When did the Shi’ite sect first appear?

Shi’ites are called ‘Rejectionists’ for the following reasons : the first is due to their rejection of the first two caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr and Umar, the second reasons is when they went to Zaid b. Ali b. al-Husain and they asked of him to reject and condemn Abu Bakr and Umar he said : ‘They are my companions.’ The Shi’ites said to him, we will then ‘reject’ you, and from this they were called ‘Rafidhoh’ i.e. rejectionists.

The rejectionists came into existence when a Jewish man (Abdullah b. Saba’) claimed to have become Muslim; he claimed to love the family of the Messenger of Allah and held extreme beliefs regarding Ali . He claimed that Ali was the rightful heir to the Caliphate after the death of Prophet Muhammad . He then elevated the status of Ali to a divine one, as is mentioned in the Shi’ite source books.

Al-Qum’mi in his book ‘Al-Maqalat wal-Firaq’ (Articles and Sects) admits that he existed and considers him to be the first to believe in the authority of Ali and he was the first to have condemned Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman and the other Companions, this has also been mentioned by an-Nobakhti in his book ‘Shi’ite Sect’ and by al-Kish’shi in his famous book ‘Rijaal al-Kish’shi’ (the Men of al-Kish’shi).

Muhammad Ali al-Mual’lim, a present day Shi’ite also affirmed the existence of Abdullah b. Saba’ in his book ‘Abdullah b. Saba’ the unknown Reality’.

As it has been said, ‘ Recognition is the best of evidences’. The names previously mentioned are among the Grande Shi’ite scholars.

Al-Baghdadi said: ‘As-Saba’iyah, the followers of Abdullah b. Saba’, held extreme beliefs regarding Ali. They claimed him to be a Prophet and even ascribed divinity to him, claiming he was Allah!’

Al-Baghdadi also said: ‘Ibn Saba’, i.e. Abdullah b. Saba’, was a Jew from Heerah, who claimed to be a Muslim. He wanted to become a powerful in the Kufah area, so he told them that he found in the Torah that every Prophet would have a regent and the regentof Prophet Muhammad was Ali.

Ash-Shihristani mentioned that the fisrt to call to the Imamate of Ali was Ibn Saba’. He also mentioned that the Saba’iyah was the first sect to bring about their beliefs in the absence of the Imam and other authoritative sources. This was then inherited by the various Shi’ite sects afterwards. The ideas of the Imamate of Ali and his rightful authority to the Caliphate are of the remnants of Ibn Saba’.

In this manner the beliefs and principle of regency, authoritative sources, absence of the Imam and attribution divinity to these Imams was brought about by Abdullah b. Saba’ the Jew.

Why are Shi’ite called ‘Rejectionists’?

The reason for this name was mentioned by the Shi’ite Scholar al-Majlisi in his book ‘Bihaar al-Anwaar’. He said : ‘Chapter: The Virtues of the Rejectionists and Honor of his Name’. He mentioned a narration on the authority of Sulaiman al-A’Mush, ‘ I entered upon Abu Abdullah Ja’far b. Muhammad, and I said : ‘May I be your ransom, people call us ‘Rawaafidh’ (i.e. Rejections), who are the Rawaafidh? He said : ‘By Allah, they have not given you this name; this is a name given to you by Allah in the Torah and the Gospels and was mentioned by Prophets Musa and Jesus’.

It has been said that they were called ‘Rejectionists’ because they approached Zaid b. Ali al-Husain and they said: ‘Disown Abu Bakr and Umar, so that we can join you.’ He said : ‘They are the Companions of my grandfather, and I stand by them.’ They said: ‘ We will the disown you.’ They were then called ‘Raafidhah’ (i.e. Rejectionists) and those who joined him were called ‘Zaidiyah’.

It has has been said that they were called by this name on account of their disavowal of the Caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar.

How many Shi’ite Sects are there?

In the Encyclopedia ‘Dairatul Ma’arif’ it is mentioned: ‘Many Shi’ite sects appeared, the number has far exceeded the 73 known sects that splintered away from Islam’.

The Rafidhi Meer Baqir ad-Damaad, said, ‘ all the 73 sects mentioned in the Hadeeth are in relation to the Shi’ite sects and the successful one is the Imamate sect’.

Al-Maqrizi mentioned that the Shi’ite sects are more than 300.

Ash-Shihrastani said: ‘The Rejectionists can be categorized into five groups: al-Kaisaniyah, Az-Zaidiyah, Imamiyah, al-Ghaliyah, and Ismailiyah.

Al-Baghdadi said: ‘The Rejectionists after Ali divided into four groups: Zaidiyah, Imamiyah, Kaisaniyah and Ghulaat.’

It should be noted that the only group among the Zaidiyah that are considered Rawaafidh are the Jaroodiyah sect.