|
The tenet that
baraah is obligatory in Islam, in the same way as walayah,
is an integral part of Ibadhi doctrine. The believers must act
according to the rules of baraah from the very inception
of the age of matuarity.67 it also has two main
aspects; the first of which goes with the belief in the Unity of
God, and consists of:
I)
‘Baraah’ from infidels in general – known or unknown, living
or dead, Man and Jinn. This is known in Ibadhi writings as
barat al-jumla.67
ب)
Unequivocal baraah, barrat al-haqiqah; or barrat ahl
al-waid;68 the latter meaning ibaraah from the
people under threat, (ahl al-waid), whom the Quran
declares to be destined for Hell. The believers must dissociate
themselves from the people under threat, in the belief and
knowledge that they are among the denizons of Hell.69
The following are the people under threat:
1)
Haman,
the supporter of Pharaoh, for God says, “Therefore We seized him
and his hosts, and cast them into the sea.”70 And,
“…… and there encompassed the folk of Pharaoh the evil
chastisement, the Fire to which they shall be exposed morning
and evening……”71
2)
Qarun,
about whom God says, “so We made earth to swallow him and his
dwelling and there was no host to help him, apart from God, and
he was helpless.”72
3)
Pharaoh,
of whom God says, “Go to Pharaoh; he has waxed insolent.”73
4)
Al-Numrudh,
mentioned in the following verses of the Quran, “… who disputed
with Abraham, concerning his Lord, that God had given him the
kingship? When Abraham said ‘My Lord is He who gives life and
make to die, he said, “I give life and make to die.’ Said
Abraham, ‘God brings the sun from the east; so bring thou it
from the west.’ The believer was confounded. God guides not
the people of the evildoers.”74
5) Noah’s
and Lot’s wives; for God says, “God has struck similitude for
the unbelievers – the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot; for they
were under two of Our righteous servants, but they betrayed
them, so they availed them nothing whatsoever against God; so it
was said, ‘Enter you two the Fire with those who enter.’75
These Qura’nic
personalities were the people under threat distinguished by Amr
b. Jumai in Aqidat al-tawhid;76 more
were added by Shaikh Muhammad b. Yusuf Atfaiyish.77
1) Baraah
from every individual whose misdeeds are known to the believers;
these fall into two categories:
a) Those who
commit major sins (kabair). A major sin is what incurs
(hadd) punishment in this World, and chastisement (adhab)
in the World to Come. Stealing, committing adultery, drinking
wine, deserting in the face of the enemy, are some of the major
sins.78
b) Baraah
from those who persistently commit minor sins; e.g.
prevarication of a harmless nature, lustful eyeing of foreign
women, taking away something from a friend without his
permission, etc.79
Maghribi Ibadhis held that minor sins are not distinguished,
while only certain major sins are specified in the Qura'n and
Traditions. So believers must be wary of every sin in order to
avoid major sins.80
Minor sins become major by constant repetition,81 which
fact makes it obligatory for the believers to declare baraah
from the sinner
Baraah
from individuals takes place in one of the following
circumstances:
i) When a
person confesses that he has committed a major sin or persisted
in committing minor sin,82 and
when a person regards his erroneous opinions as the true
religion of God, considering those Muslims who disagree with him
as Polytheists.83
ii) When a
believer sees a person actually committing a major sin or
persisting in minor sins.
iii) The
testimony of two persons of equity that a certain individual
merits baraah obliges the believers to declare baraah
from him. This principle was established and put into practice
by Jabir b. Zaid, the first Imam of the Ibadhis.84
The testimony of
one person is not enough to necessitate baraah from the
believer. On the contrary, it leads believers to dissociate
themselves from that person if he cannot support his accusation
of the believer by the testimony of another person of equity.85
So if one (waliy), along reports that another ‘waliy’
has committed a major sin, the believers must declare
baraah from the accuser. It is the same with non-Ibadhi
Muslims, if one, or even a group of these, ascribes a major sin
to a ‘waliy’, the believers should reject the accusation
and dissociate themselves from the.86
iv) The
believers must declare baraah from the activities of a
malefactor.87
2) Baraah
from the tyrant, (al-sultan al-jair): Believers must
declare baraah from him and from all who support his
rule; but this should not include everyone under his rule
because true believers may be under a tyrant’s rule, yet not
oppose him out of religious dissimulation, (taqiyah). Any
country governed by tyrants and unjust rulers must be declared
land of tyranny and injustice, (dar al-jawr wa al-zulm).
The believers, in addition to declaring baraah from such
rulers and their followers, must not take any one of them as a
‘waliy.’88
3) Baraah
from apostates, (murtaddun): for God says, “….. And
whosoever of you turns from his religion and dies disbelieving –
their works have failed in this world and the next; those are
the inhabitants of the Fire; therein they shall dwell forever.”89
The Prophet also said, “Whosoever changed his religion, you must
kill him.”90
It is agreed among all Muslim scholars that the Prophet, in this
tradition, was referring to the apostate.91
In accordance with this Tradition, the Ibadhis held that the
person who abjures Islam and adopts polytheism deserves ‘baraah’
and execution, (al-baraah wa al-saif).92
But it is reported that the second Caliph, Umar b. Khattab, gave
the apostates three days in which to repent. So if they refuse
to do so they must be killed and all their rights as Muslims
such as ‘’walayah’, marriage, Muslim burial, and
inheritance, are to be abolished.
4) Baraah
from those who recant their Ibadhi views and adopt those of
other schools, taking the leaders of those schools as their “awliya”
and declaring ‘baraah’ from the Ibadhi Imams. The
believers must dissociate themselves from such defaulters until
they repent. Those who relinquish Ibadhism and malign the
Ibadhis are to be killed or assassinated by any means possible.93
A ‘waliy’
who commits a major sin, the believers must ask to repent. If
he refuses, they must declare ‘baraah From him. Some
scholars say that the believers declare ‘baraah’ from him
first, then ask him to repent. In such cases, repentance may be
sought up to three times, then the believer is not further
obliged to ask the sinner to repent. According to the second
Imam of the Ibadhis Abu Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah, this rule
must be carried out “till the devil become the loser.”
(
).94 |
