There is no evidence of any Ibadhi scholars among Berbers existing before the time of Abu 'Ubaidah Muslim. The first Berber Ibadhi scholar mentioned in Ibadhi sources is Ibn Maghtir al-Jannawani, who studied under Abu 'Ubaidah in Basrah before the latter established his final opinions on the Ibadhi legal system.100 Ibn Maghtir was the Mufti in Jabal Nufusah before the return of the five 'bearers of learning.' Ibadhi sources also mention 'Amr b. Yimkitin as the first Ibadhi scholar of Nufusah to start teaching Qur'an in the mosque of his village, Afatman. He became afterwards one of the important leaders of Nufusah and participated in the wars of Abu al-Khattab against the 'Abbasid army.101

According to the available information, it is clear that the Ibadhis of North Africa were in firm contact with Basrah for the study of Ibadhi teaching from their start. It is also certain that such contacts existed towards the end of the first century H.

The Ibadhis of North Africa depended very much on the scholars of Basrah, especially Abu 'Ubaidah Muslim, in whatever problems they faced on legal and theological matters. Among the extant works which Abu 'Ubaidah wrote to the people of the Maghrib is his treatise on zakat which he wrote to a certain Ismail b. Sulaiman al-Maghribi.102 Jitali also reported that Abu 'Ubaidah sent responses (Jawabat) on theological questions to the people of the Maghrib,103 but these responses are still missing. These contacts were presumably very effective during the time of Abu 'Ubaidah before the return to Africa of the five students (Hamalat al-'ilm), who took over the burden of propagating Ibadhi teachings and deepening its roots amongst the Maghribis. The most important part of this task was carried out by Abu Dirar al-Ghadamsi, Abu Dawud al-Qibilli, and 'Abd al-Rahman b. Rustam. The others, namely Abu al-Khattab 'Abd al-A'la and 'Asim al-Sadrati directed their activities towards political and military struggle and they both died before they could settle down to participate in any educational activities.

The contacts between the two Ibadhi communities of the 'East', (al-Mashriq), and the 'West', (al-Maghrib), was maintained all the time. When 'Abd al-Rahman b. Rustam was elected to the Imamate in Tahert, the Ibadhis of the 'East' sent a special delegation to examine his conduct, and when they were satisfied with him, they gave him full support morally and financially. Afterwards, whenever a conflict took place among the Ibadhis of North Africa, they sought its resolution from their fellow Ibadhis of the 'East'. A number of 'letters' were written by scholars of the 'East' giving their opinions on religious and political issues which occurred among the Ibadhis of the Maghrib.104

Ibadhi literature written by scholars of the 'East' was presented to the Ibadhis of the Maghrib.105 During his rules, Imam 'Abd al-Wahhab b. 'Abd al-Rahman