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Abū Isḥāq Kaʿb ibn Maniʿ al-Ḥimyarī
Abū Isḥāq Kaʿb ibn Maniʿ al-Ḥimyarī
Died	652/656; Hims
Era	Caliphate era
Region	Rashidun Caliphate
Main interests	Israʼiliyyat

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 652-6AD.^[3]

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 652-6 AD, according to various accounts. His burial place is disputed.^[3]

According to Shia sources Ka‘ab was a Jewish rabbi, who moved from Yemen to Bilad al-Sham (Syria).^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[8]

Al-Tabari quoted intensively about Ka'b in his History of the Prophets and Kings.^[10] Other Sunni authors also mention Ka'b and his stories with Caliphs Umar, Uthman and Muawiyah.^[11]

On a website operated and owned by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar, one may find a fatwa on Ka’b al-Ahbar.^[12]

Mention in hadith canons

Ka'b al-Ahbar is mentioned in some hadith canons such as Sahih Muslim^[13] and Muwatta Malik etc.^[14] A hadith reports that the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab appointed him personally an amir over Muslims.^[15]

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."^[16] Muhammad 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."^[17] Ka'b's influence is deprecated within the Shia tradition of Islam.^[16]^[17]

His 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''^[18]

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.^[19]

References

^ العيني, محمود بن أحمد العينتابي/بدر الدين (1 January 2006). مغاني الأخيار في شرح أسامي رجال معاني الآثار 1-3 ج3 (in Arabic). Dar Al Kotob Al Ilmiyah دار الكتب العلمية.
^ "Composition of Hadith and Its Causes". Al-Islam.org. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Schmitz, M. (1974). "Kaʿb al-Aḥbār". Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. 4 (2nd ed.). Brill. pp. 316–317. ISBN 9004057455.
^ Ṭabarī (4 November 1999). The History of Al-Tabari: The Sasanids, the Lakhmids, and Yemen. Vol. 5. SUNY Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7914-4356-9.
^ The History of al-Tabari, vol. XII, Albany: State University of New York Press 2007, pp. 194-195
^ Yusuf ibn Abd-al-Barr - al-Istiab, v3, p1287 Printed in Cairo 1380 A.H
^ Tarikh al-Tabari v4, p191 Printed by Dar al-Maarif - Cairo
^ ^a ^b Ibn Hajar Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, Op Cit., p. 135.
^ "The Companions and the Jewish Influence Part 1". Al-Islam.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006.
^ See: Tarikh al-Tabari v4, p191, v1, p62-63. Printed by Dar al-Maarif – Cairo.
^ See: Mahmood Abu Rayyah, in his book Adhwa (lights) on AI-Sunnah AI-Muhammadiyyah, reported that Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani, recorded in his book (Al-Isabah, part 5, page 323). Also, Yusuf ibn Abd-al-Barr – al-Istiab, v3, p1287 Printed in Cairo 1380 A.H
^ "Kab al-Ahbar". Archived from the original on 18 August 2017.
^ Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 398 Sunnah.com
^ Muwatta Malik, Book 5, Hadith 17 Sunnah.com
^ Muwatta Malik, Book 20, Hadith 83 Sunnah.com
^ ^a ^b The Shi'a: The Real Followers of the Sunnah by Muhammad al-Tijani chapter "Is it "the Book of Allah and my Progeny" or "the Book of Allah and my Sunnah"? Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine" on Al-Islam.org
^ ^a ^b Chirri, Muhammad Jawad (1986). Did Muslims Other Than Shi'ites Borrow Religious Teachings from Jews?. Islamic Center of America. ISBN 0-942778-04-9. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 28 September 2007 – via Al-Islam.org. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^ "موسوعة الحديث : الزهد والرقائق لابن المبارك : 471". hadith.islam-db.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
^ "إسلام ويب - موطأ مالك -". www.islamweb.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 August 2024.