My Humble Acquaintance with Ibadi Islam through an Honourable Soul – Sheikh Hamed Al-Ruzaiqi (A visitor from India to Oman, holder of B.A., M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees)
When I set foot on the blessed land of Oman on the 21st of May, 2025, I was filled with a sense of awe and heartfelt curiosity. I longed not just to see the country’s physical beauty but to understand its essence through both mind and heart. What awaited me was an experience marked by warmth, grace, and unparalleled hospitality something I will cherish for a lifetime.
Throughout my stay, I met many wonderful individuals, but one man stood out profoundly Sheikh Hamed Al-Ruzaiqi. From the very beginning, his conduct and demeanor reflected the epitome of honour and humility. Despite his respected position in a government college in Muscat and being significantly older than me, he treated me with a generosity and reverence that are rare even among close kin. Whether we were entering a mosque, a home, or any public space, he would insist I go first. Whether we were sharing a meal or taking tea, he would offer me the first bite or sip. These were not isolated gestures but consistent habits that stemmed from his deep sense of adab (etiquette) and honour for guests. Coming from India, where such treatment is rare even among peers, I was deeply moved and humbled. Truly, he embodies what it means to be a noble and honourable human being.
Our conversations spanned vast topics from the agonies of the Palestine-Israel conflict to the India-Pakistan issue, from the education systems in Oman and India to global politics, culture, and economics. Yet among all these discussions, what impacted me most was my introduction to the Ibadi school of Islamic thought a school predominantly followed in Oman and deeply revered by its people.
As someone coming from India, where Ibadi Islam is scarcely known, this was an eye-opening experience. Through rich dialogues with Sheikh Hamed and my own subsequent readings, I began to grasp the unique tenets of the Ibadi faith. Here are a few key insights I have gathered so far:
1. Leadership in Islam (Khilafah):
The Ibadi view holds that the Khalifa (leader of the Muslim community) can be anyone who is truly muttaqi (God-fearing) and possesses sound knowledge of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and Islamic jurisprudence, regardless of tribal lineage or ethnicity. This differs from Sunni thought, which often asserts the leader must be from the Quraysh tribe, and Shia belief, which restricts leadership to the Ahl al-Bayt (the family of the Prophet ﷺ).
2. Nature of Allah (Tawhid):
According to Ibadi belief, Allah is beyond physical form, location, or human comprehension. The Ibadis hold that Allah cannot be seen, not in this world nor in the Hereafter not even on the Day of Judgment. Their understanding is grounded in the Qur’anic verse:
“No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.” (Qur’an 6:103)
For the Ibadis, to claim that Allah can be seen or has attributes dangerously anthropomorphize the Divine, reduces the Majesty of Allah to the limitations of creation. They argue that such beliefs risk equating the Creator with created beings and thus lead to a form of shirk (association with Allah), which Islam fundamentally rejects.
This sharply contrasts with certain Sunni theological schools, particularly among Ash’aris, who assert that believers will see Allah in the Hereafter, though they acknowledge that the “how” (kayfiyyah) of this vision is unknown. More controversially, Wahhabi/Salafi interpretations have even attributed specific physical characteristics to Allah such as face, hands, fingers, and smiling based on their literal readings of certain Hadith. These views, according to Ibadis, not only contradict the Qur’anic notion of Allah’s uniqueness “laysa kamithlihi shay”
(There is nothing like unto Him) but also open the door to imagining Allah as having a form something strictly prohibited in Ibadi theology.
3. Major Sins and Salvation:
In Ibadi theology, committing a major sin (kabirah) without repentance can prevent a person from entering Paradise. This is in contrast to some other Muslim schools of thought, where a Muslim regardless of sins may eventually attain Paradise after punishment, solely based on their faith.
4. The Createdness of the Qur’an:
The Ibadis believe that the Holy Qur’an is the created word of Allah, not eternal as Allah Himself. This view diverges from other schools particularly among some Salafi/Wahhabi scholars who argue that the Qur’an is uncreated and a part of Allah’s essence, blurring the line between Creator and creation.
5. Truthfulness as a Pillar of Morality:
Telling a lie, even a small one, is regarded by the Ibadis as a major sin (gunah kabirah). While other sects may agree in principle, the seriousness of lying is often not emphasized with the same urgency or moral weight as it is in Ibadi teachings.
These foundational beliefs captivated me not just for their theological precision, but for their ethical clarity and spiritual rigor. My curiosity naturally led me to explore the origins of this school of thought, and I discovered the revered figure of Imam Jabir ibn Zayd al-Yahmadi al-Azdi (جابر بن زيد اليحمدي الأزدي). Born in the village of Firaq near Nizwa, Oman, Imam Jabir was a leading Islamic scholar and theologian of the first century AH (7th century CE). He belonged to the noble Azd tribe and pursued his Islamic education in Basra one of the earliest centers of Islamic learning. There, he studied under esteemed companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, including Hazrat Aisha (RA), Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA), Anas ibn Malik (RA), Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), and Abu Hurairah (RA), among others.
His scholarship, depth of understanding, and unwavering piety positioned him as a towering figure in early Islamic thought. While he is especially revered within the Ibadi community as the founder of their school, many Sunni scholars also recognize and respect his immense contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and hadith.
This, then, is the humble beginning of my acquaintance with the Ibadi school an introduction made possible through the companionship of a noble and generous soul, Sheikh Hamed Al-Ruzaiqi. My journey of learning has only just begun, and with the mercy and blessings of Allah, I hope to continue delving deeper and perhaps pen down further reflections in the days to come, In Sha Allah.
May Allah increase our knowledge and guide our hearts to truth, sincerity, and unity.