The stage of Secrecy (kitman):
Kitman
means hiding one’s beliefs. In this state the believers keep
their beliefs in secret to avoid suppression by their enemies
who will not allow the Ibadhis to profess their beliefs if they
discovered them. In this sense, hiding one’s beliefs is the
best way to preserve them. So ‘secrecy’ becomes an obligation
in such a case.37
Ibadhis started their movement in secrecy to avoid suppression
by the Umayyad rulers. Both Ibadhi leaders Jabir b. Zaid and
his successor Abu Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah acted in the
stage of secrecy (kitman). All their activities were
carried out in secret. During this time, secrecy was
recommended almost in everything; it is reported that Dhuman b.
al-Saib, a pupil of Jabir and one of the leading Shaikhs of the
Ibadhis community of Basrah, said, “Why is it that one of you
hides his money and shows his religion; perhaps he will come
across someone who will wrest it from him?!”38
Ibadhi scholars claim that the stage of secrecy (kitman)
in their doctrine is derived from the life of the Prophet; but
they differ in fixing the exact period of secrecy in the life of
the Prophet. According to Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf Atfaiyish, it
is the period between the beginning of the revelation up to the
time when the number of the Muslims reached forty by Umar b. al-Khattab
declaring his acceptance of Islam.39
Abu Sulaiman Dawud b. Ibrahim al-Talati regards all the period
before the Prophet’s immigration to Madina as a stage of
secrecy,40 while
Abu Ammar Abd al-Kafi says, “The Prophet stayed in Mecca for
some time after the revelation, in secrecy.”41
It seems that he meant the period of three years of the
prophethood before the revelation of this verse:
“Proclaim what you
have been ordered and turn aside from the polytheists.”42
However, this was the basis on which Ibadhi scholars furnished
the proof for the obligation of secrecy (kitman) as a
religious duty ordered in the Qur’an.
After the collapse
of the Rustamid Imamate in Tahert in 909 A.D. Ibadhis of North
Africa tried to revive their Imamate under the leadership of Abu
Khazr Yaghla b. Zaltaf, but they lost the battle of Baghy which
they fought against the Fatimids on the year 358 A.H.43
After this the Ibadhis entered the stage of secrecy up to our
times. No attempt was made afterwards by the Ibadhis of North
Africa to establish a new Imamate. The regulations for the
stage of secrecy as explained by Abu al-Abbas Ahmad b. Bakr are
that, “the Ibadhis must gather and appoint a leader to whom they
pay their zakat and alms-giving (huquq).44
He takes it from the pious among them and distributes it among
the pious ones. They must visit each other and form the
‘majalis’ for teaching their doctrine and worshipping God.
They must also hold collective prayers and carry out all that
they can of the duty of enjoining good and prohibiting evil”.45
Ibadhi communities during the time of secrecy become underground
organisations which work in secret to keep the unity of the
community and the teachings of the Ibadhi school.
The stage of
secrecy which began in North Africa after the defeat of the
Ibadhis in Baghy, produced the system of the Azzabah.
This system is, in many aspects, similar to the organisation of
the Ibadhi Shaikhs of Basrah in the times of Jabir b. Zaid and
Abu Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah.46
In every Ibadhi gathering Azzabah councils were formed to
look after the affairs of the people. The councils had to be
formed of the best people in the community, of special qualities
and for special tasks. During secrecy, the Azzabah
councils exercise the full authority of the Imam in ruling the
Ibadhi society in religious and social affairs. Since they were
established, these councils are still in action in Wad Mzab, but
in both Ibadhi communities of Jabal Nufusah and Jerba Island
they were dissolved during the Ottoman rule. A detailed study
of the Azzabah system, its rules and regulations, and the
role it played in the Ibadhi communities and education will be
an interesting one, and of great value.47
In the following
few pages it is aimed to pinpoint the laws resulting from the
former division of the stages of the Ibadhi community (masalik
al-din) in the Ibadhi jurisprudence.
There is not much
to be said about the stages of difa and Zuhur here,
except that religious dissimulation (taqiyah) does not
behove the Imams of Difa and zuhur;48 this
rule applies to the Shurat as well.49
Among modern Ibadhi scholars, Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf Atfaiyish
objected to this opinion regarding the Imam of Zuhur,
‘for,” as he argues, “if religious dissimulation is lawful for
individuals to save their lives, the question of the Imamate
must be of greater importance.”50
Concerning the
stage of difa, it is already mentioned that the Imamate
of defence (Imamat al-difa) dissolves automatically after
the end of the war, but some scholars hold that the Imamate of
defence can remain after the end of the war as well.51
Regarding the stage
of shira, it has already been mentioned that it is a
voluntary duty for more than forty persons, and that they must
pray full prayer during their revolt though they are far from
their original homes. In case the Shurat wanted to take
over during the Imamate of defence, they have all the right to
do so, for the Imam of the Shurat, for his intention of
sacrificing his life for the cause of the Ibadhi community, is
more entitled to the right of leadership than the Imam of
difa.52
Apart from this, all the laws of the Shurat are the same
as those of the Ibadhi community during kitman.53
Among the four
stages, secrecy (kitman) was of great influence on Ibadhi
jurisprudence in North Africa. Abu Ya’qub al-Warijlani,
discussed in details the laws of kitman in his two
books, al-Dalil, and al-Adl wa al-insaf. The most
important aspect is the suspension of the hadd punishment
during kitman. According to Warijlani, Ibadhis regarded
the stage of kitman of their community of the same
conditions as the corresponding stage in the life of the Prophet
in Mecca before hijrah when no hadd punishments
were revealed yet.54
However, some Ibadhi scholars acted contrary to this rule on
certain occasions on the basis that secrecy (kitman)
takes the laws of zuhur whenever it is possible, though
that zuhur must not take the laws of kitman.55
The only exception to the decision of the suspension of the
hudud is killing those who defame the Ibadhis. Such people
are to be killed by any means at any time during the four
stages.56
During kitman Ibadhis have to live under the rule of
tyrants. Special rules were laid down for Ibadhis regarding
their relationship with ‘tyrants’ in the time of kitman.
The main principle is that the Ibadhis must not be of any help
to tyrants in their rule, so they must not hold any posts for
them.57
The exception to this rule is that those members of the Ibadhi
community who are known for their opposition to the ‘tyrants’
and were capable of commanding them to good and forbidding them
from evil, such members can hold posts in the rule of ‘tyrants’;
they can lead their troops in jihad, be in charge of the
spoils (ghanaim), Qadiship, or futya
(delivering legal opinions on religious questions). Ibadhis, in
this attitude, follow the example of Ibn Abbas, Jabir b. Zaid,
al-Hasan al-Basri and Shuraih al-Qadi. All these great scholars
were known for their opposition to the rule of ‘tyrants’ and
held posts under them. The condition for such an attitude is to
run the posts according to the shari’ah and not fear
anybody in practising justice.58 |
