of the Companions, and even slip into excess with respect to others—exactly as the Rāfiḍah once went to extremes regarding the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt). They claim to be loyal to the Household, yet—by Almighty God—the Household are completely free of their extremism. The very first to repudiate their excesses was ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib himself.

The Sabaʾiyyah, followers of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sabaʾ, were the first to introduce rafḍ in this community. Ibn Sabaʾ was a Jew who outwardly embraced Islam only to corrupt it—just as, according to Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, Paul had entered Christianity for the same destructive purpose. This man—ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sabaʾ, may Allah requite him as he deserves—pretended to love the Prophet’s Household and to defend ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, to the point that he once stood before ʿAlī and said, “You are truly God.” May Allah destroy him.

ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib thereupon ordered that a trench be dug, filled it with firewood, summoned the man’s followers, and set it ablaze, burning them because their crime was enormous—Allah’s refuge is sought. It is said that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sabaʾ escaped and fled to Egypt; Allah knows best.

When Ibn ʿAbbās heard of the incident he said, “ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib was right to kill them, for the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him.’ Those people did change their religion. Yet had I been in his place, I would not have burned them, because the Prophet ﷺ also said, ‘Do not punish with Allah’s punishment.’” When these words reached ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, he commented, “Ibn Umm al-Faḍl has not fallen short.”