|
Ibadhis
concurred in the principle that "There is no (hijrah)
immigration after the conquest of Mecca" (لا
هجرة بعد الفتح ). This is directed against the
Azraqites and other Kharijites who held that their camp alone is
the abode of Islam ( دار الإسلام
), and those who took no action (qa'adah) and did not perform
the hijrah to their camp are sinners and unbelievers85.
In his sermon in Medina, Abu Hamzah al-Mukhtar b. Awf said, "The
people are of us and we are of them, except a polytheist,
worshipper of an idol, or an infidel belonging to the people of
the Book, or a tyrannical ruler, or one who professes a heresy
calling people to his heresy, (bidah)86.
During the
time of al-Rabi b. Habib, the leaders of the Nukkar branch of
the Ibadhi movement tried to convince al-Rabi to regard their
Muslim opponents (al-mukhalifun) as polytheists on account of
their anthropomorphic views, but al-Rabi refused to agree with
them pointing out that such views were held only by ignorant
people and not by devout learned men87.
The same attitude was reported from his ancestor Abu Ubaidah
Muslim b. Abi Karimah. it is reported that he was told that
Muqatil says that God created Adam in His shape. Abu Ubaidah
said, "Muqatil lied," but he did not regard him as a polytheist88.
The other
question regarding Muslim sinners who commit grave sins, was
concerned with the punishment for those sinners on the Last
Day. Ibadhis maintained that the committer of grave sins has to
repent to enjoy the right of intercession, and to escape the
punishment for persistence in grave sins which is eternal Hell.89
If the sin was connected with the obligations to God, repentance
along is enough, but if it affects rights of other people, the
sinner should give back the rights of those people in order to
complete his repentance90.
This
attitude was, in fact, the basis of the Ibadhi doctrine of
al-wad wa al-wa'id, promise and threat, which was directed
against the Murji'ites who maintained that the professing of
Islam (shahadat) is all that is required from the faithful in
order to enter Paradise. The Traditions reported from the
Prophet defined the Murji'ites as those who say that faith is
word only without works91.
It is reported that Jabir b. Zaid said, "The Murji'ites are the
Jews of the people of the Qiblah, because they promise the
sinners Paradise and say, 'The Hell-fire shall not touch us save
for a number of days,' as Jews and Christians have said"92.
The system
of walayah and bara'ah was constructed at an early stage of the
Ibadhi movement to regulate the relations between the believers
and the sinners, so that Muslims will always be reminded that
only practising Muslims deserve love and harmony on account of
their full practice of Islamic teachings, and that those who
neglect heir religious duties and persist in sinning should be
disapproved and ostracised until they repent.
The doctrine
of al-walayah wa al-bara'ah was one of the main topics of the
Ibadhi creed. Its rulers were laid down during the time of Jabir
b. Zaid the founder of the Ibadhi movement. Apart from the
numerous Qur’anic verses on which this doctrine was based, there
is also a large number of traditions which were considered as
directions for the system. According to al-rabii b. Habib, any
Tradition which speaks of a person with the expression, "He is
not of us" ( ليس منا ),
means that the person is to be considered in the state of
(bara'ah)93.
the doctrine
of al-walayah wa al-bara'ah is discussed in detail in a special
chapter in this work94.
It is mentioned here only to point out that it was one of the
early doctrines which appeared in Ibadhi theology. |
