The Essentials of Ibadi Islam

Ibadi Islam is a distinct sect of Islam, neither Sunni nor Shi’ite, that emerged in the early Islamic period and remains active today in small pockets of North Africa and as the dominant sect of Oman. Despite its antiquity, it has often been misunderstood and remains little known. Seeking to redress this gap and to introduce this influential Islamic school to the non-Arabic-speaking world, Hoffman offers the first book-length overview of Ibadi theology published in English. Beginning with a concise overview of Ibadi history, Hoffman delineates the sectarian movement’s role in the development of Islamic thought, tracing its distinctive teachings and literary history. In the second section, she provides annotated translations of two complementary modern Ibadi theological texts. This unique volume elucidates the religious and political thought by allowing the Ibadi tradition to speak for itself. The Essentials of Ibadi Islam gives readers, specialists and nonspecialists alike, a rare opportunity to understand the major teachings of Ibadi Islam.

“Ibadi Islam played a pivotal role in the history of Islamic thought and practice, and continues to be an influential force in the contemporary Middle East and Africa. This book is of real importance to the study of Islam and religions in general.”

A long-needed introduction to the thought of Islam's often neglected third group. Rich in history, Hoffman breaks new ground on the theology of modern Ibadis in Oman, North Africa, and elsewhere.-- "Frank Griffel, Yale University"
-- "Brannon Wheeler, author of Mecca and Eden: Ritual, Relics, and Territory in Islam"

Valerie J. Hoffman is professor of religion and director of the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is the author of Sufism, Mystics, and Saints in Modern Egypt.

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