Subversive activities of Abdullah b Saba

From Madina, Abdullah b Saba went to Basra. There he stayed with Hakim b Jabala, a brigand. There he indulged in the propaganda that those who robbed the rich were not outlaws; they merely aimed at narrowing down the differences between the rich and the poor. He insinuated that as a matter of fact, the Government which depended upon the support of the rich was a tyranny. The common men came to feel that Abdullah b Saba was their well-wisher. Abdullah b Saba thus poisoned the political atmosphere at Basra. The Governor of Basra kept a watch on the activities of Abdullah b Saba. From the reports that he received it transpired that Abdullah was preaching doctrines which were very dangerous. The Government of Basra accordingly expelled Abdullah b Saba from the province of Basra.