Generally, arguements to suggest that the 'Abbasid revolution was not a Shi'a movement are centred around the assumption that its clandestine nature was a deliberate decision taken to ensure the secrecy of those who were actually behind it. Whilst obviously a pseudonym, the choice of the name Abu Muslim is particularly telling as it indicates a desire to appear pious, something which greatly appealed to Shi'a Muslims at the time given their near-constant critiques of the Umayyad caliphate as impious. Additionally, despite being a relatively clandestine movement, the 'Abbasid revolution can be seen as Shi'a in character as a result of its leader - Abu Muslim. The Battle of Karbala would be consistently referenced by the 'Abbasids in a bid to gain popular support for their revolution and the deaths of prominent members of the family of the prophet would prove a useful rallying cry in uniting Shi'as, Sunnis and Persians. These initial Shi'a movements culminated in the Battle of Karbala in 680 which resulted in the deaths of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, and his kin (including Zayd ibn Ali and Abdallah ibn Mu'awiya). Evidence to suggest the Shi'ite character of the 'Abbasid revolution can be seen in fact that several other Shi'a movements had occurred across the Middle-East simultaneously the Hashimiyya movement had been largely responsible for the advent of the Shi'a uprising, with Zayd ibn Ali fighting the Umayyads in Iraq, while Abdallah ibn Mu'awiya even established temporary rule over Persia. The 'Abbasid revolution can be most strongly argued to have been a proto-Shi'a revolution wherein notions of the primacy of the family of prophet were emerging against the backdrop of civil unrest and disenchantment with the Umayyad caliphate.
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