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residency and muscat political agency for 1880-81. 45

APPENDIX B TO PART II.

Note on the sect op Ibaduiyah of 'OmIn.
The sect is named after 'Abdallah-bin-IWdh, wbo flourished accord-
inf: to some authorities about A.D. G85-705, and according to others
A D. M1-749. It may be included amongst the numerous Kbarijito
*,r s<lii-matic sects of Islam, but in 'Om£ n it may be said to have attained
the imj-ortance of a national religion. It was in the year 657 A.D.
that a large number of the Khalifah 'Ali's followers revolted against his
authority, and these were described as " Khaw^rij” or heretics who had
wandered from the fold of the true faith.
A year later 'Ali attacked the Kharijitcs, who numbered 4,000, and
nearly exterminated them, as nine only are 6aid to have escaped. Tho
storv goes that two of these reached/Oratfn, where they preached and
spread the Kharijite doctriness Later, 'Abdallab-bin-lbadb established
a distinct sect, whose doctrines are based on the Kbarijite schism. The
most important distinguishing feature in the doctrine of the sect is with
regard to the succession of the Khalifahs or Imams of Islam. Whilst
the Sunnites or traditionists recognize the four successors of Mohammed,
Abu Bekr, 'Omar, 'Othrnan, and Ali, as rightful Kbalifahs or successors
of the Prophet, and Imams of the Muslims; and the Shee'ah or “dis­
tinctive” sect rejects all but Ali and his family; the Ibadhis, whilst
accepting Abu Bckr and 'Omar, reject 'Otbmdn and Ali, and regard
them ns heretics and usurpers. For the view of the Ibddhi is
that the Imamate is an office dependent on the will and election of the
faithful, and not rightly held from hereditary succession. It follows
that this does Dot admit the absolute necessity for an Imam at all,
ami, as at present iu 'Oman, the office may be allowed to remain
vacant As they assert their right to elect their Imams, so do
they maiutaiu their right to depose Imams who are guilty of
transgressions. Iu 'Oman the Imams have been usually selected from
amongst the if Yemen” tribes; and in the eyes of the religions, the
election °l an Imam would, as a matter of course, carry with it the tem­
poral sway. The adoption of the Wahbabee* and Sunni doctrines by
many iu 'Oman is obviously calculated to render more difficult the
combination of the spiritual and temporal power in any one hand, and
for many years no attempt at the election of an Imam of the Ibidhi has
been made.
In the older days it appears that Imams were elected as “ Sb4ri”f
Imam or " Dafi'i.” The Shari Imam was one who on assuming office
vowed t0 (jje rather than yield to the foes of the religion, or fly from
them iu battle. Those not so vowed were termed Difi'L In the

c . * Colonel Miles in the preceding paper mentions that the Bcni-RAsib were the
kibces!** t° accept the IbAdhi religion, end have since become bigoted Web-
• f *n primitive sense a seller, was. also applied to denote a KhariiitA general!/,
lor ti **kliurit schismatics,*’ so applied because the/ said that the/ told themselves
and ” ^

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