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The extant
literature of the Nukkar is very limited and cannot therefore
cover all aspects of their views. Hence one is obliged to study
their views as presented by Wahbi Ibadhis. Their views are to be
found mainly in two small works devoted to the subject of the
difference between the Muslim groups. The first work is a small
treatise by Abu Amr Uthman b. Khalifah al-Sufi (first half of VIth century
A.H.) entitled: Risalah fi bayan kull firqah189 and
contains a useful account of the views of the different Muslim
groups. The other work is a poem (urjuzah) of 111 verses,
composed by Shaikh Salih b. Ibrahim b. Abi Salih al-Musabi,190 on
the same subject as the treatise of Abu Amr. Accounts of Nukkar
views are also given in the theological and historical works of
the Ibadhis of North Africa.
Abu Ya’qub
al-Warijlani gave the following account of al-Nukkar; "In all
schools (madhahib) there is no one who is nearer to us, and at
the same time more remote, than they are out of malice,
haughtiness, ignorance and petulance."191
Abu Amr Uthman b. Khalifah described them as follows; "They are
a group which is very far from the truth (al-haqq), of a
doubtful nature, and noxious views."192
However,
Wahbi Ibadhis regarded the Nukkar as 'infidels-ingrate', kuffar
ni’mah, and the relation between the two parties was of a
hostile nature. The following are the beliefs of the Nukkar on
which they differ from Wahbi Ibadhis:
1) The
Names of Allah are created.
2) The
'proof' of God is not compulsory.
3)
God's friendship towards the Muslims is mutable.
4)
Regarding the question of al-Harith and Abd al-Jabbar their
decision is of 'reservation' (wuquf).
5) They
took the position of 'reservation' in regard to all children
(minors).
6) The
knowledge of obligatory commands (faraid) with the exception of
tawhid, the 'Unity of God,' is not required although performing
those commands is compulsory.
7) God
has not ordered people to perform super-rogatory acts (nawafil).
8)
Muslims who hold anthropomorphic views of God (
المشبّهة), are polytheists.
9)
Women who permit sexual intercourse in the prohibited areas per
vulvam, and men who permit sexual relations among males of the
category known as (mufakhadhah) are not kafirs.
10) He who
steals less than 1/4 Dinar is not punishable and is not to be
regarded as kafir since he has not stolen the amount which makes
him subject to legal punishment.
11)
Lustful eyeing of men or women, kissing, entering public baths
naked, slapping others all these are minor sins and not major
sins.
12) Friday
service ( صلاة الجمعة) under
tyrant’s rule is not lawful.
13) Gifts
from tyrant rulers are not lawful.
14) The
unknown prohibitions, (al-haram al-majhul), are permissible.
15)
Drinking wine out of 'religious dissimulation' (taqiyah) is
lawful.
16) The
Imamate of the person excelled by others is not lawful.
17)
Maintaining the Imamate is not obligatory.
18) The
polytheists must be invited to profess the faith, shahadah, and
to declare 'bara'ah' from the people of innovations (ahl al-bida).
19) The
apostate woman is not to be killed.
20) With
regard to matters on which jurists form different opinions, the
truth lies in one opinion only and it is forbidden for people to
disagree with it.193
Those were
most of the points of difference between the Nukkarites and
Wahbi Ibadhis as presented by the latter. it is possible that
future discovery of works of the Nukkarites themselves, and more
works of the Wahbis, will help to form a clearer idea about the
Nukkarites and their views.
Besides the
Nukkarites, Ibadhi sources mention six other dissident groups
who held opinions different from the Wahbis. Two of them were
also founded for political reasons the Khalafiyah, and the
Naffathiyah. |
