|
The contacts between the two
Ibadhi communities of the 'East', (al-Mashriq), and the 'West',
(al-Maghrib), was maintained all the time. When 'Abd al-Rahman
b. Rustam was elected to the Imamate in Tahert, the Ibadhis of
the 'East' sent a special delegation to examine his conduct, and
when they were satisfied with him, they gave him full support
morally and financially. Afterwards, whenever a conflict took
place among the Ibadhis of North Africa, they sought its
resolution from their fellow Ibadhis of the 'East'. A number of
'letters' were written by scholars of the 'East' giving their
opinions on religious and political issues which occurred among
the Ibadhis of the Maghrib. 104
Ibadhi literature written by
scholars of the 'East' was presented to the Ibadhis of the
Maghrib.105 During his rules, Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab b. 'Abd al-Rahman
b. Rustam, sent for books from the 'East'. His fellow Ibadhis
of the 'East' transcribed and sent to the Maghrib forty camel
loads of material on paper worth one thousand dinars for which
Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab paid.106 It was also during the time of 'Abd
al-Wahhab that Abu Ghanim Bishr b. Ghanim al-Khurasani traveled
to Tahert to present his works to the Imam. Educational
contacts between the two communities were firmly maintained
thereafter. The annual conference of the Ibadhis took place
during the time of the Hajj. They met at Mecca to exchange news
and compare notes.
As a whole, the Ibadhis in North
Africa played a little part in the development of the Ibadhi
thoughts, but they did preserve them both in theory and
practice. After the return of (Hamalat al-'ilm), a number of
great scholars emerged among the Ibadhis of the Maghrib known as
the students of the 'bearers of learning' among whom were: 'Abd
al-Wahhab b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Rustam, Abu Khalil al-Darkali,
Muhammad b. Yanis, and others.107 After the founding the city
of Tahert, which was the capital of the Ibadhi Imamate, it
became one of the most important centres for propagating Ibadhi
teachings. The Imams themselves took part in teaching and in
writing books. There were other centres in Nufusah as well as in
other places in the Maghrib. After the collapse of the Imamate
of Tahert, the cultural activities of the Ibadhis moved to
Warijlani and Wad Righ. Jerba Island also became one of the
main educational centres as a result of the activities of the 'Azzabah
council in the area. Jabal Nufusah, although its contacts with
the Imamate in Tahert were weakened after the Battle of Manu
against Aghlabids in the year 283 H., carried an almost
independent role in preserving Ibadhi teachings. Several
centres and schools were established in different areas of the
Jabal for teaching the Ibadhi doctrine. A large number of great
Ibadhi scholars emerged in the three communities of Jabal
Nufusah, Jerba Island and central North Africa, i.e. Southern
Tunisia and Algeria, and participated a great deal in Ibadhi
studies. Most of the important works written by these scholars
over the centuries are still extant and deserve special academic
attention.
1.
Shamakhi, Siyar., 83.
2.
Jahiz, al-Bayan wa al-tabyin.,
editor Sandubi, III, 227
3.
Ibn Midad, Sifah., 28
4.
Salimi, Hashiyat al-Jami'i'
al-sahih., I, 6
5.
Loc. cit.
6.
Baghturi, Siyar., 3
7.
Lewicki, article 'al-Ibadiyyah',
E.I., 2nd edition
8.
Shammakhi, Siyar., 91
9.
Cf. Supra, 68
10.
Mubarrad, Kamil., III,
910
11.
Ibn al-Nadim, Fihrist.,
132: Ibn Sa'd Tabaqat., VII, 61: Ibn Qutaibah, Ma'arif.,
12.
Shammakhi, Siyar., 81
13.
Ibn Midad, Sifah., 30
14.
From a statement made by
his student 'Abdullah b. 'Abd al-'Aziz. Fragments from al-Baruniyah
collection, Jerba.
15.
Abu 'Ubaidah, Masa'il.,
Ms. 37: Jitali, Sharh al-Nuniyah., I,47
16.
Loc. cit.,
17.
Jitali, Qanatir al-khairat.,
My edition, Introduction, 17-18
18.
Loc. cit.
19.
Abu al-Mu'thir, Sirah.,
Ms.20
20.
Shammakhi, Siyar.,
120-121
21.
Ibid., 113
22.
Abu Ghanim al-Khurasani,
Mudawwanah., Ms. 11,8
23.
CF. Infra, 368 ff.
24.
Darjini, Tabaqat., 12;
Baghturi, Siyar., 4-5; Shammakhi, Siyar., 124
25.
Darjini, op. cit., 11;
Shammakhi, op. cit., 98
26.
Darjini, , op. cit.,
11-12; Shammakhi, op. cit., 123-124; Mus'abi, Hashiyah 'ala al-Musarrih.,
150a.
27.
Ibid., 150b
28.
Salimi, Hashiyat al-Jami'i'
al-sahih., I, 4;shammakhi, Siyar., 119.
29.
Cf. Infra, 407 ff.
30.
Mubarrad, Kamil., III,
909;Darjini, Tabaqat., 214; Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-balaghah.,
V, 101-102
31.
Shammakhi, Siyar., 66
32.
Darjini, Tabaqat.,
235-236; Shammakhi, op. cit., 90-91
33.
Ibid., 93
34.
Ibid., 101; Darjini, op.
cit., 256
35.
Loc. cit.
36.
Darjini, op. cit., 236;
Shammakhi, op. cit., 101, 107
37.
Ibid., 93
38.
Ibid., 108,109; Darjini,
op. cit., 21
39.
Darjini, op. cit., 21;
Shammakhi, op. cit., 124
40.
Cf. Infra, (368) ff. |
