School of law
Ibadi
An early independent school with its own legal and theological literature, marked by strictness in ethics and moderation in community relations.
Mainly followed in: Oman, Zanzibar, and parts of North Africa.
History
The Ibadi school emerged in Basra in the first century of Islam around the teaching circle of Jabir ibn Zayd (d. c. 711), a student of Ibn Abbas and a respected hadith scholar. It is neither Sunni nor Shi'i, but a distinct early tradition with its own legal and theological literature.
Ibadis rejected both hereditary kingship and the violence of the extremist factions of their time, holding that leadership belongs to the most qualified Muslim, whoever he may be.
Ibadi communities established states in Oman and North Africa; Oman remains the school's main home, along with Zanzibar, the Mzab valley in Algeria, and Jerba in Tunisia.
Lineage of teaching
Knowledge in Islam is passed from teacher to student. This is the broad chain behind the school, oldest first.
- 1The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
- 2Abdullah ibn Abbas and Aisha, among the Companions
- 3Jabir ibn Zayd (d. c. 711)
- 4Abu Ubayda Muslim ibn Abi Karima
- 5The 'carriers of knowledge' who took the school to Oman and North Africa
- 6The Rustamid imams of Tahert and the imams of Oman
- 7al-Salimi and modern Omani scholarship
Ten practices you would notice today
Everyday positions a follower of this school would recognise. Other schools hold different views on these points, and all remain within Islam.
- 1Hands are usually left at the sides in prayer.
- 2'Ameen' is said quietly.
- 3Prayers are kept at their own times; combining is limited to genuine need.
- 4Qunut is not a standing part of the daily prayer.
- 5Tarawih is prayed, with individual night prayer also highly valued.
- 6Major sin is treated with real seriousness; sincere repentance is emphasised strongly.
- 7Careful ethics in trade, contracts and speech is a hallmark of the school.
- 8Leadership belongs to the most qualified and just Muslim, without regard to lineage.
- 9Peaceful relations with other Muslims and restraint in condemning others.
- 10Local scholarly councils, rather than a single supreme authority, guide the community.
Practices kept today that the Prophet ﷺ did himself
Points where this school’s everyday practice matches something directly narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Every school holds to the Sunnah as it understood it — these are examples, not a claim that others depart from it.
Simplicity and restraint in worship, dress and living.
The Prophet ص slept on a plain mat that left marks on his side, and warned against extravagance.
Emphasis on sincere repentance and guarding the tongue.
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or stay silent.”
Choosing leaders for their piety and competence rather than lineage.
“Listen and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is put in authority over you.”
Sources & further reading
The works this school’s positions are drawn from, plus accessible introductions.
Musnad al-Rabi' ibn Habib
al-Rabi' ibn Habib (d. c. 786)
The principal Ibadi hadith collection.
Kitab al-Nil
Abd al-Aziz al-Thamini (d. 1808)
A central Ibadi law manual with its commentaries.
Qamus al-Shari'a
Jamil ibn Khamis al-Sa'di (d. 1878)
A large Omani legal encyclopedia.
Ibadi Islam: An Introduction
Valerie Hoffman, The Essentials of Ibadi Islam
English-language introduction with translated texts.
A reminder
This page is a summary for orientation, not a fatwa. Differences between schools are differences of scholarship, not of faith — learn the details from a qualified, trustworthy teacher in your own community.