Al-Qummi on Ibn Saba’

Question:

According to Al-Qummi, was Ibn Saba’ the first to proclaim the leadership of Ali (a.) and insult Abu Bakr and Umar and their companions?

Answer:

No, the translation is not correct.

Sa’d Ibn Abdillah Al-Qummi writes:

“It is told by a group of the people of knowledge from the Companions of Ali (a.) that Abdullah Ibn Saba’ was a Jew who accepted Islam and supported Ali (a.), and while belonging to Judaism, made that statement according to Moses (a. ) about Joshua, the son of Nun (a.), and he said similar things about Ali (a.) when he accepted Islam after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (s.), and he was the first to make the statement about the obligation of the leadership of Ali (a. ) as a testimony and brought the disavowal of his enemies to the public and revealed his enemies and their disbelief, and the opponents of the Shiites therefore said that the origin of the disavowal (Rafd) was from Judaism, and Abdullah Ibn Saba’, when he and his companions heard of the death of Ali (a.) in exile, said to the one who informed him of his death: “You have lied, o enemy of God!” [Al-Maqalat Wa Al-Firaq, pages 32 – 33]

وحكى جماعة من أهل العلم من أصحاب علي عليه السلام أن عبد الله بن سبأ كان يهوديا فأسلم ووالى عليا عليه السلام وكان يقول وهو على يهوديته في يوشع بن نون بعد موسى عليه السلام بهذه المقالة فقال في إسلامه بعد وفاة النبي صلى الله عليه وآله في علي عليه السلام بمثل ذلك وهو أول من شهد القول بفرض إمامة علي عليه السلام وأظهر البراءة من أعدائه وكاشف مخالفيه وأكفرهم فمن هاهنا قال من خالف الشيعة إن أصل الرفض مأخوذ من اليهودية ولما بلغ عبد الله بن سبأ وأصحابه وهو بالمدائن نعى علي قال للذي نعاه كذبت يا عدو الله

“One of the groups among them said that Ali was neither killed nor died and will not die until he leads the Arabs with his staff and fills the earth with justice and righteousness, just as it was previously overshadowed by tyranny and injustice, and therefore it is the first group from this community to have a stop in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad (s. ), and the first of them to express exaggeration and this group known as Saba’iyyah are the companions of Abdullah Ibn Saba.” [Al-Maqalat Wa Al-Firaq, page 32]

فرقة منها قالت إن عليا لم يقتل ولم يمت ولا يموت حتى يسوق العرب بعصاه ويملأ الأرض عدلا وقسطا كما ملئت ظلما وجورا فهي أول فرقة قالت في الإسلام بالوقف بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وآله من هذه الأمة وأول من قال منها بالغلو وهذه الفرقة تسمى السبأية أصحاب عبد الله بن سبأ

“Abdullah Ibn Saba’ used to publicly criticise Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and the Companions and renounce himself from them and he said that Ali (a.) ordered him to do so.” [Al-Maqalat Wa Al-Firaq, page 32]

وكان أظهر الطعن على أبي بكر وعمروعثمان والصحابة وتبرأ منهم وقال إن عليا عليه السلام أمره بذلك

Ibn Abi Umair reported that Hisham Ibn Salim said: “I heard Imam As-Sadiq (a.) telling his companions about Abdullah Ibn Saba’ who declared Ali (a.) to be Lord (beside God). Then he said: “When he claimed this about him, the commander of the believers (a.) asked him to repent, but he refused to repent. Therefore he burned him with fire.” [Wasa’il-ush-Shi’ah of Al-Hurr Al-Amili, Volume 28 Page 336 Hadith 5]

وعنه، عن سعد، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، ومحمد بن عيسى جميعا، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول وهو يحدث أصحابه بحديث عبد الله بن سبأ، وما ادعى من الربوبية لأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فقال: إنه لما ادعى ذلك فيه استتابه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فأبى أن يتوب، فأحرقه بالنار

Comment:

How could Ibn Saba’ hear of the death of Imam Ali (a.) if Ali killed him during his lifetime?

Fudail reported that Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.) said: “Everything that does not come from this house is wrong.” Jabir reported that Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.) said: “We the people of the house have our knowledge from God and we take from His wisdom and hear from the Word of the Truthful One. If you follow us, you will be guided.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 2, Page 94]

بصائر الدرجات: ابن معروف، عن حماد بن عيسى، عن ربعي، عن فضيل، قال: سمعت أبا جعفر عليه السلام يقول: كل ما لم يخرج من هذا لبيت فهو باطل بصائر الدرجات: أحمد بن محمد، عن الأهوازي، عن محمد بن عمر، عن المفضل بن صالح، عن جابر، عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: إنا أهل بيت من علم الله علمنا، ومن حكمه أخذنا، ومن قول الصادق سمعنا، فإن تتبعونا تهتدوا

Ibn Asbat reported that Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Among the people of knowledge, there is one who loves to hoard his knowledge so that no one can take from him and therefore he is on the first level of fire. Among the people of knowledge, there is the one who becomes insulting when he is warned and harsh when he is warned, and therefore he is on the second level of fire. Among the people of knowledge, there is the one who intends to give knowledge to the rich and respected people, but he does not see the point of giving it to the poor, so he is on the third level of fire. Among the people of knowledge, there is the one who, with his knowledge, follows the path of tyrants and rulers. If somebody defies a word of him or something is not done in the measure he ordered, he gets angry and therefore he is on the fourth level of fire. Among the people of knowledge there is one who seeks the traditions of the Jews and Nazarenes to enrich his knowledge and thereby increase his traditions and therefore he is on the fifth level of fire. Among the people of knowledge there is the one who makes himself a legal expert and says: “Ask me!” But he does not even reach a letter and God does not love the superimposed and therefore he is on the sixth level of fire. Among the people of knowledge there is the one who takes knowledge to show masculinity and wisdom and therefore he is on the seventh level of fire.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 12, pages 108-109]

الخصال: ماجيلويه، عن محمد العطار، عن محمد بن أحمد، عن الخشاب، عن ابن مهران وابن أسباط فيما أعلم، عن بعض رجالهما قال قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إن من العلماء من يحب ان يخزن علمه ولا يؤخذ عنه فذاك في الدرك الأول من النار، ومن العلماء من إذا وعظ أنف وإذا وعظ عنف فذاك في الدرك الثاني من النار، ومن العلماء من يرى أن يضع العلم عند ذوي الثروة والشرف ولا يرى له في المساكين وضعا فذاك في الدرك الثالث من النار، ومن العلماء من يذهب في علمه مذهب الجبابرة والسلاطين فإن رد عليه شئ من قوله أو قصر في شئ من أمره غضب فذاك في الدرك الرابع من النار، ومن العلماء من يطلب أحاديث اليهود والنصارى ليغزر به علمه ويكثر به حديثه فذاك في الدرك الخامس من النار، ومن العلماء من يضع نفسه للفتيا ويقول: سلوني ولعله لا يصيب حرفا واحدا والله لا يحب المتكلفين فذاك في الدرك السادس من النار، ومن العلماء من يتخذ علمه مروة وعقلا فذاك في الدرك السابع من النار

Comment:

The truth about Abdullah Ibn Saba can be found [Here!]