The Rise and Fall of the Early Imamate in Oman (132—280 / 750—892)

Abstract

The bipartite division of the Islamic political scene into Sunni and Shi‘a is well known. However, the Ibadi movement is a much less prominent branch of this political scene. A particularly understudied era in the long history of Ibadism is the Imamate, which developed in Oman during the 3rd/9th century. In order to fill the knowledge gap about the early Imamate in Oman, we set out to analyze the political context in which the Imamate emerged, consolidated itself and laid the ground for the Imam to assert absolute authority over his followers. Second, we evaluate the political‑religious context that eventually developed into a protracted period of religious discord and bitter tribal battles. We conclude by appraising the causes that led to an evident time of political and religious stagnation of the movement and to its ultimate fall.