Ibadism: History, Doctrines, and Recent Scholarship

Ibism is the only surviving sect of Khrijism and thus represents the third main branch of Islam, after Sunnism and Sh?ism. Ibs, who number less than 1% of the world's Muslims, are found mainly in the Sultanate of Oman, in the Mzb and Wrgla (Ouargla) regions of southeastern Algeria, in the Nafusa mountain region of northwestern Libya, and on the island of Jirba (Djerba), Tunisia. The traditional narrative of Ibism's origins dates it to Abd Allh ibn Ibad's split from the radical Khrijism of Nfiibn al-Azraq in 64/684 CE. Ibs say that Jbir ibn Zayd (d. 93/711 CE) organized the sect in Basra, but recent scholarship questions much of this traditional narrative. This article discusses recent scholarship on Ibism's historical development, summarizes its distinctive teachings in theology and jurisprudence, and offers a brief analysis of the relationship of Ibism to the Bu Sa'idi sultanate of Oman and Zanzibar.