The Caliph and the Heretic: Ibn Saba’ and the Origins of Shi'ism

This book is an examination of the traditions and legends concerning early Islam’s first and most infamous heretic, the Yemenite Jew known as ‘Abd Allah ibn Saba’. Tracing the evolution and transformation of the many stories and narratives about Ibn Saba’ as adapted by Sunni and Shi'i scholars alike, this work attempts for the first time to give a comprehensive account of the formation of the image of Ibn Saba’ as the quintessential heretic of Islam’s early years. It also offers a new interpretation of the historical importance and beliefs of Ibn Saba’ and those early Shi'a reviled as his followers, the Saba'iya. The end result is a revolutionary, new portrait of Shi'ite origins and early Islamic sectarianism.