Abdullah ibn Saba'

Who was Abdullah ibn Saba'?

Abd Allah ibn Sabaʾ al-Ḥimyarī was a 7th-century Jew, a figure in Islamic history and often associated with a group of followers called the Sabaʾiyya.

Some modern historical views are not clear what person lay behind this figure. Some believe that Abdullah Ibn Saba may have been actually several figures, semi legendary, or legendary and fictional but the Jewish rabbi and biblical scholar Israel Friedlander and Sabatino Moscati affirm his existence. His Jewish origin has been contested. With the exception of Taha Hussein, most modern Sunni writers affirm the existence of Ibn Saba' in latter sources. In a similar vein, Shia writers deny Ibn Saba's historical existence to rid Shi'aism of the accusation by Sunni writers that Shia'ism is originally based on Judaic doctrines. Regarding his importance in killing of Othman and introducing Shi'a is disputed as 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".