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Studies in Ibāḍism (al-Ibāḍiyya)

Studies in Ibāḍism (al-Ibāḍīyya)

Publisher

Open Mind

Publication Year

2007 AH

II Abu 'Ubaidah took different attitude in a similar case. It is reported that he shunned an Ibadhi member for giving his daughter for marriage to a non-Ibadhi Muslim, and was very angry about it. According to his student, Abu al-Mu'arrij, "Abu 'Ubaidah disliked the marriage of an Ibadhi woman to a non-Ibadhi Muslim, although it was lawful, out of fear that he may confuse her and change her beliefs. He followed a similar attitude taken by 'Umar b. al-Khattab when he prevented the Companions from marrying women of the 'People of the Book' out of fear that the Muslims may prefer their beauty and neglect the Muslim women; although it is lawful to marry the women of the People of the Book." 22 It appears that Abu 'Ubaidah took this firm attitude to isolate Ibadhis from the other groups of Muslims, so that they will not be influenced by the different opinions arising at that time. The other reason could be that Abu 'Ubaidah in his planning to establish the Ibadhi Imamate, wanted to ensure the security of his plans and movements, so no strangers can affect them. The system of al-walayah wa al-bara'ah was of great importance in this respect. 23

The activities of Abu 'Ubaidah covered two main lines:

a) Looking after the Ibadhi organization.

b) Teaching Ibadhi doctrine to the learning students.

In his secret institution, which was no more than a deep cave somewhere in Basrah, 24 he educated the men who played the most important part in the development of the Ibadhi doctrine, and its political success.

Basrah was the centre of the Ibadhi movement till the end of the second century for several reasons:

a) The religious leaders of the movement lived in Basrah and carried out all their educational activities there.

b) In Basrah the movement gained full support from the large number of Jabir's kinsmen of al-'Azd, and their leading family of the Muhallabid.

c) Basrah was one of the intellectual Capitals of Islam forming besides Kufah the cultural centre of the Islamic and Arabic studies.

d ) Finally, Basrah was in the centre of the Muslim countries of Asia, a fact which made the contacts easier between the centre of the movement in Basrah and the other branches of Khurasan, Oman, Yemen, and Mecca.

In Basrah, the Ibadhi organisation with the leadership of Abu 'Ubaidah and the council of the Shaikhs, carried out the responsibility of forming the policy of the movement and preparing learned men for missionary work to be sent all over the Muslim countries to propagate the Ibadhi doctrine . one of these ibadhi

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