reported by Ibadhi authorities. The other collections of Traditions by Sunnis were not used at any stage. In fact, the first Ibadhi scholar of North Africa to mention certain Sunni collections of hadith in his works was Abu Ya'qub al-Warijlani of the sixth century H.49 Up to the time of al-Barradi, Ibadhi still discouraged the use of the Sunni collections of hadith. In his treatise, al-Haqa'iq, al-Barradi advised Ibadhi students as far as possible not to read them.50 Thus the Ibadhi legal system was derived from the material reported by Ibadhi authorities only. Throughout its history, it developed within the limits of that material. The nature of the Ibadhi jurisprudence can be understood only by the study of its original material and authorities, and the circumstance which led to the foundation of the Ibadhi movement and directed its growth and development. Ibadhis looked on the early period of the first two Caliphs as being the ideal age after which innovations and worldly desires caused the corruption on the Muslim community in religious and political life. Their aim was to keep to the example set by the Prophet, his two successors and the upright Companions, and to re-establish Muslim society on the same lines as the first Muslim community. Accordingly the Ibadhis chose their sources among the Companions and successors living at their time, and narrated Traditions and 'Athar only from those whom they regarded, from their point of view, as good Muslims.

With regard to the Companions, Ibadhis subjected some of them to criticism (al-Jarh). The Ibadhi argument for this attitude is given by al-Warijlani in al-'Adl wa al-'insaf.51 Another special work was devoted to this subject, i.e. K. al-Takhsis of the Omani scholar, Ahmad b. 'Abdullah al-Nizwi (d.557 H). As for the successors and their successors in turn, up to the time of the establishment of the different schools of law, they were all affected by the civil war, and were either of Ali's party (Shi'ah) or supporters of Mu'awiyah and the 'Umayyad dynasty, or sympathisers with the Muhakkimah party; each party patronising only its group and avoiding the others.52 This was how the Ibadhis categorised the Muslim community, carefully selecting their authorities from whom they received information about the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the 'Athar of the Companions, on which they established their jurisprudence.

The original material of the Ibadhi jurisprudence is preserved in the following works:

1. Al-Jami'i' al-Sahih of al-Rabi' b. Habib

2. Al-Mudawwanah of Abu Ghanim Bishr b. Ghanim al-Khurasani

3. al-Diwan al-Ma'rud 'Ala 'Ulama al-Ibadhiyyah

4. Riwayat Dumam.53 Composed by Abu Sufrah 'Abd al-Malik b. Sufrah.