|
It is essential here to give
some account of the role of the 'bearers of learning', in the
expansion of the Ibadhi doctrine in North Africa. It seems that
their educational activities began during the early decades of
the second century H. As mentioned earlier, their contact with
the Ibadhi scholars of Basrah was after the visit of Salamah b.
Sa'd to North Africa. They were chosen from different areas
such a way that the most important centres of central North
Africa were covered so that each area would have its own
religious leader of the native people. These students were: Abu
Dirar Ismail b. Dirar al-Ghadamsi, or Ghadamas; Abd al-Rahman b.
Rustam who was of Persian origin, from Qairawan, and 'Asim al-Sadrati
of Sadratah. Abu al-Khattab 'Abd al-'A'la, originally from
Yemen, joined them in Basrah96 where he was pointed out by their
teacher Abu 'Ubaidah Muslim, as the first Imam of the expected
Imamate of North Africa. This fact shows that the power which
was still to count more on the question of leadership was that
of the Arab settlers, and Abu al-Khattab was sent to North
Africa to cover this need. There were no Nufusis among this
mission because the Nufusi representative on a similar mission,
Ibn Maghtir al-Jannawani had gone to Basrah and returned
earlier.97
The training of these students
was undertaken by Abu 'Ubaidah himself. They spent five years
with him and he was satisfied with the standard, which they
acquired. Apart from their political struggle which started on
the year 140 H. under the leadership of Abu al-Khattab, and
continued under the leadership of his colleague 'Abd a-Rahman b.
Rustam, who managed to flee to central Algeria after the death
of Abu al-Khattab, and established the Rustamid Imamate in the
year 160 H. which lasted up to 296 H., the 'bearers of learning'
played an important part in passing over to their fellow Ibadhis
of North Africa the teachings which they had learned in Basrah.
It is not known whether they had brought those teachings in a
written form. In fact, the only written work ascribed to one of
the 'bearers of learning' is the Tafsir of 'Abd al-Rahman b.
Rustam. 98 It is reported that Ibadhi doctrine in written form
by Abu 'Ubaidah Muslim was to be found in Fazzan in Libya during
the middle of the second century H. In a letter to the Fazzani
scholars 'Abd al-Qahhar b. Khalaf, Jannaw b. Fata al-Madyuni, of
the Berber tribe of Madyunah, wrote, "And know, may God bless
you together with us, that I long very much for you presence and
the renewal of personal contacts with you, so that you may
benefit from the Books of Abu 'Ubaidah, may God bestow his mercy
on him." 99 There is no information how these books of Abu 'Ubaidah
Muslim b. Abi Karimah got into the hands of his Fazzani scholar,
but it may be that he himself had studied under Abu 'Ubaidah in
Basrah and brought them back with him.
The point which must be asserted
here is that the final form of the Ibadhi doctrine was
established in Basrah and was brought over to North Africa
through the missionary students, who seem to number more than
the five mentioned above, and who are known in Ibadhi sources by
the title (Hamalat al-'ilm). It is also clear that the
contracts between the centre of the Ibadhi movement in Basrah
and North Africa were established at an early stage of the
latter's history.
There is no evidence of any
Ibadhi scholars among Berbers existing before the time of Abu 'Ubaidah
Muslim. The first Berber Ibadhi scholar mentioned in Ibadhi
sources is Ibn Maghtir al-Jannawani, who studied under Abu 'Ubaidah
in Basrah before the latter established his final opinions on
the Ibadhi legal system.100 Ibn Maghtir was the Mufti in Jabal
Nufusah before the return of the five 'bearers of learning.'
Ibadhi sources also mention 'Amr b. Yimkitin as the first Ibadhi
scholar of Nufusah to start teaching Qur'an in the mosque of his
village, Afatman. He became afterwards one of the important
leaders of Nufusah and participated in the wars of Abu al-Khattab
against the 'Abbasid army.101
According to the available
information, it is clear that the Ibadhis of North Africa were
in firm contact with Basrah for the study of Ibadhi teaching
from their start. It is also certain that such contacts existed
towards the end of the first century H.
The Ibadhis of North Africa
depended very much on the scholars of Basrah, especially Abu 'Ubaidah
Muslim, in whatever problems they faced on legal and theological
matters. Among the extant works which Abu 'Ubaidah wrote to the
people of the Maghrib is his treatise on zakat which he wrote to
a certain Ismail b. Sulaiman al-Maghribi.102 Jitali also
reported that Abu 'Ubaidah sent responses (Jawabat) on
theological questions to the people of the Maghrib,103 but these
responses are still missing. These contacts were presumably
very effective during the time of Abu 'Ubaidah before the return
to Africa of the five students (Hamalat al-'ilm), who took over
the burden of propagating Ibadhi teachings and deepening its
roots amongst the Maghribis. The most important part of this
task was carried out by Abu Dirar al-Ghadamsi, Abu Dawud al-Qibilli,
and 'Abd al-Rahman b. Rustam. The others, namely Abu al-Khattab
'Abd al-A'la and 'Asim al-Sadrati directed their activities
towards political and military struggle and they both died
before they could settle down to participate in any educational
activities. |
