|
Among the
subjects which were settled in the early stage of Ibadhi
theology is that of the Imamate. The Traditions reported by
Jabir b. Zaid on this issue are very few. The rule of the
Qurashites is mentioned in one of them as follows: "This
affair, meaning the rule, will continue still yet in Quraish as
long as two of them remain." (He pointed with his fingers).
"But woe upon those who are infatuated with kingship (mulk)."110
However, this Tradition id not state that the Qurashites have
special right to the Imamate. On the other hand, there is a
number of Traditions concerning the obligation of obedience to
rulers, which state clearly that such obligation depends on the
obedience of the rulers to the commands of God and His Prophet.111
On the
practical side, Ibadhis never acknowledged the Imamate of anyone
except their own Imams, with the only exception of Umar II.
Their movement was established with the motive of returning to
the true Islamic Caliphate as it existed under the rule of the
two rightly guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. They directed
their activities towards this objective from the start, and
established special rules for such activities. These rules were
discussed in a special chapter on the stages of the Muslim
community (masalik al-din).112
Among the
early opinions formed on the basis of Traditions from the
Prophet two more need to be mentioned here:
1)
Intercession (shafa'ah). Jabir b. Zaid reported that the
Prophet said, "No one of you enters Paradise except through good
deeds, the mercy of God, and my intercession."113
According to other Traditions reported by Jabir b. Zaid,
intercession does not apply to those who commit grave sins. he
reported that the Prophet said, "Intercession is not for those
who commit grave sins of my community."114
Jabir thereupon swears that there will be no intercession for
those who commit grave sins, for God threatened them with Hell
in His Book. "As for the tradition reported from Anas b. Malik,
that intercession is granted for those who commit grave sins, by
God, he never meant slaying, fornication, magic and sins for
which God has threatened Hell." Jabir then added, "Anas b. Mali
used to say, 'You commit a sin that appears to you thinner than
a hair, yet we would not have considered it anything but a grave
sin in the time of the Apostle of God.'"115
Two more
Traditions which support this opinion were reported:
a) The
prophet said, "My intercession shall not reach a tyrant who
treats people with oppression, and a man who does not fear God
in regard to orphans."116
b) My
intercession shall to reach him who transgresses the proper
bounds of religion, nor him who has an aversion to it."117
A
long Tradition describing the way in which intercession will
take place on the Day of Intercession is reported in the Ibadhi
collection of Hadith; the faithful, after death, when brought
the glad tidings that they have passed the interrogation of the
angels Munkar and Nakir and that God has forgiven them, will be
allowed by God to enter Paradise through intercession, which is
stored where no Prophet or Angel can reach it,till the Apostle
of God, Muhammad, opens the door to it. The faithful will
implore for intercession from the Prophets Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim,
Musa and Isa, but all of them will excuse themselves because
ashamed of sins they have committed, and they will all recommend
them to turn to the Prophet Muhammad for intercession, since God
has forgiven his former and latter sins.118
The gate of paradise will be opened for him, and all the
faithful will enter paradise except those who were threatened
hell-Fire by the Qur’an." The statement following this
Tradition shows that intercession is granted to Adam for his
children, to each of the Prophets for his community (ummah), and
for the faithful; so that the martyr will intercede for seventy
of his kin if they were faithful and upright.119
c) The
other article is the constriction and punishment of the tomb (adhab
al-qabr). A number of Traditions reported by Jabir b. Zaid
refer to the punishment of the tomb.120 Abu Ubaidah after
narrating one of these Traditions commented, "Jabir was among
those who acknowledged the punishment of the tomb."121
This attitude was accepted by the Ibadhis in general, but was
denied by some Ibadhi scholars on the basis of reasoning.122
We also may mention here the interrogation of the dead by the
two Angels, Munkar and Nakir, concerning which a Traditions is
narrated by Jabir b. Zaid.123 |
