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The
following pages are devoted to the study of the development of
the theological discussions within the Ibadhi school, the
different views which appeared, and the resulting sub-divisions
of the sect.
The Polish
scholar, Tadeusz Lewicki, was the first scholar to treat this
subject using information from Ibadhi sources. His article "Les
sub-divisions de l' Ibadhiyya"
140 was the
most useful study of the Ibadhi theological groups.
In this
present work, it is hoped that a more detailed study of this
subject will be given. It is not intended to deal with the
sub-divisions of the Ibadhis of the 'East', except where they
are connected with the sub-divisions of the Ibadhis of North
Africa.
The
available sources contain a very limited amount of information
on the early theological arguments which took place in the early
stage among Ibadhi scholars during the time of Abu Ubaidah
Muslim b. Abi Karimah. Ibadhi chroniclers mentioned a certain
Salih b. Kathir or Kuthaiyir who raised issues which made the
Ibadhis shun him.141
It is not known what those issues were, but their being
ascribed to a theologian suggests that they might have been
theological views. it seems that his views were not of much
importance, and were not taken seriously, either by him or by
his Ibadhi contemporaries, for he was still respectable enough
to be elected to negotiate with Abdullah b. al-Hassan on behalf
of the Ibadhis.`142
Although the negotiation did not take place, it showed that
Salih was still accepted in the Ibadhi community.
The question
of divine 'decree' (qadar) confused some Ibadhi scholars, and
some of them adopted the same views as the Qadarites. Among
these scholars were Hamzah al-Kufi, al-Harith b. Mazyad al-Ibadhi,
and another scholar called 'Atiyah from Khurasan.143
They were all influenced by the Qadarite view on the creation of
works, i.e. man being the author of his actions and not God. Abu
Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah opposed them strongly and they
were ostracized by the Ibadhis.144
The second
question on which differences of opinion appeared among the
Ibadhis at this stage was the doctrine of al-Walayah wa al-Baraah.
It is reported that an Ibadhi youth called Abd al-Rahman b. al-Mu’sir
held that all the people were in a state of walayah, except for
those who plainly merited baraah. His father and other Ibadhi
scholars tried to make him change his views and correct them,
but he refused to alter them; they therefore expelled him from
their community, and warned their people that he was not of them
any more.145
Another
event of a similar nature took place during this stage. It
occurred when al-Harith b. Talid, the Ibadhi Imam of Tripoli,
and his Qadi Abd al-Jabbar b. Qais al-Muradi were found dead
with the sword of each one thrust into the body of the other,
no-one knowing whether they killed each other, and in this case,
who was wrong. The question was whether they should remain in
the state of (walayah) or be transferred to the states of
reservation (wuquf), or (baraah).146
Conflicting opinions resulted on the matter among the Ibadhis of
North Africa, and the case was presented to Abu Ubaidah in
Basrah for a decision.147
Another
question reported to have arisen in the course of the argument
within the Ibadhi community was the question of the 'proof' (al-hujjah).
The argument was about a hypothetical case of a Christian who
had not heard of the Prophet of Islam, and who had converted a
Magian to Christianity. Some Ibadhis youths came to Abu Ubaidah
with the strange view that the Christian is a Muslim because he
had not yet heard of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Magian is an
infidel despite his acceptance of Christianity. Abu Ubaidah
refuted their views and disassociated himself from them.148
This view was taken over afterwards by the Husayniyah.149
After the
death of Abu Ubaidah there was a chance of conflict and
difference of opinion. The Ibadhi movement lost with his death
a strong leadership which maintained the unity of the movement
and provided final decisions on the problems which arose. The
movement expanded, and al-Rabi b. Habib, who succeeded Abu
Ubaidah as its religious leader, failed to gain support and
acceptance from all his contemporaries. It was during this
period that a number of Ibadhi splinter groups started to
appear.
First, we
will deal with the original movement or the mainstream of the
Ibadhi school which was known as al-Wahbiyah. After presenting
their basic views, the divergence between the Ibadhi groups and
its nature will be readily understood. |
