Reference: https://www.ferkous.app/home/?q=fatwa-263
Question: We request from Your Excellency, to clarify the correct view regarding the Ibāḍī madhhab, which is widespread amongst us in the city of Ghardaïa. [1]
Response: All praise is for Allāh, Lord of the worlds. May salutations of praise and peace be upon the one whom Allāh sent as mercy to mankind, upon his family, his companions, and his brothers until the Day of Recompense, thereafter:
Ibāḍiyyah is one of the sects of the Khawārij. Although they are not included in the most extreme [of their sub-sects] like the Azāriqah. [2] However, they do have various core beliefs common with the Khawārij, including negating the attributes of Allāh; believing the Qur’ān is created; permitting rebellion against unjust rulers among other deviations.
The sect ascribes itself to its founder: ‘Abdullāh ibn Ibāḍ at-Tamīmi [3], who viewed himself as a continuation of the first sect of the Khawārij – al-Muhakkimah. [4] The Ibāḍīs gained prominence and influence in the southern Arabian Peninsula, to the extent that they reached Makkah and al-Madīnah an-Nabawiyah. Their ideology then spread in North Africa, among the Berbers.
They established a state known as the Rustamiyah state [5], with its capital in Tāhart. They ruled arts of] North Africa for nearly 130 years until they were overthrown by the ‘Ubaydiyyūn – incorrectly called the Fāṭimids.
Today, the Ibāḍīs are still found in places such as Oman, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, more so in Ghardaïa and neighbouring areas; also in the Western Sahara oases, and in Zanzibar in Tanzania.
In addition to the previously mentioned points, the Ibāḍīs hold the following beliefs:
- Denying the Ru’yah (the believers seeing) Allāh in the Hereafter.
- Claiming that the attributes of Allāh are not distinct from his essence, but are in fact his very essence. [6]
- Interpreting matters of the Hereafter metaphorically, such as the Mīzān (scales), the Ṣirāṭ (the bridge over the Fire), and others.
- Claiming the Qur’ān is created, as is the position of all the sects of the Khawārij.
- Believinng that human actions are created by Allāh but acquired by the human being, thereby positioning themselves between the Qadariyyah and Jabriyyah.
- They regard a person who has committed a major sin to be a kāfir, however his kufr is kufr ni‘mah (disbelief of ingratitude) or kufr nifāq (disbelief of hypocrisy) not a disbelief of apostasy – yet they believe that such a person will remain in the Fire for eternity. Due to this, they also reject shafā’ah (intercession) for the people of tawḥīd who commit [major] sins.
Based upon this, the Ibāḍīs categorize people into three groups:
- Mu’minīn: Believers who have been true to their imān.
- Mushrikūn: Disbelieving polytheists upon clear shirk.
- A category of people who proclaim tawḥīd and accept Islām, but do not abide by Islām in their behaviours and worship – such people are treated as Muslims in worldly rulings due to them [outwardly] professing Islām, but in the Hereafter, they are considered to be mushriks due to them not being true to their imān, and opposing what tawhid requires from them in terms of doing fulfilling certain actions and abandoning other actions.
Hence, according to this [categorisation], it is not permissible for a person to supplicate for someone with Paradise and its rewards unless he is a Muslim who completely adheres to his religion, and is therefore deserving loyalty because of his obedience. As for supplicating for him with worldly goodness, this is permitted for all Muslims regardless of whether they are righteous and sinful.
Modern-day Ibāḍīs agree with classic Ibāḍīs that the land in which their Muslim adversaries live, is a land of tawḥīd, apart from the governmental quarters, which they regard as a land of rebellion. They also believe that their adversaries from the people of the Qiblah (i.e. Muslim adversaries) are kuffār (disbelievers) but not mushriks (polytheists). Despite this, they permit marrying from them, inheriting from them, and taking their wealth as spoils of war, whereas all other forms of interactions are impermissible.
Regarding the subsidiary rulings of ṣalāh, they do not raise their hands for takbīrat aI-iḥrām; they place their hands by their sides; they do not move their index finger during tashahhud; they pray all their ṣalāh quietly, even the loud ones – and other subsidiary issues.
The basis of their [deviated] beliefs is them being influenced by the Mu‘tazilah in their view regarding that Qur’ān being create. They rely upon the Qur’ān, the “Musnad of ar-Rabī‘ ibn Ḥabīb”; [7] analogical reasoning and ijmā’(consensus).
Along with their absolute literalistic interpretation of religious texts, they explain the texts of the Qur’ān and Sunnah in a dhāhirī manner literalistic and surface-level manner. They also base their Fiqh based writings on the opinions of the Ḥanafīs, Mālikīs, Shāfi‘īs, and Ḥanbalīs. One of their most prominent references is “an-Nayl wa Shifā al-‘Alīl” which was explained by Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf Iṭfiyyash who died in the hear 1332h; he compiled in his book the ibādī madhhab and their beliefs.
There is no doubt that the Ibāḍis have opposed the ‘aqīdah the main body of Islām (i.e. Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamā‘ah), those who remain united upon the truth and have not become divided over the religion [into differing sects]. It is the very foundations of Islām, an ‘aqīdah without sects and [diverging] paths. They [the Ibāḍis] have opposed the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamā’ah, in their principles and foundations, in terms of the reference points [of their ‘aqīdah] and the proofs utilised to justify [their beliefs].
[The Ibāḍīs have opposed Ahlus Sunnah] in their diligent following [of the sunnah] and abandonment of innovations; in their unity [upon the sunnah] and rejecting sectarianism and differing over the religion; in their moderation between the groups of extremes excess and negligence; in how [Ahlus Sunnah] emulate and seek guidance from the upright imams of guidance, those who are to be followed in knowledge, action, and daʿwah, beginning with the Companions and those who followed their path, and in distancing themselves from those who deviated from their way.
Allāh says:
{And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him, and follows other than the way of the believers – We will turn him to what he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – and what an evil destination} [04:115]
And Allāh knows best; our final call is that all praise is for Allāh, Lord of the worlds. May salutations of praise be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, his companions, and his brothers until the Day of Recompense, and [be upon them] eternal peace and safety.
Written in Algeria
29th Jumādā al-Thāniyah 1426h
Corresponding to 4th August, 2005
Appendix: The Ruling of Ṣalāh being the Ibāḍis.
Question: Is the Ibāḍi sect considered one of the deviant sects from among the Khawārij? And is it permissible to pray ṣalāh behind them, with supporting evidence?
Response: All praise is due to Allāh alone, and may salutations of praise and peace be upon his Messenger, his family, and companions. To proceed:
The Ibāḍi sect is among the deviant sects due to their injustice, aggression, and rebellion against ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and ‘Ali, may Allāh be pleased with them both. Therefore, it is not permissible to pray ṣalāh behind them.
With Allāh is success. May salutations of praise and peace be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, and companions.
Ref: Fatāwa al-Lajnah ad-Dāimah, Fatwa no. 6935.
Footnotes
[1] A well-known city, in the Ghardaïa Province, located in northern-central Algeria. It has a significant Ibāḍī population from the ethnically Berber people, specifically Bani Mzab. [TN]
[2] Al-Azāriqah: A sub-sect of the Khawārij. Their name is attributed to their founder, Nāfi’ Ibn al-Azraq [d: 65h], who gained notoriety for his disrespect towards Ibn ‘Abbās in questioning and quarrelling with him. Various sources mention the “Azāriqah” as the first group amongst the Khawārij to make takfīr of the Muslims. The Ibādis are said to be the most moderate sub-sect of the Khawārij, which may be the underlying reason for their continuity. [Mawsū‘at al-Firaq al-Mansūbah ilā al-Islām” | dorar.net] [TN]
[3] ‘Abdullāh ibn Ibāḍ at-Tamīmī [d: 89h]; Little is known regarding his life, however he was a leader of the Khawārij of Basrah who, along with Nafi Ibn al-Azraq, initially supported ‘Abdullah Ibn Zubayr (radiaAllāhu ‘anhu) during the siege of Makkah, and then renegaded against him when he refused to join them. [Ibid] [TN]
[4] Al-Muhakkimah: They are the first sub-sect amongst the Khawārij, and the most extreme due to their takfīr of the Muslims, revolting against the Companions, and their affinity to killing and violence. They appeared when an agreement was made to resolve the dispute between ‘Ali and Mu’āwiyah (radiaAllāhu anhumā): at-Taḥkīm. Their name is taken from their slogan “Lā ḥukma illa lillāh”. When the outcome of the resolve was not to their liking, they revolted against ‘Ali in the battle of Nahrwān under the command of ‘Abdullah Ibn Wahb ar-Rāsibī. [TN]
[5] The Rustamid Dynasty was established mainly Algeria along with parts of Tunisia and Libya, by the Ibādis of Persia, The dynasty ruled for approximately 150 years, and was founded by ʻAbdurRaḥmān ibn Rustam al-Fārisī. It was eventually overthrown by the Isma’īli “Fātimids”. [TN]
[6] Meaning that the essence of Allāh is not described with attributes, and any attributes which are affirmed in the Qur’ān or Sunnah, are merely his essence not an attribute of his essence. Allāh is a dhāt (essence) devoid of any attributes, so he is as-Samī’ (the all-hearing) without the attribute of hearing, he is al-Baṣīr (the all-seeing) without the attribute of sight etc… Glorified is Allāh above what they describe him with. [TN]
[7] The Musnad of ar-Rabī’ Ibn Ḥabīb is the most authentic book of ḥadīth according to the Ibādis. It contains 372 narrations, most of them from Rabī’ah Ibn Ḥabīb, upon the authority of Abu ‘Ubaydah.
Shaykh al-Albāni (rahimahullah) said, “Rabīʿ ibn Ḥabīb – who is al-Farāhīdī – is an Ibādi, majhūl (unknown). He is not mentioned in the books of our scholars. His Musnad is what they call ‘Ṣaḥīḥ al-Ibāḍiyyah,’ and it is filled with weak and rejected hadiths.” [Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-ḍaʿīfah 6/304]
Based on the lack of any biographical account of Rabīʿ ibn Ḥabīb, many scholars have hypothesised that he is a fictitious personality, invented by the Ibāḍis so they have a “musnad” to justify their beliefs. [TN]
تعريفٌ موجز بالإباضية ومعتقداتهم
المرجع: https://www.ferkous.app/home/?q=fatwa-263
السؤال: نرجو مِنْ فضيلتكم توضيحَ الرُّؤَى حولَ المذهبِ الإباضيِّ السائدِ عندنا في مدينة غرداية.
الجواب: الحمد لله ربِّ العالمين، والصلاةُ والسلام على مَنْ أرسله الله رحمةً للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبِه وإخوانِه إلى يوم الدِّين، أمَّا بعد:
فالإباضيَّةُ مِنْ فِرَقِ الخوارجِ وليسوا مِنْ غُلَاتهم كالأَزَارِقَة، ولكنَّهم يتَّفقون مع الخوارج في أصولٍ عديدةٍ، منها: تعطيلُ الصِّفات، والقولُ بِخَلْقِ القرآن، وتجويزُ الخروجِ على أئمَّةِ الجَوْرِ وغيرها.
وتُنْسَبُ الإباضيَّةُ إلى مُؤسِّسها: عبد الله بنِ إباضٍ التَّمِيمِيِّ، الذي يَعتبر نَفْسَه امتدادًا للمُحَكِّمة الأولى مِنَ الخوارج، وكانَتْ لهم صَوْلَةٌ وجَولةٌ في جنوبيِّ الجزيرة العربيَّة حتَّى وصلوا إلى مكَّةَ والمدينةِ النبويَّة، وانتشر مذهبُهم في الشمال الإفريقيِّ بين البربر، وكانَتْ لهم دولةٌ عُرِفَتْ بالدولة الرُّسْتُميَّة، وعاصمتُها: «تاهرت»، وحَكَموا الشمالَ الإفريقيَّ قُرابةَ مائةٍ وثلاثين سَنَةً، حتَّى أزالهم العُبَيْديون المُتسمُّون ـ كذبًا ـ بالفاطميِّين.
ولا يزال وُجُودُهم في وقتنا في كُلٍّ مِنْ عُمَانَ وليبيا وتونس والجزائر، وبالخصوص في مدينة غرداية وما جاوَرَها، وفي واحات الصحراء الغربيَّة، وفي زنجبار بتنزانيا.
ومِنْ معتقدات الإباضية بالإضافة إلى ما تقدَّم: إنكارهم لرؤية الله في الآخرة؛ اعتقادهم بأنَّ صفاتِ الله ليسَتْ زائدةً على ذات الله ولكنَّها هي عينُ ذاته؛ يؤوِّلون بعضَ مَسائِلِ الآخرة تأويلًا مجازيًّا كالميزان والصراط وغيرِهما؛ القرآن ـ عندهم ـ مخلوقٌ، وهو مذهبُ كُلِّ الخوارج؛ يعتقدون أنَّ أفعال الإنسان خلقٌ مِنَ الله، واكتسابٌ مِنَ الإنسان، وهم بذلك يقفون موقفًا وسطًا بين القَدَريَّة والجبريَّة؛ ومُرْتَكِبُ الكبيرة ـ عندهم ـ كافرٌ كُفْرَ نعمةٍ أو كُفْرَ نفاقٍ لا كُفْرَ ملَّةٍ، ومع ذلك يقولون: إنَّ العاصيَ مخلَّدٌ في النار، ومنه إنكارُهم الشفاعةَ لعُصَاةِ الموحِّدين.
وعليه، فالناسُ ـ في نَظَرِ الإباضيِّين ـ على ثلاثةِ أصنافٍ:
– مؤمنون أوفياءُ بإيمانهم
– مُشْرِكون واضحون في شِرْكِهم
– صِنْفٌ أَعْلَنُوا كلمةَ التوحيد وأَقَرُّوا بالإسلام لكِنْ لم يلتزموا به سلوكًا وعبادةً، فهُمْ مع المسلمين في أحكام الدنيا لإقرارهم بالتوحيد، وهُمْ مع المشركين في أحكام الآخرة لعدَمِ وفائهم بإيمانهم ولمُخالَفتِهم ما يستلزمه التوحيدُ مِنْ عملٍ أو تركٍ.
لذلك لا يجوز ـ عندهم ـ أَنْ يدعوَ شخصٌ لآخَرَ بخيرِ الجنَّة وما يتعلَّقُ بها إلَّا إذا كان مسلمًا مُوَفِّيًا لدِينِه مُسْتَحِقًّا الولايةَ بسببِ طاعته، أمَّا الدعاءُ بخيرِ الدنيا فهو جائزٌ لكُلِّ المسلمين تُقاةً وعُصاةً.
هذا، ويتَّفِقُ مُحْدَثو الإباضيَّةِ مع القُدَامى في أنَّ دارَ مُخالِفيهم مِنْ أهلِ الإسلامِ هي دارُ توحيدٍ، إلَّا معسكر السلطان فإنه دارُ بغيٍ، كما أنهم يعتقدون أنَّ أهل القِبلة مِنْ مُخالِفيهم كُفَّارٌ غيرُ مشركين، ومُناكَحَتهم جائزةٌ، ومُوارَثَتهم حلالٌ، وغنيمة أموالِهِم حلالٌ، وما سواهُ حرامٌ، وغيرها مِنَ المُعتقَدات المُخالِفة لمُعتقَدِ أهل الحقِّ.
ومِنْ فروعهم في الصلاة: عدَمُ رفعِ اليدَيْن في تكبيرة الإحرام؛ والسَّدْلُ في الصلاة؛ وعدَمُ تحريكِ السبَّابة في التشهُّد؛ والإسرارُ في جميعِ صلواتهم حتَّى الجهريَّة؛ وغيرها مِنْ مسائل الفروع.
وأصلُ هذه المعتقَدات: تأثُّرُهم بالمعتزلة في قولهم بخَلْقِ القرآن، واعتمادُهم على القرآنِ و«مُسْنَدِ الربيع بنِ حبيبٍ» وعلى الرأي والإجماع.
ووقوفُهم عند بعضِ النصوص الدِّينيَّة موقفًا حرفيًّا، ويفسِّرون نصوصَ الكتابِ والسُّنَّة تفسيرًا ظاهريًّا، واستنادُهم في كتاباتهم الفقهيَّةِ إلى آراء الحنفيَّة والمالكيَّة والشافعيَّة والحنابلة، ومِنْ أَشْهَرِ مَراجِعِهم كتابُ: «النيل وشفاء العليل» الذي شَرَحَه محمَّد بنُ يوسف إطفيش المتوفَّى سَنَةَ: (١٣٣٢ﻫ): جَمَعَ فيه المذهبَ الإباضيَّ وعقائدَه.
ولا يخفى أنَّ الإباضيَّة قد خالَفوا عقيدةَ جماعةِ الإسلام الذين اجتمعوا على الحقِّ ولم يتفرَّقوا في الدِّين؛ فهي أصولُ الإسلام الذي هو عقيدةٌ بلا فِرَقٍ ولا طُرُقٍ، وخالَفوا منهجَ أهلِ السُّنَّةِ والجماعة في قواعدهم وأصولهم في مَجال التَّلَقِّي والاستدلال، وفي الاتِّباع وتركِ الابتداع، والاجتماعِ ونَبْذِ الفُرْقة والاختلاف في الدِّين، والتوسُّطِ بين فِرَقِ الغُلُوِّ والتفريط، والاقتداءِ والاهتداء بأئمَّة الهدى العدول المقتدى بهم في العلم والعمل والدعوة مِنَ الصحابة ومَنْ سارَ على نهجهم، ومُجانَبةِ مَنْ خالَفَ سبيلَهم.
قال تعالى:
{وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعۡ غَيۡرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصۡلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا} ١١٥ : النساء
والعلم عند الله تعالى، وآخِرُ دعوانا أنِ الحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمين، وصلَّى الله على نبيِّنا محمَّدٍ وعلى آله وصحبِه وإخوانِه إلى يوم الدِّين، وسلَّم تسليمًا.
الجزائر في: ٢٩ جمادى الثانية ١٤٢٦ﻫ
الموافق ﻟ: ٤ أوت ٢٠٠٥م
ملحق: فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء، فتوى رقم ٦٩٣٥.
السؤال: هل تعتبر فرقة الإباضية من الفرق الضالة من فرق الخوارج؟ وهل يجوز الصلاة خلفهم مع الدليل؟
الجواب: “الحمد الله وحده والصلاة والسلام على رسوله وآله وصحبه، وبعد:
فرقة الإباضية من الفرق الضالة لما فيهم من البغي والعدوان والخروج على عثمان بن عفان وعلي رضي الله عنهما، ولا تجوز الصلاة خلفهم.
وبالله التوفيق وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم.”
