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128-522: Oman has traditionally been divided between the relatively barren and sparsely populated interior and the more populous coastal region. There was often little or no overall government in the interior, and the tribes often fought amongst each other. They shared belief in the Ibadi branch of Islam, distinct from the main Sunni and Shia schools. The coastal region, particularly the northeast coast around Muscat ,

256-864: A constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth under the Sultan. However, just a month later, on 12 January 1964 Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah was deposed during the Zanzibar Revolution . The Sultan fled into exile, and the Sultanate was replaced by the People's Republic of Zanzibar , a socialist government led by the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP). Over 20,000 people were killed – mostly Arabs and Indians – and many of them escaped

384-534: A Bantu language, the Swahili language as a consequence today includes some borrowed elements, particularly loanwords from Arabic , though this was mostly a 19th-century phenomenon with the growth of Omani hegemony. Many foreign traders from Africa and Asia married into wealthy patrician families on Zanzibar. Asian men in particular, who resided on the coast for up to six months because of the prevailing monsoon wind patterns, married East African women. Since almost all

512-598: A community in Shibam. A second Ibadi state was established in Oman in 750, but fell to the newly formed Abbasid Caliphate in 752. Another Ibadi state was established in Oman in 793, surviving for a century until the Abbasid recapture in 893. However, Abbasid influence after reconquest was nominal and Ibadi imams continued to wield considerable power. Ibadi imamates were re-established in subsequent centuries. Ibadis still form

640-679: A fabrication to buttress the strength of the Ibadi school by making the Ibadis have the oldest collection of hadiths. Most Ibadi hadiths are found in the standard Sunni collections, bar a small group with Kharijite biases, and contemporary Ibadis often approve of the standard Sunni collections. Unlike in Sunni and Shi'a Islam alike, the study of hadiths has not traditionally been very important in Ibadi Islam, especially in Oman where Sunni influence

768-775: A fully autonomous state. Zanzibar has a government of national unity, with the president of Zanzibar being Hussein Ali Mwinyi , since 1 November 2020. There are many political parties in Zanzibar, but the most popular parties are the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the Civic United Front (CUF). Since the early 1990s, the politics of the archipelago have been marked by repeated clashes between these two parties. Contested elections in October 2000 led to

896-477: A massacre on 27 January 2001 when, according to Human Rights Watch , the army and police shot into crowds of protestors, killing at least 35 and wounding more than 600. Those forces, accompanied by ruling party officials and militias, also went on a house-to-house rampage, indiscriminately arresting, beating, and sexually abusing residents. Approximately 2,000 temporarily fled to Kenya. Violence erupted again after another contested election on 31 October 2005, with

1024-471: A possession of Portugal for almost two centuries. It initially became part of the Portuguese province of Arabia and Ethiopia and was administered by a governor-general. Around 1571, Zanzibar became part of the western division of the Portuguese empire and was administered from Mozambique . It appears, however, that the Portuguese did not closely administer Zanzibar. The first English ship to visit Unguja,

1152-740: A prominent mufti in Basrah provided him with cover and enabled him to form widespread connections with influential individuals across the Islamic world. The Ibadi school eventually emerged as a moderate group in Basrah, grounded in the teachings of Jabir ibn Zayd, who, according to the Ibadis (perhaps posthumously), became their first imam. After the Battle of Siffin, the Kharijites engaged in ongoing conflicts with both Alid and Umayyad supporters, often inciting local rebellions against Umayyad rule. Following

1280-743: A relative by marriage of the deposed Imam. In 1723 Ya'arub bin Bal'arab was deposed and Bal'arab bin Nasir became the Custodian. A civil war commenced in which Muhammad bin Nasir seized power and was elected Imam in October 1724. His rival, Khalf bin Mubarak, stirred up trouble among the northern tribes. In an engagement at Sohar in 1728 both Khalf bin Mubarak and Muhammad bin Nasir were killed. The garrison of Sohar recognized Saif bin Sultan II as Imam, and he

1408-460: A settled agricultural and fishing community from the 6th century at the latest. The considerable amount of daub found indicates timber buildings, and shell beads, bead grinders, and iron slag have been found at the site. There is evidence of limited engagement in long-distance trade: a small amount of imported pottery has been found, less than 1% of total pottery finds, mostly from the Gulf and dated to

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1536-552: A total blockade of Zanzibar was imminent, and Barghash reluctantly signed the Anglo-Zanzibari treaty which abolished the slave trade in the sultan's territories, closed all slave markets and protected liberated slaves. The relationship between Britain and the German Empire , at that time the nearest relevant colonial power, was formalized by the 1890 Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty , in which Germany agreed to "recognize

1664-420: A weak imam is obliged to consult the ulamāʾ , or community of scholars, before passing any judgement. A weak imam is appointed only at times of dire necessity, when the community is threatened with destruction. Contemporary Ibadis uphold four "states of the religion" ( masālik ad-dīn ), which are four different types of imams each appropriate to certain contexts. The imām al-kitmān "Imam of secrecy"

1792-414: A wider use in Ibadi doctrine, where it is used to describe all forms of religious error beyond polytheism alone. Classical Ibadi theologians have stated that only the ahl al-istiqāmah will go to paradise , and that all sinning Ibadis as well as all non-Ibadis will be in hell forever. Ibadis traditionally reject Sunni beliefs that all Muslims in hell will eventually enter paradise, and hold that hell

1920-496: Is a learned scholar who "rules" in political quietism , practicing taqiyya to avoid persecution, in times when the Ibadi community cannot reveal itself openly. In some cases, a state of kitmān may be necessary even when there is no imam available. In this case, the Ibadi ulamāʾ takes over as surrogate rulers in place of the imam. This has been the case for most of the history of the North African Ibadis since

2048-746: Is also an inter-religious body called the Joint Committee of Religious Leaders for Peace (in Swahili Juhudi za Viongozi wa Dini kuimarisha Amani ) with representatives from Muslim institutions such as the Islamic law ( Kadhi courts), religious property (the Wakf and Trust commission), education (the Muslim academy) and the Mufti ' s office as well as representatives from the Roman Catholic,

2176-593: Is also practiced to a lesser extent in Algeria ( Mzab ), Tunisia ( Djerba ), Libya ( Nafusa ), and Tanzania ( Zanzibar ). The Ibadis are a moderate branch of the Kharijites, an Islamic sect that split from the Muhakkima and al-Haruriyya. These groups initially supported Ali during the First Fitna but turned away after rejecting arbitration at the Battle of Siffin in 657 CE. From the Ibadis' perspective,

2304-615: Is eternal and inescapable for all humans who were not righteous Ibadis in life. About the Shi'ah party, Abu Hamzah said, "As for these factions (of 'Ali), they are a faction which has repudiated the Book of God to promulgate lies about Him. They have not left the people (of the community) because of their insight into religion (as we have), or their deep knowledge of the Qur'an; they punish crime in those who commit it, and commit it themselves when they get

2432-513: Is in turn from Persian zangbâr ( زنگبار [zæŋbɒːɾ] ), a compound of Zang ( زنگ [zæŋ] , "black") + bâr ( بار [bɒːɾ] , "coast"), cf. the Sea of Zanj . The name is one of several toponyms sharing similar etymologies , ultimately meaning "land of the blacks" or similar meanings, in reference to the dark skin of the inhabitants. The presence of microliths suggests that Zanzibar has been home to humans for at least 20,000 years, which

2560-619: Is required of the imām al-shārī and his followers, as suggested in the following speech by Abu Bilal: You go out to fight in the way of God desiring His pleasure, not wanting anything of the goods of the present world, nor have you any desire for it, nor will you return to it. You are the ascetic and the hater of this life, desirous of the world to come, trying with all in your power to obtain it: going out to be killed and for nothing else. So know that you are [already] killed and have no return to this life; you are going forward and will not turn away from righteousness till you come to God. If such

2688-688: Is the de facto national and official language of Tanzania. Many local residents also speak Arabic , English , Italian and French . The dialect of Swahili spoken in Zanzibar is called Kiunguja . Kiunguja, which has a high percentage of Arabic loanwords, enjoys the status of Standard Swahili not in Tanzania only but also in other countries, where Swahili is spoken. Three distinct varieties of Arabic are in use in Zanzibar: Standard Arabic, Omani Arabic and Hadrami Arabic . Both vernacular varieties are falling out of use, although

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2816-652: Is the twelfth-century Tartīb al-Musnad , comprising 1,005 hadiths. The Tartīb is divided into four books. The first two books are muttaṣil narrations by Jabir ibn Zayd , a student of Muhammad's widow Aisha . The third book includes hadith transmitted by the eighth-century Kharijite scholar al-Rabi' bin Habib Al-Farahidi as preserved in the Jami Sahih collection, generally also from Jabir ibn Zayd. The fourth book consists of an appendix of saying and stories from later Ibadi scholars and imams. Most of

2944-449: Is your concern, go back and finish up your needs and wishes for this life, pay your debts, purchase yourself, take leave of your family and tell them that you will never return to them. The third state, that of the imām al-zuhūr "Imam of glory", are imams as active rulers of an Ibadi state. The first two caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar are considered ideal models of the imām al-zuhūr . A ruling imam who sins must be removed from power;

3072-477: The ummah or wider Islamic community, who possess the various privileges accorded to Muslims in Islamic law and who Ibadis may intermarry with. All non-Ibadi Muslims and even Ibadi sinners are considered guilty of kufr (usually translated as "unbelief"), although contemporary Ibadis distinguish between kufr shirk , or religious disbelief, and kufr nifaq , or infidelity in the form of sinning. The term shirk —"polytheism" in conventional Islamic theology—has

3200-564: The Edward Bonaventure in 1591, found that there was no Portuguese fort or garrison. The extent of their occupation was a trade depot where produce was bought and collected for shipment to Mozambique. "In other respects, the affairs of the island were managed by the local 'king', the predecessor of the Mwinyi Mkuu of Dunga." This hands-off approach ended when Portugal established a fort on Pemba Island around 1635 in response to

3328-501: The Hijrah , when no independent Muslim community existed that could enforce Islamic laws. Therefore, ḥudūd punishments are suspended under an imām al-kitmān , except the punishments for apostasy, blasphemy, and murder. Ibadis also do not hold Friday prayers in the absence of a legitimate ruling imam. Like the Shi'a but not the Sunni, they do not allow a couple who has committed zināʾ (unlawful sex) to marry each other. During

3456-775: The Nafusa Mountains in northwestern Libya, the island of Djerba in Tunisia, and in the M'zab in Algeria. In East Africa , they are found in Zanzibar . Ibadi missionary activity also reached Persia, India, Egypt, Sudan, Spain and Sicily, although Ibadis communities in these regions ceased to exist. By the year 900, Ibadism had spread to Sindh , Khorosan , the Hadhramaut, Dhofar , the Imamate of Oman , Muscat ,

3584-540: The Nafusa Mountains , and Qeshm, Hormozgan ; by 1200, the sect was present in al-Andalus , Sicily , M'zab and the western part of the Sahel as well. In the 14th century, historian Ibn Khaldun made reference to vestiges of Ibadi influence in Hadhramaut, though the sect no longer exists in the region today. Including: Ibadis state that their school predates mainstream Islamic schools and some western non-Muslim writers agree. In particular, Donald Hawley 's view

3712-546: The Ramadan fast , Ibadis require ghusl or full-body ablution to be undertaken prior to the beginning of the fast on that day if it is necessitated, otherwise the fast for that day is invalid. They hold that committing grave sins is a form of breaking the fast. When making up for missed days of fasting after Ramadan has ended, the Ibadis believe that the atonement fast must be consecutive, whereas both Sunnis and Shi'as believe that Muslims may atone for missed days by fasting for

3840-712: The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar . It is made up of the Revolutionary Council and House of Representatives . The House of Representatives has a similar composition to the National Assembly of Tanzania . Fifty members are elected directly from constituencies to serve five-year terms; 10 members are appointed by the President of Zanzibar ; 15 special seats are for women members of political parties that have representation in

3968-587: The Sirah of Salim b. Dhakwan, reflect their opposition to extremism. In Basra, a moderate Kharijite doctrine emerged under Jabir ibn Zayd, influenced by the teachings of Ibn Abbas. Missionaries spread this doctrine across the Caliphate, including to Oman, Yemen, Hadramawt, Khurasan, and North Africa. Despite their efforts, the Ibadi leaders in Basra practiced kitman (concealment of beliefs) to avoid persecution after

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4096-632: The "Spice Islands". Tourism in Zanzibar is a more recent activity, driven by government promotion that caused an increase from 19,000 tourists in 1985, to 376,000 in 2016. The islands are accessible via 5 ports and the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport , which can serve up to 1.5 million passengers per year. Zanzibar's marine ecosystem is an important part of the economy for fishing and algaculture and contains important marine ecosystems that act as fish nurseries for Indian Ocean fish populations. Moreover,

4224-428: The 'Jama'at al-Muslimin'. Abu Bilal was particularly influential in Basrah and was one of three men who openly commented on the first sermon of Ziyad b. Abih when Ziyad was appointed governor of Basrah, Khurasan, and Sijistan by Mu'awiyah. It is also recorded that Abu Bilal maintained close ties with Jabir b. Zaid, often spending significant time with him. Together, they visited 'A'ishah and reproached her for her role in

4352-433: The 13th century, houses were built with stone, and bonded with mud, and the 14th century saw the use of lime to bond stone. Only the wealthier patricians would have had stone- and lime-built houses, and the strength of the materials allowed for flat roofs. By contrast, the majority of the population lived in single-story thatched houses similar to those of the 11th and 12th centuries. According to John Middleton and Mark Horton,

4480-1071: The 1960s, and a wide range of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian churches such as the Tanzania Assemblies of God, the Free Pentecostal Church of Tanzania, the Evangelical Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Church of Tanzania, the Victory Church and the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa. Pentecostal-Charismatic churches have been present and growing in Zanzibar since the 1980s in relation to economic liberalization and increased labour migration from mainland Tanzania in connection to Zanzibar's expanding tourist sector. There are also Seventh Day Adventist and Baptist churches. Since 2005, there

4608-465: The 5th to 8th century. The similarity to contemporary sites such as Mkokotoni and Dar es Salaam indicates a unified group of communities that developed into the first center of coastal maritime culture. The coastal towns appear to have been engaged in Indian Ocean and inland African trade at this early period. Trade rapidly increased in importance and quantity beginning in the mid-8th century and by

4736-622: The Anglican and the Lutheran church. The places of worship in the city are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar ( Catholic Church ), Anglican Church of Tanzania ( Anglican Communion ), Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania ( Lutheran World Federation ), Baptist Convention of Tanzania ( Baptist World Alliance ), Assemblies of God . As an autonomous part of Tanzania , Zanzibar has its own government, known as

4864-626: The Asian traders were Muslims, their children inherited their paternal ethnic identity, though East African matrilineal traditions remained key. Vasco da Gama 's visit in 1498 marked the beginning of European influence. In 1503 or 1504, Zanzibar became part of the Portuguese Empire when Captain Rui Lourenço Ravasco Marques came ashore and received tribute from the sultan in exchange for peace. Zanzibar remained

4992-662: The Battle of the Camel. During this period, Jabir's leadership of the Muhakkimah became well established. A learned and pious man from the al-Azd tribe—the same tribe as 'Abdullah b. Wahb al-Rasibi, the last elected leader of the Muhakkimah—Jabir focused on intellectual activities. His scholarly approach allowed him to propagate and preserve Islamic teachings without arousing the suspicion of the Umayyad authorities. His position as

5120-590: The British protectorate over… the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba". In 1890, Zanzibar became a protectorate (not a colony) of Britain. This status meant it remained under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Zanzibar . Prime Minister Salisbury explained the British position: From 1890 to 1913, traditional viziers were in charge; they were supervised by advisers appointed by the Colonial Office. In 1913, this

5248-739: The Caliph Marwan II led a 4,000-strong army and routed the Ibadis first in Mecca , then in Sana'a in Yemen , and finally surrounded them in Shibam in the western Hadhramaut in 748, defeating and killing Abu Hamza and Ibn Yahya and destroying the first Ibadi state. Problems back in their heartland of Islamic Syria led the Umayyads to sign a peace accord with the Ibadis, who were allowed to retain

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5376-742: The East African coast in the years that followed. Bil'arab bin Sultan (r. 1679-1692) succeeded as Imam in 1679 after the death of his father, Sultan bin Saif . This confirmed that the succession was now hereditary, since his father had also succeeded dynastically, while in the Ibadi tradition the Imam was elected. Most of his reign was occupied in a struggle with his brother, Saif bin Sultan , who succeeded Bil'arab bin Sultan when he died at Jabrin in 1692. Saif bin Sultan ( r. 1692-1711) invested in improving agriculture. He built aflaj in many parts of

5504-445: The Europeans as pirates, and attacked Portuguese bases in western India. The Omanis also moved into the Persian Gulf , taking Bahrain from the Persians and holding it for several years. Saif bin Sultan died on 4 October 1711. He was buried in the castle of Rustaq in a luxurious tomb, later destroyed by a Wahhabi general. At his death he had great wealth, said to include 28 ships, 700 male slaves and one third of Oman's date trees. He

5632-443: The House of Representatives; six members serve ex officio , including all regional commissioners and the attorney general. Five of these 81 members are then elected to represent Zanzibar in the National Assembly. Zanzibar spans 5 of the 31 regions of Tanzania . Unguja has three administrative regions: Zanzibar Central/South , Zanzibar North and Zanzibar Urban/West . Pemba has two: Pemba North and Pemba South . Concerning

5760-437: The Ibadhi Imamate. Nasir bin Murshid was able to unify the tribes with a common goal of expelling the Portuguese. He built up the Omani army and took the main towns as well as the forts of Rustaq and Nakhal . His forces threw the Portuguese out of Julfar (now Ras al-Khaimah ) in 1633. In 1643 they took the fort at Sohar. Nasir bin Murshid was succeeded by Sultan bin Saif (r. 1649-1688), his cousin. Sultan bin Saif completed

5888-496: The Ibadi hadiths have a very short isnād or chain of transmission. They are claimed to be narrated from Jabir ibn Zayd to his student Abu Ubayda Muslim ibn Abi Karima and from the latter to al-Rabi', who died in 786 after preserving his transmissions in the Jami Sahih . This was then reformulated into the Tartīb al-Musnad some four centuries later. John C. Wilkinson , an expert on Ibadism, states that this chain of transmission "does not stand up to any close examination". It may be

6016-449: The Ibadi model for this is the assassination of the third caliph Uthman and the Kharijite revolt against Ali, both actions being viewed as legitimate resistance to a sinful ruler. Finally, the state of the imām al-difā' "imam of defense" involves appointing an imam for a predetermined period of time when the Ibadi community is under foreign attack. He is removed once the threat has been defeated. Ibadis believe that all who profess

6144-402: The Imams declined due to power struggles, and in 1154 the Nabhani dynasty came to power as muluk , or kings, while the Imams were reduced to largely symbolic significance. The Imam had little moral authority since the title came to be treated as the property of the dominant tribe at any time. In 1507 the Portuguese captured the coastal city of Muscat , and gradually extended their control along

6272-415: The Islamic prophet Muhammad 's death in 632 AD as a moderate school of the Khawarij movement, although contemporary Ibāḍīs strongly object to being classified as Kharijites. Ibadis consider and view themselves, like Shia and Sunni, as being the oldest and most genuine sect of Islam . Today, the largest of these communities and the most prosperous is in Oman in the southeast peninsula of Arabia. It

6400-490: The Kharijite prisoners were freed. After their release, Ibn al-Azraq led many Kharijites to Ahvaz in Khuzestan, condemning the Basrans for supporting Ibn al-Zubayr and calling them "polytheists." However, Ibn Ibāḍ stayed behind in Basra and defended those who remained. He argued that the Basrans were not polytheists but guilty only of "ingratitude" (kufr ni'ma), a lesser offense that allowed true Muslims to live among them. Ibn Ibāḍ also opposed other Kharijite factions. He rejected

6528-432: The Moresby Line, from Cape Delgado in Africa to Diu Head on the coast of India. Said lost the revenue he would have received as duty on all slaves sold, so to make up for this shortfall he encouraged the development of the slave trade in Zanzibar itself. Said came under increasing pressure from the British to abolish slavery entirely. In 1842, Britain told Said it wished to abolish the slave trade to Arabia, Oman, Persia, and

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6656-419: The Muhakkimah were the only faction striving to restore the just Islamic Imamate, as it existed during the time of Abu Bakr, 'Umar, the first six years of 'Uthman's rule, and the early years of 'Ali before he accepted arbitration. The Muhakkimah's military efforts ended with their massacre by 'Ali b. Abi Talib and his forces at the Battle of al-Nahr (37 H/658 AD), followed by another massacre at al-Nakhilah by

6784-402: The Muslim community must be descended from the Quraysh tribe . (This differs from the Shia belief that ideally and eventually they will be ruled by the Mahdi , who will be descended from Prophet Muhammad's Household ( Ahl al-Bayt )—Muhammad having been a member of the Quraysh tribe.) Rather, the two primary qualifications of an Ibadi imam are that he is the most pious man of the community and

6912-434: The Muʿtazila and unlike the modern Sunni, the Ibadis believe that: But unlike the Mu'tazila, Ibadis follow the Ash'ari position of occasionalism , which holds that all events are caused directly by God and that what appear to be laws of causation , such as that a fire produces smoke, is only because God chooses to create fire, and then to create smoke. One Ibadi scholar has even stated that this single difference means that

7040-471: The Muʿtazila are more misguided than the Sunni. The fiqh or jurisprudence of Ibadis is based on the same fundamental principles as Sunni and Shi'a juristic traditions, but the Ibadis reject taqlid or deference and stress the importance of ijtihad , or independent reasoning. Contemporary Ibadis hold that believers are allowed to follow incorrect opinions derived through ijtihad as long as they believe it to be true after having made an effort to arrive at

7168-422: The Omani one is spoken by a larger group of people (probably, several hundreds). In parallel to this, Standard Arabic , traditionally associated with the Quran and Islam , is very popular not only among ethnic Arabs but also among Muslims of various descent who inhabit Zanzibar. Nevertheless, Standard Arabic is mastered by very few people. This can be attributed to the aggressive policy of Swahilisation . Despite

7296-473: The Persians take the last forts in Muscat . He died soon after. The Persians took Muscat and again attacked Sohar . The Imam Sultan bin Murshid was mortally wounded under the walls of Sohar in mid-1743. Bal'arab bin Himyar was elected Imam in his place. After enduring nine months of siege in Sohar, the governor Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi negotiated an honorable surrender and was confirmed as governor of Sohar and Barka in return for payment of tribute. In 1744 he

7424-435: The Persians. They marched to Az Zahirah where they met and routed the forces of Bal'arab bin Himyar. The Persians advanced through the interior, capturing towns, killing, looting and taking slaves. They then reembarked for Persia, taking their loot with them. For a few years after this Saif bin Sultan II was undisputed ruler, but he led a self-indulgent life, which turned the tribes against him. In February 1742 another member of

7552-496: The Red Sea. Ships from the Royal Navy were employed to enforce the anti-slavery treaties by capturing any dhows carrying slaves, but with only four ships patrolling a huge area of sea, the British navy found it hard to enforce the treaties as ships from France, Spain, Portugal, and America continued to carry slaves. In 1856, Sultan Majid consolidated his power around the African Great Lakes slave trade. But in 1873, Sir John Kirk informed his successor, Sultan Barghash , that

7680-425: The Second Fitna in 680 CE, the Kharijites split into four main groups with varying levels of extremism. One significant division was led by Ibn al-'Azraq, who introduced doctrines that were rejected by leaders such as Jabir b. Zaid and Abdullah b. Ibadh, who upheld the original principles of the Muhakkima, according to Ibadhi tradition. The Ibadi school of Kharijites emerged after the siege of Mecca in 683 CE, during

7808-529: The Sultan of Mombasa 's slaughter of Portuguese residents several years earlier. Portugal had long considered Pemba to be a troublesome launching point for rebellions in Mombasa against Portuguese rule. The precise origins of the sultans of Unguja are uncertain. However, their capital at Unguja Ukuu is believed to have been an extensive town. Possibly constructed by locals, it was composed mainly of perishable materials. The Portuguese arrived in East Africa in 1498, where they found several independent towns on

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7936-472: The Sultan of Oman and Majid to become the first Sultan of Zanzibar ; the brothers quarrelled about the will, which was eventually upheld by Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning , Great Britain's Viceroy and Governor-General of India . Until around 1890, the sultans of Zanzibar controlled a substantial portion of the Swahili coast known as Zanj , which included Mombasa and Dar es Salaam . Beginning in 1886, Great Britain and Germany agreed to allocate parts of

8064-448: The Sunnis and Shi'as, and was not exclusive, with individual communities encouraged to elect their Imam. These imams exercised political, spiritual and military functions. In 745, Talib al-Haqq established the first Ibadi state in the Hadhramaut and succeeded in capturing Yemen in 746 from the Umayyad Caliphate. The Ibadi insurrection then spread to the Hejaz , with Abu Hamza al-Mukhtar conquering Mecca and Medina. In response,

8192-404: The Umayyads retook control of the city under Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan in 691 CE. Jābir ibn Zayd was eventually recognised as the first Imam of the Ibadis although this was in a state of kitman. Ibn Zayd's criticisms of the narrations of Muhammad's companions formed the corpus of the Ibadi interpretation of Islamic law. The position of Ibadi Imam was elected, unlike the dynastic succession of

8320-683: The United Republic of Tanzania . It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean , 25–50 km (16–31 mi) off the coast of the African mainland , and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island . The capital is Zanzibar City , located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town , is a World Heritage Site . Zanzibar's main industries are spices , raffia , and tourism . The main spices produced are clove , nutmeg , cinnamon , coconut , and black pepper . The Zanzibar Archipelago, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island , are sometimes referred to locally as

8448-408: The Yaruba family was proclaimed Imam, Sultan bin Murshid . Sultan bin Murshid was installed at Nakhal and began to hound Saif bin Sultan, who again appealed to the Persians for help and promised to cede Sohar to them. A Persian expedition arrived at Julfar around October 1742. They besieged Sohar and sent forces to Muscat, but were unable to take either place. In 1743 Saif was tricked into letting

8576-404: The Zanzibar sultanate for their own empires. In October 1886, a British-German border commission established the Zanj as a 10 nmi-wide (19 km) strip along most of the African Great Lakes region's coast, an area stretching from Cape Delgado (now in Mozambique ) to Kipini (now in Kenya ), including Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. Over the next few years most all of the mainland territory

8704-459: The ancestors of the Bantu Hadimu and Tumbatu , who began arriving from the African Great Lakes mainland around AD 1000. They belonged to various mainland ethnic groups and on Zanzibar, generally lived in small villages. They did not coalesce to form larger political units. During Zanzibar's brief period of independence in the early 1960s, the major political cleavage was between the Shirazi (Zanzibar Africans), who made up approximately 56% of

8832-453: The appropriateness of these practices within the Ibadi creed, with some considering them an undesirable non-Ibadi influence on the faith while others continue to practice and teach them. Ibadis agree with Sunnis , regarding Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab as rightly-guided caliphs. They regard the first half of Uthman ibn Affan 's rule as righteous and the second half as corrupt and affected by both nepotism and heresy. They approve of

8960-468: The architectural style of these stone houses have no Arab or Persian elements, and should be viewed as an entirely indigenous development of local vernacular architecture. While much of Zanzibar Town's architecture was rebuilt during Omani rule, nearby sites elucidate the general development of Swahili and Zanzibari architecture before the 15th century. From the 9th century, Swahili merchants on Zanzibar operated as brokers for long-distance traders from both

9088-446: The basis of the works of Ibn Ibāḍ, Jābir bin Zayd , Abū ‘Ubaida, Rabī‘ b. Ḥabīb and Abū Sufyān among others. Basra is the foundation of the Ibāḍī community. Various Ibāḍī communities were established in southern Arabia , with bases in Oman , North Africa , and East Africa . In terms of scholastic theology , the Ibadi creed resembles that of the Muʿtazila in many aspects, except in the central question of predestination . Like

9216-492: The belief in oneness of God and belief in the prophethood of Muhammad as the last messenger are members of the Islamic community. It is the duty of Ibadis to correct those who differ with them in their beliefs. Only the righteous Ibadis, referred to as the ahl al-istiqāmah "people of uprightness", are worthy of being called " Muslims ". Non-Ibadi Muslims are termed the ahl al-khilaf "people of opposition". Nonetheless, non-Ibadi Muslims are still respected as fellow members of

9344-658: The bombardment stands as the shortest war in history. On 10 December 1963, the Protectorate that had existed over Zanzibar since 1890 was terminated by the United Kingdom. Rather, by the Zanzibar Act 1963 of the United Kingdom, the UK ended the Protectorate and made provision for full self-government in Zanzibar as an independent country within the Commonwealth. Upon the Protectorate being abolished, Zanzibar became

9472-646: The castle of Rustaq his residence, adding the Burj al Riah wind tower. In 1696 the Omanis again attacked Mombasa, besieging 2,500 people who had taken refuge in Fort Jesus . The Siege of Fort Jesus ended after 33 months when the thirteen survivors of famine and smallpox surrendered to the Omanis, who now became the dominant power on the coast. The expansion of Omani power included the first large-scale settlement of Zanzibar by Omani migrants. The Omanis became known to

9600-445: The chance. They have determined upon tumult and know not the way out of it. Crude in (their knowledge of) the Qur'an, following soothwayers; teaching people to hope for the resurrection of the dead, and expecting the return (of their Imams) to this world; entrusting their religion to a man who can not see them! God smite them! How perverse they are!" The notions of walayah "affiliation" and bara'a "disassociation" are central to

9728-473: The close of the 10th century, Zanzibar was one of the central Swahili trading towns. Excavations at nearby Pemba Island, but especially at Shanga in the Lamu Archipelago, provide the clearest picture of architectural development. Houses were originally built with timber (circa 1050) and later in mud with coral walls (circa 1150). The houses were continually rebuilt with more permanent materials. By

9856-679: The coast up to Sohar in the north and down to Sur in the southeast. The Al-Ya'ariba trace their descent from Ya'arab bin Kahtan, whom some date to about 800 BC. The family originated in Yemen and belonged to the Ghafiri faction. Nasir bin Murshid bin Sultan al Ya'Aruba ( r. 1624-1649) was the first Imam of the Yaruba dynasty, elected in 1624. He moved the capital to Nizwa , the former capital of

9984-427: The coast, with Muslim Arabic-speaking elites. While the Portuguese travellers describe them as "black", they made a clear distinction between the Muslim and non-Muslim populations. Their relations with these leaders were mostly hostile, but during the sixteenth century, they firmly established their power and ruled with the aid of tributary sultans. The Portuguese presence was relatively limited, leaving administration in

10112-452: The correct opinion; certain now-extinct Ibadi sects once held that those with incorrect opinions were disbelievers. Many early Ibadis rejected qiyas or deductive analogical reasoning as a basis for jurisprudence, but the importance of analogies is now widely accepted by Ibadi jurists. Ibadis believe that the stage of the imām al-kitmān corresponds to Muhammad's life in Mecca before

10240-476: The country as a consequence of the revolution. In April 1964, the republic merged with mainland Tanganyika. This United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was soon renamed, blending the two names, as the United Republic of Tanzania , within which Zanzibar remains an autonomous region. The 2022 census is the most recent census for which results have been reported. The total population of Zanzibar

10368-642: The diocese from 1892 to the present day. The bishop is Michael Hafidh. It is part of the Province of Tanzania, under the Archbishop of All Tanzania, based at Dodoma. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar , with its headquarters at the St. Joseph's Cathedral in Stone Town, was established in 1980. An apostolic vicariate of Zanzibar had been established in 1906, from a much larger East African jurisdiction. This

10496-456: The fall of the Rustumid imamate in 909, unlike their Omani coreligionists, who periodically reestablished imamates until 1958. The second state, that of the imām al-shārī "Imam of exchange", are Ibadi imams who "exchange" their lives in the living world for a favorable place in the afterlife by engaging in military struggle ( jihād ) against an unbearable tyrannical authority with

10624-537: The first part of Ali 's caliphate and (like Shī'a) disapprove of Aisha 's rebellion and Muawiyah I 's revolt. However, they regard Ali's acceptance of arbitration at the Battle of Ṣiffīn as rendering him unfit for leadership, and condemn him for killing the Khawarij of an-Nahr in the Battle of Nahrawan . Modern Ibadi theologians defend the early Kharijite opposition to Uthman, Ali and Muawiyah. In their belief,

10752-534: The goal of creating an Ibadi state. An example is the early Basran Kharijite leader Abu Bilal Mirdas , who was later held by the Ibadiyya to be a prototype of the "Imam of exchange". A would-be imām al-shārī cannot begin military action until they have found at least forty followers, as Abu Bilal had, willing to die for the cause; once the war has begun, the imam must continue to fight until there are only three followers remaining. A particularly ascetic lifestyle

10880-613: The hands of the local leaders and power structures already present. This system lasted until 1631, when the Sultan of Mombasa massacred the Portuguese inhabitants. For the remainder of their rule, the Portuguese appointed European governors. The strangling of trade and diminished local power led the Swahili elites in Mombasa and Zanzibar to invite Omani aristocrats to assist them in driving the Europeans out. In 1698, Zanzibar came under

11008-749: The hands of traders from the Indian subcontinent , whom Said bin Sultan encouraged to settle on the islands. During his 14-year reign as sultan, Majid bin Said consolidated his power around the East African slave trade . Malindi in Zanzibar City was the Swahili Coast's main port for the slave trade with the Middle East. In the mid-19th century, as many as 50,000 slaves passed annually through

11136-504: The hinterland and Indian Ocean world. Persian, Indian, and Arab traders frequented Zanzibar to acquire East African goods like gold, ivory, and ambergris and then shipped them overseas to Asia. Similarly, caravan traders from the African Great Lakes and Zambezian Region came to the coast to trade for imported goods, especially Indian cloth. Before the Portuguese arrival, the southern towns of Unguja Ukuu and Kizimkazi and

11264-556: The independence and sovereignty of Zanzibar, Tanzania Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said on 3 July 2008 that there was "nothing like the sovereignty of Zanzibar in the Union Government unless the Constitution is changed in future". Zanzibar House of Representatives members from both the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi , and the opposition party, Civic United Front , disagreed and stood firmly in recognizing Zanzibar as

11392-498: The influence of the Sultanate of Oman . There was a brief revolt against Omani rule in 1784. Local elites invited Omani merchant princes to settle in Zanzibar in the first half of the nineteenth century, preferring them to the Portuguese. Many locals today continue to emphasise that indigenous Zanzibaris had invited Seyyid Said , the first Busaidi sultan, to their island. Claiming a patron–client relationship with powerful families

11520-521: The interior still adhered to Ya'ariba or other local leaders. On the coast of East Africa, Ahmad bin Said was recognized as Imam only by the governor of Zanzibar. Ahmad bin Said only became undisputed ruler of Oman when Bal'arab bin Himyar died in 1749. The Yaruba family retained some independence. It was not until 1869 that their last stronghold, the fort of al-Hayam in the Al Batinah Region ,

11648-517: The interior to provide water, and planted date palms in the Al Batinah Region to encourage Arabs to move from the interior and settle along the coast. A large falaj was built to provide water for the town of Al Hamra , and it seems that the Ya'ariba supported major investment in settlement and agricultural works such as terracing along the Wadi Bani Awf . Saif bin Sultan built new schools. He made

11776-658: The joint forces of Mu'awiyah and al-Hasan b. 'Ali. After these events, the Umayyad rule became firmly established and focused on suppressing all forms of opposition. As a result, sympathizers of the Muhakkimah—referred to as 'al-Muslimun' or 'Jama'at al-Muslimin' in early Ibadhi literature—were forced to hide their faith and conduct their activities in secret. Among the survivors of the Battle of al-Nahrawan were 'Urwah b. 'Udayyah and his brother Abu Bilal Mirdas. They continued their religious activities in Basrah, where they were known for their devotion and became leading members of

11904-431: The land ecosystem is the home of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus , the Zanzibar servaline genet , and the extinct or rare Zanzibar leopard . Pressure from the tourist industry and fishing as well as larger threats such as sea level rise caused by climate change are creating increasing environmental concerns throughout the region. The word Zanzibar came from Arabic zanjibār ( زنجبار [zandʒibaːr] ), which

12032-636: The late 20th century, but it was fully restored in 2016, at a cost of one million Euros , with a world heritage visitor centre. The restoration was supported by the Tanzanian and Zanzibari governments, and overseen by the diocese in partnership with the World Monuments Fund . The restoration of the spire, clock, and historic Willis organ are still outstanding. Historically the diocese included mainland locations in Tanganyika . In 1963, it

12160-639: The majority of the contemporary Omani population and the royal family of Oman are Ibadi. Ibadi missionary activity was met with considerable success in North Africa . In 757, Ibadis seized Tripoli and captured Kairouan the next year. Driven out by the Abbasid army in 761, Ibadi leaders founded a state, which became known as Rustamid dynasty , in Tahart . It was overthrown in 909 by the Fatimid Caliphate . Ibadi communities continue to exist in

12288-454: The most learned in fiqh , or Islamic jurisprudence; and that he has the military knowledge to defend the Ibadi community against war and oppression. In the Omani tradition, an imam who is learned in the Islamic legal sciences is considered "strong" ( qawī ), and an imam whose primary skills are military without scholarly qualifications is considered "weak" ( ḍaʻīf ). Unlike a strong imam,

12416-409: The next legitimate caliph and first Ibadi imam was Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi , the leader of the Kharijites who turned against Ali for his acceptance of arbitration with Muawiyah and was killed by Ali at Nahrawan . Ibadis believe that the " genealogy of Islam " ( nasab al-islām ) was transmitted by other individuals at Nahrawan, such as Ḥurḳūṣ ibn Zuhayr al-Saʿdī , and developed into Ibadi Islam,

12544-474: The northern town of Tumbatu were the dominant centres of exchange. Zanzibar was just one of the many autonomous city-states that dotted the East African coast. These towns grew in wealth as the Swahili people served as intermediaries and facilitators to merchants and traders. This interaction between Central African and Indian Ocean cultures contributed in part to the evolution of the Swahili culture , which developed an Arabic-script literary tradition. Although

12672-410: The period of imām al-kitmān , the duties of affiliation and disassociation are no longer valid. Some have characterised the works of some Ibadi scholars as being particularly anti-Shi'ite in nature, and some state that Ibadi scholars, like al-Warjalani, held Nasibi views. Ibadi beliefs remain understudied by outsiders, both non-Muslim and other Muslim. Ibadis have stated that whilst they read

12800-526: The political impetus for this was the 19th century movement for the abolition of the slave trade . Zanzibar was the centre of the East African slave trade . In 1822, Captain Moresby, the British consul in Muscat pressed Sultan Said to end the slave trade by signing a treaty. This Moresby Treaty was the first of a series of anti-slavery treaties with Britain. It prohibited slave transport south and east of

12928-493: The population, and the Zanzibar Arabs—;the bulk of whom arrived from Oman in the 1800s—made up approximately 17%. Today, Zanzibar is inhabited mostly by ethnic Swahili . There are also a number of Arabs , as well as some ethnic Persian , Somalis , and Indian people. Zanzibaris speak Swahili (Kiswahili), a Bantu language that is extensively spoken in the African Great Lakes region. Swahili

13056-567: The port. Many were captives of Tippu Tip , a notorious Arab/Swahili slave trader and ivory merchant. Tip led huge expeditions, some 4,000 strong, into the African hinterland where chiefs sold him their villagers at low prices. These Tip used to carry ivory back to Zanzibar, then sold them in the slave market for large profits. In time, Tip became one of the wealthiest men in Zanzibar, the owner of multiple plantations and 10,000 slaves. One of Majid's brothers, Barghash bin Said , succeeded him and

13184-569: The prestige and importance the Arabic language once enjoyed, today it is no longer the dominant spoken language. Zanzibar's population is almost entirely Muslim, with a small Christian minority of around 22 000. Other religious groups include Hindus , Jains and Sikhs . The Anglican Diocese of Zanzibar was founded in 1892. The first Bishop of Zanzibar was Charles Smythies , who was translated from his former post as Bishop of Nyasaland . Christ Church Cathedral had fallen into poor condition by

13312-401: The recitation of al-Fātiḥah . Ibadis shorten prayers when staying in foreign territory—even if they do so on a permanent basis—unless they choose to adopt the country as their new homeland; Sunnis generally hold that believers should return to the full prayer after a given number of days outside of home. The primary Ibadi collection of hadiths, or traditions and sayings attributed to Muhammad,

13440-473: The required amount at any time, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive. Like the Shi'a and some Maliki Sunnis, the Ibadis keep their arms at their sides rather than clasping the hands during prayer . During the noon and afternoon prayers , Ibadis recite solely al-Fātiḥah , the first chapter of the Quran, whereas other Muslims may recite other Quranic verses in addition. They also do not say ʾāmīn after

13568-580: The second Muslim civil war. Abd Allāh ibn Ibāḍ was part of a group of Basran Kharijites, led by Nafi ibn al-Azraq, who initially supported the defenders of Mecca against the Umayyads. However, they became disillusioned when the Meccan Caliph, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, refused to denounce the late Caliph Uthmān. Disappointed, they returned to Basra, where they were imprisoned by the Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad. When Basra overthrew Umayyad rule in support of Ibn al-Zubayr in late 683 or early 684 CE,

13696-507: The task of expelling the Portuguese. He captured Sur, Qurayyat and Muscat, expanded the fleet and attacked the Portuguese on the Gujarat coast. Under Sultan bin Seif and his successors Oman developed into a strong maritime power. In 1660 Omani forces attacked Mombasa , forcing the Portuguese to take refuge in Fort Jesus . There was continued fighting between the forces of Portugal and Oman in

13824-621: The theology of Ibadi relations with non-Ibadi people. Only righteous Ibadis are considered worthy of friendship and association, whereas sinners and non-Ibadi Muslims are subject to dissociation, sometimes to the point of ostracism. Modern Ibadi scholars suggest that the duty of dissociation does not require rudeness or social avoidance, and that an Ibadi may have genuine affection for a non-Ibadi; nonetheless, "an inner awareness of separation" between upright Ibadis and non-Ibadis must be maintained. In practice, however, Ibadi Muslims have generally been very tolerant of non-Ibadi religious practice. During

13952-534: The true form of the faith. The Wahbi is considered to be the most mainstream of the schools of thought within Ibadism. The main reason the Wahbi strain has come to dominate within Ibadism is that most textual references that have been preserved can be attributed to Wahbi affiliated scholars. Zanzibar Zanzibar is an insular semi-autonomous region which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form

14080-564: The views of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ṣaffār, founder of the Sufri sect, and clashed with Abū Bayhas, leader of the Bayhasiyya sect, whose views were closer to the radical doctrines of Ibn al-Azraq. The Ibadis distanced themselves from more extreme Kharijite beliefs, particularly on two key issues: The Ibadis viewed the doctrines of Nafi and other extreme Kharijites as dangerous heresies (bida'a) and waged wars against them. Early Ibadhi writings, like

14208-494: The works of both Sunnis and Shias, the learned scholars of those two sects never read Ibadi works and often repeat myths and false information when they address the topic of Ibadism without performing proper research. The development of Ibadi theology happened thanks to the works of scholars and imams of the community, whose histories, lives, and personalities are part of the Islamic history . Ibāḍī theology can be understood on

14336-526: Was 1,889,773 people – with an annual growth rate of 3.8 percent. The population of Zanzibar City , which was the largest city, was 219,007. In 2002, around two-thirds of the people, 622,459, lived on Unguja (Zanzibar Island), with most settled in the densely populated west. Besides Zanzibar City, other towns on Unguja include Chaani , Mbweni , Mangapwani , Chwaka , and Nungwi . Outside of these towns, most people live in small villages and are engaged in farming or fishing. The population of Pemba Island

14464-481: Was 362,166. The largest town on the island was Chake-Chake , with a population of 19,283. The smaller towns are Wete and Mkoani . Mafia Island , the other major island of the Zanzibar Archipelago but administered by mainland Tanzania (Tanganyika), had a total population of 40,801. The people of Zanzibar are of diverse ethnic origins. The first permanent residents of Zanzibar seem to have been

14592-508: Was a strategy used by many Swahili coast towns from at least the fifteenth century. In 1832 or 1840 (the date varies among sources), Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman moved his capital from Muscat, Oman to Stone Town. After Said's death in June 1856, two of his sons, Thuwaini bin Said and Majid bin Said , struggled over the succession . Said's will divided his dominions into two separate principalities , with Thuwaini to become

14720-482: Was better qualified to become Imam. In 1719 Muhanna bin Sultan was brought into Rustaq Fort by stealth and proclaimed Imam. He was unpopular, and the next year was deposed and killed by his cousin Ya'arub bin Bal'arab . Ya'arub bin Bal'arab set up Saif bin Sultan II as the Imam and proclaimed himself Custodian. In May 1722 Ya'Arab took the next step and proclaimed himself Imam. This caused an uprising led by Bel'arab bin Nasir,

14848-723: Was changed to direct rule through residents who were effectively governors. The death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the succession of Sultan Khalid bin Barghash , whom the British did not approve of, led to the Anglo-Zanzibar War . On the morning of 27 August 1896, ships of the Royal Navy destroyed the Beit al Hukum Palace. A cease-fire was declared 38 minutes later, and to this day

14976-668: Was elected Imam. In 1747, the Afsharid king of Persia , Nadir Shah was assassinated in Khurasan . Chaos fallowed his death. The Persian forces in Oman, as everywhere else in Persian Empire, faced the hierarchical and disciplinary vacuum, leading to massive desertion. Taking advantage of the situation, Ahmad invited the remaining Persian garrison to a banquet at his fort in Barka , where he massacred them. At first some towns in

15104-480: Was forced by the British to abolish the slave trade in the Zanzibar Archipelago. He largely developed Unguja's infrastructure. Another brother of Majid, Khalifa bin Said , was the third sultan of Zanzibar and deepened the relationship with the British, which led to the archipelago's progress towards the abolition of slavery. Control of Zanzibar eventually came into the hands of the British Empire ; part of

15232-470: Was incorporated into German East Africa . The sultans developed an economy of trade and cash crops in the Zanzibar Archipelago with a ruling Arab elite. Ivory was a major trade good. The archipelago, sometimes referred to by locals as the Spice Islands, was famous worldwide for its cloves and other spices, and plantations were established to grow them. The archipelago's commerce gradually fell into

15360-482: Was more outward looking, with longstanding connections to Mesopotamia and Persia . After the early days of Islam, the interior tribes were led by Imams, who held both spiritual and temporal power. The Yahmad branch of Azd tribes gained power in the 9th century. They established a system where the ulama of the Banu Sama, the largest of the Ibadi tribes of the interior, would select the Imam. The authority of

15488-785: Was re-installed at Nizwa . However, some of the inhabitants of Az Zahirah elected Saif's cousin Bal'arab bin Himyar as Imam. After early clashes, the rival Imams remained armed but avoided hostilities for a few years. Belarab controlled most of the interior, and gradually gained the ascendancy on land. Saif was only supported by the Beni Hina and a few allied tribes, but had the navy and the main seaports of Muscat, Burka and Sohar. With his power dwindling, Saif bin Sultan II eventually asked for help against his rival from Nader Shah of Persia. A Persian force arrived in March 1737. Saif bin Sultan joined

15616-455: Was renamed as the Diocese of Zanzibar & Dar es Salaam. Two years later, in 1965, Dar es Salaam became a separate diocese. The original jurisdiction was renamed as the Diocese of Zanzibar & Tanga. In 2001, the mainland links were finally ended, and it is now known as the Diocese of Zanzibar. The diocese includes parishioners on the neighbouring island of Pemba . Ten bishops have served in

15744-581: Was succeeded by his son. Sultan bin Saif II (r. 1711-1718) established his capital at Al-Hazm on the road from Rustaq to the coast. Now just a village, there still are remains of a great fortress that he built around 1710, and which contains his tomb. When Sultan bin Saif II died in 1718 a struggle began between rival contenders for the Imamate. One faction supported the young boy Saif bin Sultan II while another supported Muhanna bin Sultan , who they felt

15872-674: Was suppressed in 1953, when the territory was put under control of the Kenyan church, but it was restored in 1964 after independence. The church created a diocese here shortly before Easter 1980. The bishop is Augustine Ndeliakyama Shao. Zanzibar is part of the Roman Catholic Province of Dar es Salaam, under the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam. Other Christian denominations include the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania which arrived in Zanzibar town in

16000-636: Was taken by Azzan bin Qais . Ibadi The Ibadi movement or Ibadism ( Arabic : الإباضية , romanized :  al-ʾIbāḍiyya , Arabic pronunciation: [alʔibaːˈdˤijja] ) is a branch inside Islam, which many believe is descended from the Kharijites . The followers of Ibadism are known as the Ibadis or, as they call themselves, The People of Truth and Integrity ( Arabic : أهل الحقّ والاستقامة ). Ibadism emerged around 60 years after

16128-464: Was that Ibadism should be considered an early and highly orthodox interpretation of Islam. Unlike the Sunni theory of the caliphate of the Rashidun , and the Shi'i notion of divinely appointed Imamate , the leaders of Ibadi Islam—called Imams—do not need to rule the entire Muslim world; Muslim communities are considered capable of ruling themselves. The Ibadis reject the belief that the leader of

16256-608: Was the beginning of the Later Stone Age . A Greco-Roman text between the 1st and 3rd centuries, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , mentioned the island of Menuthias ( Ancient Greek : Μενουθιάς ), which is probably Unguja . At the outset of the first millennium, both Zanzibar and the nearby coast were settled by Bantu speakers. Archaeological finds at Fukuchani, on the northwest coast of Zanzibar, indicate

16384-515: Was weaker. Unlike traditional Sunni Islam but like the modern Salafist movement, Ibadis do not have Sufi orders and reject the veneration of saints . Historically, the views of Sufis were not well regarded in Ibadi literature, with Ibadi scholars like Al-Mundhiri writing anti-Sufi works. However, mystical devotional practices reminiscent of Sunni Sufism were traditionally practiced by some other Ibadi scholars, to whom miracles were sometimes ascribed as with Sunni Sufis. Modern Ibadis disagree on

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