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Abdullah b.
Yazid who laid the theological foundation of this Ibadhi group,
lived in Kufah (2nd - 3rd century H.) According to al-Masu'di,
he was a kharraz, shoemaker, and a specialist in leather-craft,
and he was a business partner of al-Hakam b. Hisham. His
followers used to come into his place in Kufah to learn from
him.172 He
wrote a number of books on theology. The following list is
ascribed to him by Ibn al-Nadim: K. al-Tawhid, K. al-Radd ala
al-Mu'tazilah, K. al-Radd ala al-Rafidah, K. al-Istila'ah.173
During the
search in private collections of Ibadhi Mss. in North Africa, I
came across one of the books ascribed to Abdullah b. Yazid
entitled: K. al-Rudud.174
This book as far as is known, the only extant work of a
Nukkarite theologian, but there is still a great chance of
discovering more Mss. of their literature in Zwarah (Libya) and
Jerba.
It has
already been mentioned that the Nukkarite leaders started their
movement with opposition to Abu Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah on
certain matters. Among these were; The Muslims who maintain
anthropomorphic views of God were polytheists (mushrikun).175
They also maintained that God's friendship (walayat Allah)
changes according to the state of the person; if he performs
good deeds he will enjoy God's friendship, and if he commits
sins he will lose that state.176
They also held a different opinion on the question of al-Harith
and Abd al-Jabbar and pronounced them to be in a state of
'reservation' (wuquf).177
They were strongly opposed for these views, and other juridical
opinions, by Abu Ubaidah and his successor al-Rabi b. Habib.
On the death
of the first Rustamid Imam in Tahert and the election of his son
Abd al-Wahhab as his successor, the political aims of the Nukkar
were revealed, and contacts between the Nukkar of the West (al-Maghrib)
and their sympathisers in the 'East' were established. One of
the Ibadhi leaders of North Africa, Abu Qudamah Yazid b. Fandin
of Banu Yifrin, a branch of the Berber tribe of Zanatah, who was
also one of the six men among whom the second Imam of Tahert Abd
al-Wahhab was elected, refused to give his oath to the new Imam
unless he agreed to the condition that all his decisions must be
with the approval of a certain group.178
This ultimatum was refused by the rest of the Ibadhi
leaders of North Africa, and Abd al-Wahhab became the second
Imam of the Ibadhi state there. Yazid b. Fandin and his
supporters denied the Imamate of Abd al-Wahhab and some of them
made an attempt of his life. As they failed, they were obliged
to oppose him openly for fear that he might punish them for
their abortive attempt.179
After some fighting, the two parties agreed to write to the
Ibadhi scholars of the East about their conflict, and wait for
their reply so as to decide who was wrong.
On their
way, the envoys went to Abu al-Ma'ruf Shua段b who was in Egypt
at that time and told him about the situation in Tahert, then
they went to Mecca where they met al-Rabi b. Habib, Wail b.
Aiyub, Abu Ghassan Mukhallad b. al-Amarrad and others. They
presented them with the letters which they had brought from
North Africa, explained the situation to them and returned with
their reply.180
From the
reply of the Ibadhi Shaikhs of East, al-Rabi and his colleagues,
it appears that he conflict between the Ibadhis of North Africa
was based on two issues:
i) The
conditions laid on the Imam;
ii) The
Imamate of a person excelled by others
The decision
of al-Rabi and his colleagues on these two points was in favour
of Abd al-Wahhab and his party. It was decided that there must
be no condition laid on the Imam, and that any suitable person
could be elected an Imam even if there were available men of
qualities superior to him.182
As for
Shua段b b. al-Mu'arraf, he went to Tahert and joined the rebels
who fought Abd al-Wahhab before the arrival of the reply from
the Ibadhi scholars of the 'East'. However, Yazid b Fandin was
killed, his party was defeated, and Shua段b headed back to
Tripoli where he continued his literary opposition to Abd
al-Wahhab.183
al-Rabi b. Habib and his colleagues, on hearing of the attitude
of Shua段b and his hostile activities against Imam Abd al-Wahhab,
disavowed him.184
This attitude of al-Rabi made the remnants of Ibn Fandin's party
sympathise with the opponents of al-Rabi among the Ibadhi
scholars of the East of whom were; Shua段b b. al-Mu'arraf,
Abdullah b Abd al-Aziz, Abdullah b. Yazid and others. This was
how the connection between the two wings of the Nukkarite
movement, the eastern and the western took place.
The
Nukkarite group of North Africa grew larger and formed their own
communities and Azzabah councils.185
By the beginning of the fourth century H. they tried to
establish their own Imamate under the leadership of Abu Yazid
Mukhallad b. Kaidad, of Banu Yifrin, the same Berber tribe of
Yazid b. Fandin the founder of the Nukkarite movement. Between
the years 316-336 A.H. Abu Yazid conquered most of central North
Africa, but was defeated and killed by the Fatimid ruler, al-Mansur
b. al-Qasim, in the year 336 A.H.186
The
Nukkar spread all over North Africa and found their way into
Spain as well, where they were strong enough to establish their
own city states.187
According to Ibn Hazm, the majority of the Kharijites of al-Andalus
were of the Nukkarite branch of the Ibadhis.188 |
