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Ibadhism

          Thank God, we study the book of all the Muslims without discrimination between a Muslim and another Muslim, and we take the truth where we nd it as one of our Imams, Noor Al-Din Al-Salmy— My God Bless him — has said:
We take the truth wherever we nd it,
Even if our opponent brought it.
The wrong we repel even if brought
By the hateful who hides it.
 
          I have previously mentioned the principle of Imam Abi Hamza who considered people as being from us and we from them except three: The Polytheist, The Idolater and the Indel among the people of the book, or those imposing authority on the people without justification as revealed by God. This is the fairness to this community and fairness to everyone who has the intellect, and this is the principle adopted by our people.
 
          The Imam Noor A1-Din Al-Salmy has said:
“We do not seek worship
Above the belief in the two testimonies,
He who makes the two statements we say
Our brothers and in the rights we stand
But when they show straying
And believe in their religion the impossible
We show then the right
And consider it their right.
Whoever corrupts in writing
In books of publicity and reports
Solving problems and answering doubts
Asking who will be mindful?
We return it to the rightful
In our effort that the creature will not stray
If they keep quiet on us
We keep quiet on them
We consider it sufficient
That they are Muslims.
          Here I have to mention with some consideration and respect and thanks, people of live consciousness and free minds who have been fair with the Ibadhis and who have not spared an effort in manifesting the truth — a matter which remained hidden to many people — Those who freed their pens from the effects of fanaticism and of passion and greed for wealth etc., but were guided by the desire for objectivism and the need to reach the plain and clean truth. Among those I thank Prof. Ahmed Amin for his writings on Ibadhism although he made a mistake by referring the Ibadhis as Khawarij. Also Dr. Awadh for his books and papers in which he sought the truth about Ibadhism; and Prof. Mahdi Talib Hashim and Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Majloub — author of the book “Sectarian Struggle in Africa”, and Sheikh Abdul Hameed Al-Saiq who mentioned the Ibadhis as the people who apply the principles of Islam and follow its teachings and that they are the most popular for their honesty.
 
          I wish to quote some extracts written by the two authors — Dr.Abdul Aziz Al-Majloub, the Instructor at the College of Law and Religious Foundations at Zaytoun in Tunis and Prof. Mahdi Talib Hashim. In his book “Sectarian Struggle in Africa" Dr. Abdul Aziz has discussed the Ibadhis from pages 104 to 111 under the heading — The Ibadhis in the Field — He said: “And the most distinctive thing the Ibadhis are reputed with is their strict adherence to Religion in fullling its duties and avoiding its prohibitions on attaining adolescence, and their duty-bound hatred of the tyranneous and the corrupted. By virtue of these two qualities they have managed to achieve religious honour and political glory but which history has restricted from mentioning. Although we do not agree with him in his expression regarding adherence to the duties and avoidance of the prohibitions on attaining adolescence, we respect him for explaining the Ibadhis in what they agree with him. He then mentioned the sect saying that its followers have maintained the Mohammedan message in the fundamentals of the sectarians and have not digressed from the Straight Path which the Prophet followed and his Caliphs after him in their manners and ways of life, and their leaders never committed crimes and never used oppression in their leadership or any other type of violation which none of other leaders — except a few — did not avoid.
 
          “Nay, oppression was impossible for them, not because they were protected but because a religious person and a politician was the same person to them, and the Imam himself was the one who gave instructions, and that is the genuine Islamic fundamental which the Orthodox Caliphs followed, protected and defended. It is natural, therefore, that the sect of this type should spread and people be willing to follow it in the towns of Maghrib, as in following it there was security and dignity, particularly as they were fed-up with the life of disturbance and oppression from many of the agents of the Ommaiads and the Abbasides”.
 
          Then he discussed the first Ibadhi leader in North Africa – Salman Ibn Saad who left Basra and said in his farewell bid to his leader Abu Obaida Muslim bin Abi Karima Al-Tamimy, when he instructed him to go to North Africa to explain to the people the truth of the Religion and to strongly fight tyranny and the tyranneous. Prof. Abdul Aziz Majloub described him as a person who knows how to move in the towns and which mountain path to follow so that he may be safe from the tyranneous and ensure fulfilment of his mission. He chose the mountainous tracks away from the arid desert and the coastal areas which were under the subjection of the former authorities. He went to Jabal Naafusa Damar and Zadzawa with the heights and mountains, and all were populated areas with much prosperity. He managed to settle and in the midst of the Barbaris he called to Islam and explained the correct picture of Islam in beliefs, worship and dealings which were contrary to the picture which the people sent by rulers and their followers gave at that time. People renovated with his mission came together around him. He moved from place to place and whenever he left one place he left his followers behind with the passage of days and years people increased and they became such a power that one had to think a thousand times when plotting against it.
 
          He then discussed about the group which left Africa for Basra to study from Abi Obaidah — May God Bless him — and about the tyranny of the Ommaiads in Africa and the revolutions which took place because of that tyranny. He concluded by discussing Imam Abi Al-Khattab Abdil Aalaa Rostum who left Basra. He was a Yemeni who studied from Abi Obaidah who then sent him to Maghrib to join the Ibadhi Mission which came from Maghrib. He instructed them to acknowledge him (Rostum) as their leader because of his cleverness and competency in policies. He discussed his stand for justice and his defence for the dignity of Islam. He then mentioned his taking over the authority in Qairawan from the tyranny of Asim Al-Marfajuni who was a Sufi and who violated the respect of the people and made their blood, property and objectives lawful.
 
          He then said that, after making people feel secure, he protected their provisions and their interests. He then assigned Abdul Rahman bin Rostum to rule Qairawan and he returned to Tripoli. His rule continued for two years during which the Muslims in Qairawan and throughout Africa tasted the taste of security and knew the meaning of justice, and for the first time knew the beauty of honourable life under the clean Islamic rule.
 
          We then see Dr. Al-Majlub talking about the struggle between the Ibadhis and others in North Africa and he says: “The fact is that the Ibadhis managed to install their historical presence and realised notable religious achievements the effects of which remain among their followers who live with us until today. They are engaged in serving the Religion and in fighting the inventions and vice, and are determined to command what is good and to repel what is forbidden. They also achieved political distinction which had its place in the history of Islam in the Maghrib”.
 
          He then said: “And we draw the attention to the issue of great and urgent importance for one who wished to know the role of the Ibadhis in Africa and the people’s stand about it. This is so because history books, in hiding these events which took place between the rulers in Africa and the followers of the Ibadhi doctrine consider those revolutionaries as outlaws and abandoning the Religion. They are reputed with qualities of rebels. The authors of those books — who are Sunni Maliks — usually consider Ibadhism as a sect like other sects of Khawarij in their doctrines and do not mind to set a difference between it and others, basing their judgement on what has been seen therefrom and from its followers in the activities which separated it from the created sects.”
 
          Thus we find him rebuffing the allegations of those who referred to Ibadbism for what is not correct out of sectarian fanaticism. This is fairness, and may God bless him for his fairness.
          Professor Mahdi Talib Hashim has discussed Ibadhism in his book: “The Ibadhi Movement in Eastern Arabia:” He referred to their role from the time they established the Imamates until the end of the Third Century Hijriah. It is sufficient to quote his own words which came under the heading: “The Policy of Abdulla bin Yahya Entering Sanaa.”
 
          He says: “The Policy of Abdulla bin Yahya was derived from an obligation to adhere to the Islamic Law in dealing with those who differed with him in doctrine among the Muslims; and he managed to accommodate between theory and practice without favouritism in the rule during the critical periods such as in war times when furious storms and greed for revenge prevail. When his Commander Abrahat bin Al-Saddam Al-Khanjary requested to surround the defectors and to kill them he was prevented, inspite of the fact that Talib Al-Haq had seized them (as it appears in the stories of Al-Manadiry that the Ibadhis had exceeded the effort and surmounted the ring-leader in the battle). This indicates the moderate nature in the manners of this sect even in the time of war. If we compared them with the Ommaiads we would see a wide difference in this respect. In the Ommaiad wars with the Ibadhis, savageness, Bedouin nature and digression from the Islamic principles had emerged.”
 
          He also discussed Imam Talib Al-Haq and the measurers which he took in Sanaa when he occupied it. He says: “And the first of the measures which Abdulla bin Yahya — Talib Al-Haq took in Sanaa after occupying the treasures and properties was to order their distribution to the people equally in order to assure the people of Yemen the new reign which stands on the principles of justice and equality without inclining to sectarianism. Al-Shammakhy relates that Abdulla and Ibni Khairam — both Ibadhis — brought to the Mosque the properties which Talib Al-Haq had seized, and he distributed it to the poor without allowing any Ibadhi to take anything from it.
 
          “It may be that Talib Al-Haq wanted — in his nancial reform— to ensure strong friendship in Yemen and to draw conciliation with the Ibadhi movement. Because of these reformations and exible policy with his enemies, all the historians recognise his good manners and policy, and we do not nd any among them who attacks his justice.Also the religious people among the people of Yemen liked him because of his adherence to the Islamic Law. He expressed his ideological point of view when he made a speech in Sanaa and made it clear that he would to according to Islam and will not allow digression therefrom. He said: “Islam is our religion and Muhammad is our Prophet and the Kaaba is our Qibla and the Quran is our Imam.” Thus, has this professor witnessed in his valuable book about Ibadhism, and he is not an Ibadhi himself. Such is the case with people of live consciousness and clean pens and clear minds. They do not fear to tell the truth however much it may cost them.
 
          I have looked at the question of the brother regarding lack of circulation of the Ibadhi books and their references in the libraries and the Muslim Universities, and no doubt that the respected brother will know the answer to that (question) when he considers what we have just said. Many people, because of futile publicity against Ibadhism warn against the circulation of their (Ibadhi) books; and this has resulted — with much regret — in ordering to burn (those books) in one of the Muslim countries.
 
          Thank God, anyway, that many people have now been inspired towards this sect and are giving it reasonable consideration and are reading their books. We see many people making research work in Universities and — Thank God — their works have clean and far from sectarian tendencies and fanaticism. This is what we look for from the Muslims.
 
          I call on the Muslim youth to avoid fanaticism and sectarian tendencies which have ripped apart this community to such an extent that its enemies became encouraged to destroy it; and it has now become a follower instead of being a leader of the nations.
 
          I pray to the Almighty God to grant us success and He is the Benefactor of success, and that He guides us all to that which He likes and which pleases Him, and to grant all of us success for the cause of good work and right words. God Bless Muhammad (s.a.w.) and grant him salvation together with his people and companions. (Ameen).
 
 
Reference:
 
WHO ARE THE IBADHIS?, BY: AHMED BIN HAMED AL-KHALILY, TRANSLATED FROM ARABIC BY:
AHMED HAMOUD AL-MAAMIRY.PRINTED BY: AL-KHAYRIA PRESS LIMITED, ZANZIBAR.
 

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