orthodox Sunni schools because their law was established before the Sunni school came into existence. When Jabir bin Zaid, the founder of the Ibadhi school died Malik bin Anas was about three years of age,118 and Abu Hanifah, the Master of the Hanafi school, was about 12 years of age.119 As for the similarity of opinions of all Islamic schools, this is due to the same origins from which they all derived their legal systems; Qur'an, Sunnah, and ijma.

When speaking about the sectarian legal system, Coulson pointed out that the Kharijite law is a cohesive system with its own spirit and character.120 He also followed Schacht's view concerning the variants between the Ibadhi and Sunnite legal systems, stating that "the great bulk of the Khariji law (this including Ibadhis) - and certainly its basic tenets - can find adequate authority among the Sunni jurists."121

As the Ibadhis have derived their legal system from the same sources as other schools, i.e. Qur'an, Sunnah, and ijma, and have used almost the same methods of juristic speculation in formulating opinions which were not dealt with in the previous sources, the differences which appeared between their legal system and those of other Islamic schools were limited to Furud. The difference occurred in cases where Ibadhis possessed Traditions narrated by their authorities which the other schools did not approve of and vice versa. It also resulted from the difference of opinion in interpreting either of the two principle sources, Qur'an or Sunnah.

In the following pages a brief review of a number of outstanding features of Ibadhi law is presented in order to illustrate the nature and the extent of the divergence.

I) WIPING OVER SHOES AS PART OF "WUDU"

ii) Al-Mas`h ala al-khuffain (wiping over the shoes instead of the washing of the feet as part of wudu). This question is discussed in detail by Schacht as a distinctive point of difference between the Shiites who rejected it and the Sunnis who, in opposition to them considered it as valid.122

The Ibadhis unanimously rejected al-mash ala al-khuffain. Jabir b. Zaid argued, concerning this matter: "How should I wipe, while God orders us to wash the very limb?"123 i.e. the feet. Ibadhi authorities held the view that the Tradition concerning al-mash ala al-khuffain was repealed by the verse on wudu in the Surah of Al-Maidah (the table): "O believers, when you stand up to pray wash your face, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your feet up to the ankles."124 Among the Companions who are reported