The Sabians (/ˈseɪbiənz/; Arabic: صابئة‎) of Middle Eastern tradition were a religious group mentioned three times in the Quran as a people of the Book, "the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians". In the ahadith, they were described merely as converts to Islam, but interest in the identity and history of the group increased over time, and discussions and investigations about the Sabians began to appear in later Islamic literature.