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The
following works were contributed by the students of Abu
al-Rabi:
i)
Masail al-Tawhid, by Abu al-Abbas Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Bakr 9d
504 H.).264
ii) K.
usul al-din, by Tabghurin b. Dawud Isa al-Malshuti (lived during
the second half of the fifth century H.).265
iii) The
third work is also written by Tabghurin b. Dawud Isa and known
as K. al-Jahalat. The author in this work phrases questions on
different moot theological problems and answers them one by
one. It is reported that the questions on man, distinction
between infidelity and polytheism, and the signs (al-dalail)
were added to the text by Abu Ismail Ibrahim b. Mallal,266 but
the author of Sharh al-Jahalat, Abu Ammar Abd al-Kafi, says that
the additions are ascribed to a number of Shaikhs, and he is not
certain about who actually added them.267
After this
stage, scholastic theology attracted the attention of a number
of great Ibadhi scholars of North Africa. A group of
theologians emerged in the Ibadhi community of Warijlan and the
surrounding areas, and they all left significant works. In
fact, the works written in this period attained such a degree as
was never surpassed by North Africa Ibadhi scholars of any other
time.
The leading
scholar of this group was Abu Ammar Abd al-Kafi b. Abi Ya’qub
al-Tanawuti (first half of the sixth century H.).268
He studied Ibadhi theology and jurisprudence under his teacher
Abu Yahya Zakariya b. Abi Bakr in Warijlan, and went to Tunis
where he studied Arabic literature and grammar at Zaitunah
University.269
He wrote
three books on theology:
i)
Sharh al-Jahalat;
ii) K.
al-Mujaz;
iii) K.
al-Istila’ah.270
The last of
these is still lost. He also composed two other short works:
Mukhtasar fi al-faraid, and Mukhtasar Tabaqat al-Mashaikh,271 and
laid down some rules for the Halqah.272
This
chapter, however, is concerned only with his theological works.
The first book Sharh al-Jahalat is a commentary on K. al-Jahalat
of al-Malshuti. In Sharh al-Jahalat, Abu Ammar extends the
answers given by Tabghurin b. Isa in al-Jahalat with detailed
discussions, ascribing opinions to their original sources, and
supporting the Ibadhi views with more proof.
His second
book K. al-Mujaz fi tahsil al-sual wa talkhis al-maqal fi al-raddi
ala Ahli al-khilaf is a vast study of the theological views of
Islamic and non-Islamic doctrines. The book, designed to
vindicate the Ibadhi and refute other views, is divided into two
parts; the contents of the first part deal mainly with the views
of the Atheists (mulhidun) and it is arranged as follows:
Section (i) al-Dahriyah, who maintain the eternity of time and
matter. This section is divided into three chapters -
Astrologers, Naturalists, and Aristotelians. Section (ii) The
doctrine of Thanawiyah; Dualism, who teach that light and
darkness are the two equal eternal creative principles.273
This section is also divided into three chapters - Manichaeans,
Daisanis, and Mazdeans. Section (iii) Those who deny the
Message of the Apostles. This section deals with Brahmanism,
Magians, and the People of the Book. These latter were included
for their denial of the message and the prophethood of
Muhammad. Section (iv) The Anthropomorphists (ahl al-tashbih).
The author divides the adherents of this doctrine into three
groups, and discusses each group in a special chapter:
a)
Those who regard anthropomorphism as a physical reality, and
teach that God is a body in a real physical sense with a human
shape, composed of flesh and blood, etc.
b)
Those who teach anthropomorphism without applying direct
physical reality to it, and hold that God is a body unlike other
bodies, and is a light unlike known light, etc.
c)
Those who wrongly impart anthropomorphic interpretations to
Quranic expressions.
The
second part of the book is devoted to the discussion of the
doctrine of the 'people of the Qiblah, (i.e. Muslims)." The
author refutes their erring views, i.e. views contrary to those
of the Ibadhis, and justifies the stand-point of the latter.
The opinions of Qadarites, Murjiites, Kharijites, Azariqah and
Sufriyah, Mu’tazilites Jabriyah, Jahmiyah, and the Hashwiyah, as
well as other dissident Ibadhi groups, are discussed in this
book wherever they differed from the views of Wahbi Ibadhis. |
