A Comparative Study of Imāmate of Kitmān of Ibāḍiyya and the Era of Occultation of Imāmiyyah

Abstract

The issue of Imāmate has been one of the first controversial issues in the history of Islam. In the meantime, the Ibāḍiyya regard the appointment of Imam as one of the obligatory affairs on the Islamic Ummah and there are numerous rational and traditional reasons for the necessity of appointing the Imam. In their view, the Imāmate has four stages: the emergence, the defense, the stage of Ash-Shurāh and Kitmān, which are referred to as the methods of religion. In Shiite culture, the term Imāmate is also a divine and godly position that encompasses all human virtues and perfections, including public Imāmate and special Imāmate. From the viewpoint of Ibāḍiyya, the last stage of Imāmate is the Imāmate of Kitmān. During this period, the Ibāḍiyya, because of the domination of their enemies and the inability to confront them, did not carry out armed operations, but fully accepted the rule of enemies, building and cultivating their lands in the field of education and development andstrengthening mosque bases and promoting Ibāḍiyya ideas among Muslims secretly. Among the Shiites, it is well known that preserving the life of Imam Zaman from the enemies and the unwillingness of society to accept Imam are among the reasons for his Occultation. Butduringtheperiodof Occultation, ShiitescholarsandthinkershavenotceasedtoworkinvariousindividualandsocialdimensionsandhaveledtheShiitecommunitytotheright.Inthisarticle,inadditiontoprocessingtheviewsoftheIbāḍiyya,thisarticlecomparesthestageofKitmānintheIbāḍiyyatotheabsenteeismintheImāmiyyahreligionandexplainsitsdifferences.