The Caliph and the Heretic: Ibn Saba' and the Origins of Shiism

Jul 3, 2026

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The Caliph and the Heretic examines how Abd Allah ibn Saba and later traditions are linked to the origins of Shiism. Structured around Ibn Saba' and the Sayfian corpus, the study traces related accounts through Sayf ibn 'Umar’s materials, connects them to political history from the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan to Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Battle of the Camel, and evaluates how heresiographers shaped these narratives. It also covers Ibn Saba's execution, Ali’s later eschatological role, and the development of the Saba’iya under the Umayyads.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages368

Reading Time15 h 27 min

Introduction

Ibn Saba' and the Sayfian Corpus

Sayf ibn 'Umar and the Saba’iya (I): The Caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan

Sayf ibn Umar and the Sabaiya (II): 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Battle of the Camel

Ibn Saba' and the Heresiographers

The Execution of Ibn Saba'

The Parousia of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib

The Saba’iya of the Umayyad Period

Conclusion

# The Caliph and the Heretic Islamic Historyand Civilization Studies and Texts Editorial BoardSebastian GüntherWadad Kadi VOLUME 91 The Caliph and the Heretic # Ibn Saba'and the Origins of Shiism BySean W.Anthony BRILL LEIDEN ·BOSTON Cover image:The Disputation of the Household of Prophet(ahl al-bayt)with the Christiansof Najran. Source:al-Biruni's Al-Atar al-bāqiya 'an al-qurūn al-haliya,f.86 recto. Courtesy:Bibliotheque national de France. This book is printed on acid-free paper. ## Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Anthony,Sean W. The caliph and the heretic:Ibn Saba'and the origins of Shiism /by Sean W.Anthony. p.cm.一(Islamic history and civilization;v.91) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-20930-5(hardback:alk.paper)1.'Abd Allah ibn Saba,7th cent. 2.Shiah—History.3.Muslim heretics.I.Title.BP80.A21975A852012297.8'2092—dc23 2011035779 ISSN 0929-2403 ISBN 9789004209305(hardback)ISBN 9789004216068(e-book) Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV,Leiden,The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill,Global Oriental,Hotei Publishing,IDC Publishers,Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced,translated,stored ina retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise,without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NVprovided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center,222 Rosewood Drive,Suite 910,Danvers,MA01923,USA.Fees are subject to change. For Susu Sweets,Little Red Ray Ruka,Jay Jay the Jetplane,and most of all for Catherine the Great CONTENTS Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………………ix Abbreviations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………xi Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 1. Ibn Saba'and the Sayfian Corpus …………………………………………………9 2. Sayf ibn 'Umar and the Saba’iya(I): The Caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan …………………………………………………………………………………19 3. Sayf ibn Umar and the Sabaiya(II):'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Battle of the Camel ……………………………………………………………………………105 Excursus: The Sayfian Corpus in the Riwaya of Nasr ibn Muzahim …………………………………………………………………………………………………135 4. Ibn Saba' and the Heresiographers……………………………………………139 5. The Execution of Ibn Saba'…………………………………………………………………………161 6. The Parousia of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib ………………………………………………195 Excursus 1:'Ali in the Clouds ………………………………………………………226 Excursus 2: The Letter of 'Ali Given to 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb al-Hamdani ………………………………………………………………………………231 7. The Saba’iya of the Umayyad Period………………………………………241 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………313 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………………………319 Index ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………335 Qur'anic References ………………………………………………………………………………………………353 Biblical References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………354 # ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book represents a revised version of my 2009 University of Chi-cago dissertation.I must,of course,acknowledge those foundationsand institutions that provided considerable financial support duringthe writing of this work:the Martin Marty Center at the DivinitySchool of the University of Chicago and also the Mrs.Giles WhitingFoundation.However,it is the faces of the scholars and colleagueswho aided and encouraged me along the way that are dearest to me.Indeed,it was my great fortune to have labored on this project fromthe very outset under an amazing group of scholars who dedicateda truly humbling amount of their time and energies to the project'srefinement.Firstly,Professor Wadad al-Qadi's indefatigable dedica-tion to the project accompanied and inspired me throughout,fromits inception until its current form.In my mind and heart,s

FAQs

What central figure and claim does the book focus on?

The book centers on Ibn Saba' and investigates how traditions associated with him are connected to the origins of Shiism.

How does the book structure its historical analysis?

It organizes the argument through sections on the Sayfian corpus and related materials, then moves to political and narrative episodes spanning Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the Battle of the Camel.

What additional materials and themes are included beyond core narrative history?

The study includes excursuses and later developments such as Ibn Saba’s execution, Ali’s parousia, and the Saba’iya in the Umayyad period.

Jul 3, 2026

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