We have for decades heard the same ad nausea rant spread by the Nawasib that has been highlighted by the dim witted Nawasib of Sipah-e-Sahaba, namely that Shias are the adherents of a Jewish character named Abdullah Ibn Saba and their mainstream beliefs have been acquired from him. We will in this short article puncture this balloon and shall reveal that these very shameless people, who always call for the unconditional respect for the Sahaba and pass kufr edicts upon Shias for not doing so, have actually counted some prominent Sahaba and Tabayeen as amongst the followers of Abdullah Ibn Saba.
Before me move further, readers should remember that our opponents believe that it was Abdullah Ibn Saba who produced certain beliefs, spread his ideology across Muslim lands, recruited various prominent figures to his cause, that facilitated his teachings that caused the downfall of Uthman. Whilst discussing Abdullah Ibn Saba, one of the greatest Salafi scholar Uthman al-Khamis of the modern era made the following admission in his book Hoqba min al-Tarikh, pages 130 -131:
And his advocates who contributed in spreading his doctrine were al-Ghafeqi bin Harb, Abdulrahman bin Udays al-Balawi, Kanana bin Bashr, Sawdan bin Hamran, Abdullah bin Zayd bin Warqa, Amr bin Hamiq al-Khuzai, Harqous bin Zuhair, Hakim bin Jabala, Qateera al-Sakooni and others.
Hoqba min al-Tarikh,pages 130 -131
Similarly we read in Tajareb al-Umam by Ahmad bin Maskuweh (d. 421 H) page 392:
و خرج أهل مصر و معهم ابن السوداء، و كنانة بن بشر، و سودان بن حمران، و في أهل الكوفة زيد بن صوحان، و الأشتر النخعي، و في أهل البصرة حكيم بن جبلة و بشر بن شريح و أميرهم حرقوص بن زهير،
The people of Egypt marched and Ibn al-Sawda was amongst them and Kanana bin Bashr, Sawdan bin Hamran, and the people of Kufa amongst them Zaid bin Sawhan, al-Ashtar al-Nakhaei, and people of Basra amongst them Hakim bin Jabala, Bashr bin Suraih, and their leader was Harqous bin Zuhair.
Now let us shed some light on the names that have been taken in both of the last cited references. Regarding Abdulrahman bin Udays bin Amr al-Balawi, we read in al-Alaam, by Zarkali, Volume 3 page 316:
عبدالرحمن بن عديس بن عمرو البلوي شجاع صحابي ممن بايع تحت الشجرة شهد فتح مصر ثم كان قائد الجيش الذي بعثه ابن ابي حذيفة (والي مصر) إلى المدينة لخلع عثمان.
Abdulrahman bin Udays bin Amr al-Balawi, he was Sahabi, he was brave and one of those who gave baya under the tree, he witnessed the conquest of Egypt, and was the commander of the army which Ibn Abi Hudayfa (the ruler of Egypt) sent to Madina to depose Uthman.
Ahle Sunnah have narrated Hadith from this ‘follower of Abdullah Ibn Saba’ in their prominent Hadith work Al-Mojam by Imam Tabarani.
Similarly, Uthman al-Khamis mentioned another follower of Abdullah Ibn Saba namely Amr bin al-Hamq. We read about him in Al-Alaam, by Zarkali, Volume 5 page 76:
عمرو بن الحمق بن كاهل الخزاعي الكعبي صحابي من قتلة عثمان
Amr bin al-Hamq bin Kahel al-Khuzai al-Kaabi, he was Sahabi and he was one of those who killed Uthman.
Whilst Hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Saba or his (alleged) followers cannot be found in Shia works, the Ahle Sunnah have narrated Hadiths from another ‘follower of Abdullah Ibn Saba’ in Musnad Ahmad bni Hanbal, Sunnan Ibn Majah, al-Mustadrak, Sunnan al-Bayhaqi, Sunnan al-Nesai, Mojam al-Tabarani.
About Kanana bi Bashr, we read in Tarikh Dimashq, Volume 50 page 257:
كنانة بن بشر بن سلمان ويقال بن بشر بن عتاب التجيبي الأيدعاني أحد من سار إلى حصر عثمان وممن تولى قتله روى عنه حيان بن الأعين بن نمير بن سليع الحضرمي
Kanana bin Beshr bin Salman, also known as Ibn Bashr bin Utab al-Tujaibi al-Aydeani, he was one of those who participated in placing Uthman under siege and he was one of those that killed Uthman. Hayan bin Ayon bin Numair bin Salee’ al-Hadrami narrated from him.
We also have another personality pointed out by Uthman al-Khamis being from the followers of Abdullah Ibn Saba about whom we read in Al-Alaam, by Zarkaly, Volume 2 page 173:
حرقوص بن زهير بن السعدي الملقب بذي الخويصرة صحابي من بني تميم
Harqoos bin Zuhair bin al-Saadi, known as Ze Khuwaisra, he was Sahabi, he was from the Bani Tamim tribe.
Let us cite another personality who according to our opponents was an adherent of Abdullah Ibn Saba. We read in al-Alaam, by Zarkali, Volume 2 page 269:
حكيم بن جبلة العبدي من بني عبد القيس صحابي كان شريفا مطاعا من أشجع الناس ولاه عثمان إمرة السند ولم يستطع دخولها فعاد إلى البصرة واشترك في الفتنة أيام عثمان
Hakim bin Jabala al-Abdi, he was from Bani Abdulqays tribe, he was a Sahabi, he was noble and obeyed by his people, he was one of the most bravest people, Uthman appointed him as an army commander and sent him to Sind but he failed to conquer it, he therefore returned to Basra, and he took part in the affliction during Uthman’s reign.
Ibn Khaldun proudly names yet another follower of Abdullah Ibn Saba. We read in his Tarikh:
وتأخر عمار بن ياسر بمصر واستماله ابن السوداء وأصحابه خالد بن ملجم وسودان بن حمران وكنانة بن بشر
Ammar bin Yasir was late in returning from Egypt thus Ibn al-Sawda (Abdullah ibn Saba) attracted him along with his companions Khalid bin Muljim, Sawdan bin Hamran, and Kanana bin Beshr.
Salafi scholar Hassan bin Farhan al-Maliki stated in his book Naho Enqad al-Tarikh page 71:
فأنت تجد في رواياته أن أبا ذر وعمار بن ياسر من تلاميذ عبدالله بن سبأ
You find in his (Saif bin Umar) narration that Abu Dhar and Ammar bin Yasir were students of Abdullah bin Saba.
On page 149 we read:
فهو يذكر أبا ذر وعمار بن ياسر وعدي بن حاتم رضي الله عنهم وغيرهم يذكرهم في أعوان عبدالله بن سبأ
He (Saif bin Umar) mentioned Abu Dhar, Ammar bin Yasir, Adi bin Hatim (may Allah be pleased be all of them) and others as helpers of Abdullah bin Saba .
Isn’t it strange that Nawasib particularly those of Sipah-e-Sahaba accuse Shias for being the followers of Abdullah Ibn Saba yet they have themselves counted prominent Sahaba and Tabayeen amongst his followers? Not only that, but not a single text can be found to have been narrated from Abdullah Ibn Saba in Shia Hadith books yet the followers of Abdullah Ibn Saba mentioned hereinabove have been made as source of guidance by these very Nawasib by taking Hadiths from them? Then who is the real follower of Abdullah Ibn Saba, these filthy Nawasib or the Shias of Ahlulbayt (as)? Another perspective would be, that when these filthy Nawasib have not spared the Sahaba and Tabayeen they claim to love, then how can we expect these cunning people from sparing Shias?