Ibadism

The Ibadis take their name from Abd Allah ibn Ibad of Basra, who around 683 rejected the extremists among the Kharijites and argued that Muslim opponents were guilty of ingratitude, not idolatry, so that believers could live among them. Ibadis hold that the imam is elected by the community and must be deposed if he sins.

Missionaries from Basra carried the school to Oman, North Africa and East Africa. In 1337 the Nabhani kings ruled inland Oman, leaving the elected imamate a largely symbolic role, while in North Africa Ibadis lived on in the Mzab and the Nafusa Mountains. In 1624 the Yaruba imams replaced the Nabhanis and drove the Portuguese from Muscat; the Al Bu Said took over in 1744.