Ka'b al-Ahbar

Kaʿb al-Aḥbār (Arabic: كعب الأحبار, full name Abū Isḥāq Kaʿb ibn Maniʿ al-Ḥimyarī (Arabic: ابو اسحاق كعب بن مانع الحميري) was a 7th-century Yemenite Jew from the Arab tribe of "Dhī Raʿīn" (Arabic: ذي رعين)^[1][2] who converted to Islam. He was considered to be the earliest authority on Israʼiliyyat and South Arabian lore.^[3][4] According to Islamic tradition, he accompanied Umar in his trip from Medina to Jerusalem, and afterwards, became a supporter of Uthman. He died in Hims around 652-56.^[3]

Abū Isḥāq Kaʿb ibn Maniʿ al-Ḥimyarī
Died	652/656 Hims
Philosophical work
Era	Early Muslim period
Region	Rashidun Caliphate
Main interests	Israʼiliyyat

Name

Aḥbār is the plural of ḥibr/ḥabr, from the Hebrew ḥāver, a scholarly title referring to a rank immediately below rabbi as used by Babylonian Jews.^[3]

Biography

Little is known about Ka'b, but according to tradition, he came to Medina during the reign of Umar. He then accompanied Umar in his voyage to Jerusalem. It is reported that when Umar marched into Jerusalem with an army, he asked Ka‘b: "Where do you advise me to build a place of worship?" Ka‘b indicated the Temple Rock, now a gigantic heap of ruins from the temple of Jupiter.^[5] The Jews, Ka‘b explained, had briefly won back their old capital a quarter of a century before (when Persians overran Syria), but they had not had time to clear the site of the Temple, for the Byzantines (Rūm) had recaptured the city. It was then that Umar ordered the rubbish on the Temple Rock to be removed by the Nabataeans, and after three showers of heavy rain had cleansed the Rock, he instituted prayers there. Umar is said to have fenced it and, some years later, the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik built the Dome of the Rock over the site as an integral part of the Aqsa compound. Until this day, the place is known as Qubbat al-Ṣakhra (the Dome of the Rock).

According to tradition, Ka‘b believed that "Every event that has taken place or will take place on any foot of the earth, is written in the Tourat (Torah), which God revealed to his Prophet Moses".^[6] He is said to have predicted the death of Umar using the Torah. According to one narration, Ka‘b told Umar "you ought to write your will because you will die in three days." Umar responded "I do not feel any pain or sickness". Abu Lulu assassinated Umar two days later.^[7]

After Umar's death, Ka‘b vigorously supported Uthman. Subsequently, governor Mu'awiya asked Ka'b to become his counsel in Damascus, but he most likely chose to withdraw to Hims, where he died in AD 652-56, according to various accounts. His burial place is disputed.^[3] A son named Tubai survived him.^[8]

According to Shia sources Ka‘ab was a Jewish rabbi, who moved from Yemen to Bilad al-Sham (Syria).^[9] He was of the clan of Dhu Ra'in or Dhu al-Kila. Ka‘b came to Medina during the time of Umar where he converted to Islam. He lived there until Uthman's era.^[10]

Disputed views: Rashidun period

Abd Allah ibn Abbas, a cousin of the prophet Muhammad, disputed a view attributed to Ka'ab that "on the day of the judgement the sun and the moon will be brought forth like two stupefied bulls and thrown to hell". According to Al-Tabari, Ibn Abbas responded "Kaab has uttered an untruth!" three times, quoting the Quran that the sun and moon are obedient to Allah. He accused Ka'b of trying to introduce Jewish myths into Islam.^[11]

Sunni view

Ibn Hajar Asqalani, a 14th-century Sunni Shafi'i scholar, wrote,

Ka`b Ibn Mati` al-Himyari, Abu Ishaq, known as Ka`b al-Ahbar, is trustworthy (thiqah). He belongs to the 2nd [tabaqah]. He lived during both Jahiliyyah and Islam. He lived in Yemen before he moved to Sham [~Syria]. He died during the Caliphate of `Uthman exceeding 100 years of age. None of his reports are in al-Bukhari. He has one narration in Muslim from Abu Huraira from him on the authority of al-A`mash from Abu Salih.^[9]

Al-Tabari quoted intensively about Ka'b in his History of the Prophets and Kings.^[12] Other Sunni authors also mention Ka'b and his stories with Caliphs Umar, Uthman and Muawiyah.^[13]

Mention in hadith canons

Ka'b al-Ahbar is mentioned in some hadith canons such as Sahih Muslim^[14] and Muwatta Malik etc.^[15] A hadith reports that the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed him personally an amir over Muslims.^[16]

Twelver Shi'a view

Within the Shia tradition Ka'b is seen as an unreliable figure. Muhammad al-Tijani a 20th-century Shi'a scholar writes that "He was a Jew from Yemen who pretended to have embraced Islam then went to Medina during the reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab."^[17] Mohamad Jawad Chirri writes, after having quoted a hadith, "This dialogue should alert us to the deceptive and successful attempt on the part of Ka'b to influence future events by satanic suggestions. It contains a great deal of deception which produced many harmful results to Islam and the Muslims."^[18] Ka'b's influence is deprecated within the Shia tradition of Islam.^[17][18]

Jewish and Christian view: Jewish influence on Islam

Ka'ab is intensively mentioned within Jewish sources as a rabbi who had influence over early Sunni Islam.^[19][20][8] Liran Yagdar of Yale University stated that "Christians and Jews adopted Ka‘b into their legends on the emergence of Islam, wishing to refute the credibility of the Qur’ān by referring to Jewish converts such as Ka‘b as those who corrupted Muḥammad’s scripture from within."^[21] See also #Twelver Shi'a view.

Liran Yadgar of Yale University stated in 2017 that "Christians and Jews adopted Ka'b into their legends on the emergence of Islam, wishing to refute the credibility of the Qur'ān by referring to Jewish converts such as Ka'b as those who corrupted Muḥammad's scripture from within."^[21]

According to geographer and Holy Land explorer, Rabbi Joseph Schwarz (1804-1865), Ka'b is associated with the development of the Sunni "tradition",^[19][20][8] i.e. Hadith. R. Gottheil and H. Hirschfeld write in the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia that Ka'b belongs to the initiators of Muslim "tradition", and is among those who provided it with both "the method as well as many details of the Jewish Midrash", i.e. lore, as opposed to legalistic exegesis, much like Abdallah ibn Salam, another even earlier Jewish convert.^[8] Together, write Gottheil and Hirschfel, the two created the base for "the legends which glorify Mohammed's youth and prophetic call."^[8]

Ka'b has stated that "the world will last six thousand years", a statement known from the Tractate Sanhedrin of the Babylonian Talmud^[8] ("R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist", and "The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years.")^[22]

Historicity

It has been argued that Ka'b may be more of a legendary figure and accounts of his life and influence on Islam have been referred to as myths.^[23]

Ka'b's sayings

In the book Asceticism and Tenderness, Ka'b al-Ahbar said ''While the Children of Israel were praying in the Temple of Jerusalem, two men came. One of them entered and the other did not. He stood outside at the gates of the mosque and said: I am entering the House of God. No one like me enters the House of God. I have done such and such and such. And he began to weep but did not enter. Ka’b said: So it was written the next day that he was a truthful man''^[24]

In the book Comprehensive remembrance of the doctrines of the jurists of the countries; It was reported to him that Omar bin Al-Khattab wanted to go to Iraq, so Kaab Al-Ahbar said to him: Do not go there, O Commander of the Faithful, for there is nine-tenths of magic, and there are wicked jinn, and there is a fatal disease.^[25]

In several sayings, he referred to Egypt being superior to other countries.^[8]

See also

• Abd Allah ibn Saba', 7th-century Yemenite Jewish convert to Islam

External links

• Ka’b al-Ahbar, short biographical note on website of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Qatar^[26]