was a Yemenite Jew who faounded the Sabaiya movement which is named after him. His devotion to Ali Ibn Abu Talib (rali) led him to invent a new form of Islam and laid most of the foundational beliefs of modern day Shiaism.
The Shia, Rawafid,Itna Ashari or the many other names they have been known is a deviated sect that was founded by the Jewish hypocrite, Abdullah Ibn Saba. The Shia openly insult the companions of the prophet (Sal) and do Bidah,Shirk and Kufr. Both the Shia and Sunni historians agree that it was ibn Saba who invented this deviated ideology known as Shaism. Here is the evidence from five authoritative Shia sources confirming that it was Abdullah Ibn Sabah who started the Shia ideology.
Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Moosaa al-Naubakhti was a Shia scholar from the third century and the other Shia scholar was Sa'd bin Abd Allaah bin Abee Khalaf al-Ash'ari al-Qummee and both theses scholars wrote clearly who Abdullah Ibn Saba was. Here is what they said regarding him.
Source-1
"And a sect (from amongst them) which said: Ali was not killed and nor did he die, and he will not die until he drives the Arabs forth with his staff and fills the earth with justice and equity just as it had been filled with oppression and tyranny. This was the first sect of this Ummah that spoke of (the position of) al-waqf (withholding) after the Prophet (Sal), and the first of them that spoke with exaggeration (al-gGhuluww), and this sect is called the Sab'iyyah, the associates of Abdullah bin Saba', and he used to display revilement of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and the Companions and would free himself from them. And he said tha Ali (alayhis salaam) commanded him to do so. Ali took hold of him and asked him about this saying of his and he affirmed it, so he ordered that he be killed, but then the people protested, "O Amir al-Mu'mineen! Will you kill a man who calls to love of the Ahl al-Bayt, to your loyalty and disassociation from your enemies?" So instead, he exiled him to al-Madaa'in. A group from the people of knowledge from the associates of Alee (alayhis salaam) judged that Abdullah bin Saba' was a Jew who then became Muslim and showed loyalty to Alee (alayhis salaam) and whilst he was a Jew he used to say the same of Joshua bin Nun after Moses (alayhis salaam) [as he said about Alee], and in his Islam, he (Ibn Saba') would say the same of Alee (alayhis salaam) after the death of the Prophet (Sal), with what is similar to that (what he used to say as a Jew).
He was also the first to witness with the saying of the obligation of the leadership (imamah) of Alee (alayhis salaam), and he openly announced his disavowal of his enemies and declared them disbelievers. It is from here that whoever opposed the Shia said, "The foundation of al-Rafd is taken from the Jews." When Abdullah bin Saba and his companions heard the announcement of Alee's death whilst they were in al-Madaa'in, he said to the one who announced it, "You have lied O enemy of Allaah. Even if you came with Alee's brain in seventy bundles, and you tasked seventy just men to kill him, we would not believe you due to our knowledge that he has not died and was not killed and that he will not die unti he drives the Arabs forth with his staff and dominates the earth." From that day, he and his associates travelled until they came to the door (of the house of) Alee. They sought permission to enter from the one entrusted to look after him during his lifetime, hoping that they would reach him. Those who were present from his (Alee's) family and associates and children said to them, "Glorified by Allah! Do you not that Amir al-Mu'mineen has been martyred?" They said, "We know that he was not killed and will not die until he drives the Arabs forth with his sword and staff, just as he ruled them with his proof and evidence, and indeed he hears the secret-conversations and he glitters in the darknesses, just as the polished sword-edge."
( Firaq al-Shia -Dar al-Rashaad-Year 1412-Page-31-1st Edition)
From the early Shia source above we can clearly understand that The first group of Shiites were called as "Sabiyyah' named after Abdullah Ibn Saba and Abdullah Ibn Saba was a Jewish hypocrite who falsely converted to Islam to spread his deviated ideology of venerating Ali(Rali). Abdullah Ibn Saba started believing that Ali (Rali) was God and he was a prophet. Shia scholar, Al-Maamqaani states as follows,
Source-2
"Abdullah bin Saba' who returned to kufr (disbelief) and manifested ghuluww (exaggeration)... Exaggerator, cursed one, Amir al-Mu'mineen burned him with the fire, and he used to claim that Alee is a deity adn that he (Abdullah bin Saba') is a prophet."
(Tanqih al-Maqaal Fi Ilm al-Rijaal -V-2,Page-183-184)
Source-3
Shia scholar,Sa'd bin Abdullah al-Ash'ari al-Qummi said the following,
"Al-Sab'iyyah are the associates of Abdullah bin Saba' and he is Abdullah bin Wahb al-Raasibee al-Hamdaanee, and he was supported in that by Abullah bin Khurasee and Ibn Aswad and they are the loftiest of his companions, and the first of what he manifested was revilement upon Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and the Companions and he freed himself from them. "
(al-Maqaalaat wal-Firaq-Page- 20)
Source-4
Ibn Abi al-Hadeed said the following,
"Abdullah bin Saba' stood addressing Ali saying, "You, You" and he began repeating it, so Ali said to him, "Woe be to you, and who am I?" He said, "You are Allaah." So he ordered that he be captured and a group of people with him upon his view."
(Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah -5/5)
Source-5
Shia scholar,Ni'matullah al-Jazaa'iri said,
"Abdullah bin Saba' said to Ali (alayhis salaam), "You are the deity in truth." So Ali (alayhis salaam) banished him to al-Madaa'in, and it is said that he was a Jew who accepted Islam and whilst upon his Judaism he used to say about Joshua bin Noon and about Moses the likes of what he said about Ali.'
(Al-Anwaar al-Nu'maaniyyah-2-234)
It is clear and irrefutable from the above authoritative Shiite sources with authentic chain of narrators that it was Abdullah Ibn Saba who founded the Shia sect.
Some of the Deviant beliefs of the Shia.
There are many beliefs of the Shia which are clear Shirk and Kufr. Below are some of them.
The most authentic book of hadith accepted by the Shia's is kitab al Kafi which was written by Ibn Yaqub al Kulanee and this is what the most authentic Shia book,Kitab al Kafi says,
“If the Imams desire to know something, they come to know it. They know when they will die – and none of them dies unless they choose to do so themselves.”
(Usul-al-Kafi-1/258-260)
Usul-al-Kafi is the Sahih-Al-Bukhari of the Shiite's and this book clearly mentions Kufr and it goes against the teachings of the Quran. Allah (Swt) said in the Quran,
"Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things)."
(Al-Quran-31:34)
The Shia distort the Quran and here is one example,
Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
"Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases"
(Al-Quran-6:114)
Now this how they interpret the above verse of the Quran.
“Indeed Allaah does not forgive that partners are associated with Him in worship.” meaning that fe will not forgive those who disbelieve in the right of Alee, may Allaah be pleased with him, [to be the first and lasting Khaleefah]. And as for His saying:“And He forgives lesser than that to whomever He pleases.” Meaning: For the one who gives allegiance to ‘Alee (as the first rightful Caliph).”
(As-Saafee in his Tafseer -1/156,361)
Another deviated belief of the Shia is the concept of taqiyya which is used to deceive people and have a two faced strategy by showing a good face on the outside and to deceive and trick on the inside.Allah (Swt) says in the Quran,
"But God guides not such as are false and ungrateful
(Al-Quran-39:3)
The prophet (Sal) said,
“Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us.”
(Sahih Muslim)
The Shia are famous for cheating and deceiving and al taqiyya is their main strategy to deceive people.This is what the Shia say about taqiyya.
Jafar Sadiq said,
“9/10th” of this religion is Taqiyya and there is no religion for he who has no Taqiyya.”
(Al Kafi-2-217,Bihar al Anwar” -66/486, 75/394,399,423, 79/172- Authenticated by sheikh Murtada al-Ansari in al-Taharah- V-2,279-280)
Another hadith says,
“Taqiyya is the shield of the believer and there is no belief for he who does not do Taqiyya.”
(Al Kafi-2-221 and also in Qurb al Isnad- P-17 and Noor al Thaqalayn” by Huwaythi-3-89-Graded Sahih by Majlisi and Behbudi)
In Islam a Muslim can hide his religion if there is fear of persecution by the Kuffar if the Muslim happens to be living among them. This is not deception, this is to hide your identity to protect your self. Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Awliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment)”
(Al-Quran- 3:28)
Imam Tabari in his authentic tafsir explained the abve verse by saying.
"The taqiyyah mentioned by Allah in this verse is that which is resorted to in order to protect oneself from the disbelievers "
These only a few deviated beliefs of the Shia and I hope to expose more of them in the future Insha Allah. It is clear that Abdullah Ibn Saba founded a deviated sect called the Rawafid/Shia and their deviated beliefs have crept the Sunni Muslims in the form of Sufism with veneration of Saints and grave worship.
Abdullah Ibn Saba was a Yemenite Jew who faounded the Sabaiya movement which is named after him. His devotion to Ali Ibn Abu Talib (rali) led him to invent a new form of Islam and laid most of the foundational beliefs of modern day Shiaism.
The Shia, Rawafid,Itna Ashari or the many other names they have been known is a deviated sect that was founded by the Jewish hypocrite, Abdullah Ibn Saba. The Shia openly insult the companions of the prophet (Sal) and do Bidah,Shirk and Kufr. Both the Shia and Sunni historians agree that it was ibn Saba who invented this deviated ideology known as Shaism. Here is the evidence from five authoritative Shia sources confirming that it was Abdullah Ibn Sabah who started the Shia ideology.
Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Moosaa al-Naubakhti was a Shia scholar from the third century and the other Shia scholar was Sa'd bin Abd Allaah bin Abee Khalaf al-Ash'ari al-Qummee and both theses scholars wrote clearly who Abdullah Ibn Saba was. Here is what they said regarding him.
Source-1
"And a sect (from amongst them) which said: Ali was not killed and nor did he die, and he will not die until he drives the Arabs forth with his staff and fills the earth with justice and equity just as it had been filled with oppression and tyranny. This was the first sect of this Ummah that spoke of (the position of) al-waqf (withholding) after the Prophet (Sal), and the first of them that spoke with exaggeration (al-gGhuluww), and this sect is called the Sab'iyyah, the associates of Abdullah bin Saba', and he used to display revilement of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and the Companions and would free himself from them. And he said tha Ali (alayhis salaam) commanded him to do so. Ali took hold of him and asked him about this saying of his and he affirmed it, so he ordered that he be killed, but then the people protested, "O Amir al-Mu'mineen! Will you kill a man who calls to love of the Ahl al-Bayt, to your loyalty and disassociation from your enemies?" So instead, he exiled him to al-Madaa'in. A group from the people of knowledge from the associates of Alee (alayhis salaam) judged that Abdullah bin Saba' was a Jew who then became Muslim and showed loyalty to Alee (alayhis salaam) and whilst he was a Jew he used to say the same of Joshua bin Nun after Moses (alayhis salaam) [as he said about Alee], and in his Islam, he (Ibn Saba') would say the same of Alee (alayhis salaam) after the death of the Prophet (Sal), with what is similar to that (what he used to say as a Jew).
He was also the first to witness with the saying of the obligation of the leadership (imamah) of Alee (alayhis salaam), and he openly announced his disavowal of his enemies and declared them disbelievers. It is from here that whoever opposed the Shia said, "The foundation of al-Rafd is taken from the Jews." When Abdullah bin Saba and his companions heard the announcement of Alee's death whilst they were in al-Madaa'in, he said to the one who announced it, "You have lied O enemy of Allaah. Even if you came with Alee's brain in seventy bundles, and you tasked seventy just men to kill him, we would not believe you due to our knowledge that he has not died and was not killed and that he will not die unti he drives the Arabs forth with his staff and dominates the earth." From that day, he and his associates travelled until they came to the door (of the house of) Alee. They sought permission to enter from the one entrusted to look after him during his lifetime, hoping that they would reach him. Those who were present from his (Alee's) family and associates and children said to them, "Glorified by Allah! Do you not that Amir al-Mu'mineen has been martyred?" They said, "We know that he was not killed and will not die until he drives the Arabs forth with his sword and staff, just as he ruled them with his proof and evidence, and indeed he hears the secret-conversations and he glitters in the darknesses, just as the polished sword-edge."
( Firaq al-Shia -Dar al-Rashaad-Year 1412-Page-31-1st Edition)
From the early Shia source above we can clearly understand that The first group of Shiites were called as "Sabiyyah' named after Abdullah Ibn Saba and Abdullah Ibn Saba was a Jewish hypocrite who falsely converted to Islam to spread his deviated ideology of venerating Ali(Rali). Abdullah Ibn Saba started believing that Ali (Rali) was God and he was a prophet. Shia scholar, Al-Maamqaani states as follows,
Source-2
"Abdullah bin Saba' who returned to kufr (disbelief) and manifested ghuluww (exaggeration)... Exaggerator, cursed one, Amir al-Mu'mineen burned him with the fire, and he used to claim that Alee is a deity adn that he (Abdullah bin Saba') is a prophet."
(Tanqih al-Maqaal Fi Ilm al-Rijaal -V-2,Page-183-184)
Source-3
Shia scholar,Sa'd bin Abdullah al-Ash'ari al-Qummi said the following,
"Al-Sab'iyyah are the associates of Abdullah bin Saba' and he is Abdullah bin Wahb al-Raasibee al-Hamdaanee, and he was supported in that by Abullah bin Khurasee and Ibn Aswad and they are the loftiest of his companions, and the first of what he manifested was revilement upon Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and the Companions and he freed himself from them. "
(al-Maqaalaat wal-Firaq-Page- 20)
Source-4
Ibn Abi al-Hadeed said the following,
"Abdullah bin Saba' stood addressing Ali saying, "You, You" and he began repeating it, so Ali said to him, "Woe be to you, and who am I?" He said, "You are Allaah." So he ordered that he be captured and a group of people with him upon his view."
(Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah -5/5)
Source-5
Shia scholar,Ni'matullah al-Jazaa'iri said,
"Abdullah bin Saba' said to Ali (alayhis salaam), "You are the deity in truth." So Ali (alayhis salaam) banished him to al-Madaa'in, and it is said that he was a Jew who accepted Islam and whilst upon his Judaism he used to say about Joshua bin Noon and about Moses the likes of what he said about Ali.'
(Al-Anwaar al-Nu'maaniyyah-2-234)
It is clear and irrefutable from the above authoritative Shiite sources with authentic chain of narrators that it was Abdullah Ibn Saba who founded the Shia sect.
Some of the Deviant beliefs of the Shia.
There are many beliefs of the Shia which are clear Shirk and Kufr. Below are some of them.
The most authentic book of hadith accepted by the Shia's is kitab al Kafi which was written by Ibn Yaqub al Kulanee and this is what the most authentic Shia book,Kitab al Kafi says,
“If the Imams desire to know something, they come to know it. They know when they will die – and none of them dies unless they choose to do so themselves.”
(Usul-al-Kafi-1/258-260)
Usul-al-Kafi is the Sahih-Al-Bukhari of the Shiite's and this book clearly mentions Kufr and it goes against the teachings of the Quran. Allah (Swt) said in the Quran,
"Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things)."
(Al-Quran-31:34)
The Shia distort the Quran and here is one example,
Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
"Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases"
(Al-Quran-6:114)
Now this how they interpret the above verse of the Quran.
“Indeed Allaah does not forgive that partners are associated with Him in worship.” meaning that fe will not forgive those who disbelieve in the right of Alee, may Allaah be pleased with him, [to be the first and lasting Khaleefah]. And as for His saying:“And He forgives lesser than that to whomever He pleases.” Meaning: For the one who gives allegiance to ‘Alee (as the first rightful Caliph).”
(As-Saafee in his Tafseer -1/156,361)
Another deviated belief of the Shia is the concept of taqiyya which is used to deceive people and have a two faced strategy by showing a good face on the outside and to deceive and trick on the inside.Allah (Swt) says in the Quran,
"But God guides not such as are false and ungrateful
(Al-Quran-39:3)
The prophet (Sal) said,
“Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us.”
(Sahih Muslim)
The Shia are famous for cheating and deceiving and al taqiyya is their main strategy to deceive people.This is what the Shia say about taqiyya.
Jafar Sadiq said,
“9/10th” of this religion is Taqiyya and there is no religion for he who has no Taqiyya.”
(Al Kafi-2-217,Bihar al Anwar” -66/486, 75/394,399,423, 79/172- Authenticated by sheikh Murtada al-Ansari in al-Taharah- V-2,279-280)
Another hadith says,
“Taqiyya is the shield of the believer and there is no belief for he who does not do Taqiyya.”
(Al Kafi-2-221 and also in Qurb al Isnad- P-17 and Noor al Thaqalayn” by Huwaythi-3-89-Graded Sahih by Majlisi and Behbudi)
In Islam a Muslim can hide his religion if there is fear of persecution by the Kuffar if the Muslim happens to be living among them. This is not deception, this is to hide your identity to protect your self. Allah(Swt) says in the Quran,
“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Awliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment)”
(Al-Quran- 3:28)
Imam Tabari in his authentic tafsir explained the abve verse by saying.
"The taqiyyah mentioned by Allah in this verse is that which is resorted to in order to protect oneself from the disbelievers "
These only a few deviated beliefs of the Shia and I hope to expose more of them in the future Insha Allah. It is clear that Abdullah Ibn Saba founded a deviated sect called the Rawafid/Shia and their deviated beliefs have crept the Sunni Muslims in the form of Sufism with veneration of Saints and grave worship.