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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Light On the Muhammadan Sunnah Or Defence of the Hadith Ka’b Al-ahbar: 245 He is Ka’b ibn Mani’ al-Himyari, from Al Dhi Ra’in, and it is said that he belongs to Dhu al-Kila’. His surname was Abu Ishaq, and he was one of the eminent rabbis of the Jews, known with the title Ka’b al-Ahbar. He embraced Islam during the time of Umar, and settled at al-Madinah in the period of his caliphate, keeping his company during the conquest of Quds.

Then he shifted to the Sham during the reign of Uthman, when Mu’awiyah chose and appointed him as one of his consultants, due to his abundant knowledge.

246 Also they were claiming that it was Mu’awiyah who ordered him to relate tales in the land of Sham, 247 becoming thus the first of Akhbaris in respect of the Jewish and Islamic traditions.” Through Ka’b and Ibn Munabbih and others from among the Jews who embraced Islam afterwards, some of the Talmud tales (Isra’iliyyat) crept into the hadith, turning to be so soon part of the religious and historic reports.

About him al-Dhahabi, in Tadhkirat al-huffaz, writes: “He came from Yemen during the caliphate of Umar, when the and others began to take and report from him, with some of the Followers (Tabi’un) reporting from him without referring to the chain of narrators. He died at Hams 248 (Syria) in 32 or 33 or 37 (Hijrah), after disseminating throughout the Sham and other Islamic and Jewish countries his narrations and tales derived from Akhbar, as done by Tamim al-Dari in the Christian reports.

249 Reason Behind his Embracing Islam: A surprising reason was invented by this priest (Ka’b) for his adoption of Islam, in order to penetrate and occupy the Muslims’ minds and hearts! Ibn Sa’d, through a reliable sanad, reported from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyab, that he said: Al-Abbas said to Ka’b: What kept you from embracing Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet and that of Abu Bakr? He replied: My father wrote me a letter (quoting it) from the Torah, saying: Hasten in conveying it!

Then he sealed all his books, conjuring me with the right the father has upon his son not to break the seal of them. As soon as witnessing advent of Islam, I said to myself: Maybe my father has kept from me some knowledge! So I unsealed the letter seeing in it the characteristics of Muhammad and his Ummah! Only then I became Muslim!