them.140 All Caliphs and their governors starting from Mu'awiyah were regarded as tyrants (Salatin al-Jawr). Ibadhis declared baraah from them with exception of Umar b. Abd al-Aziz the Umayyad caliph. Some Ibadhi scholars state that he was legal Imam because of the unanimous resolution of Muslims (ijma al-ummah) to accept his Imamate.141 Some scholars report that Abu Ubaidah Muslim b. Abi Karimah asked God to bestow His mercy upon Umar b. Abd al-Aziz, which meant that Umar deserved (walayah).142 It is further reported that Abu Ubaidah sent delegation to Umar to invite him to accept the Ibadhi doctrine. After a long discussion Umar agreed with them on almost everything, but he refused to renounce Uthman and said, "God made our hands clean of that blood so let our tongues also be clean of it."143 They refused to accept his opinion and the head of the Ibadhi delegation, Abu al-Hurr Ali b., al-Husain told Umar: "Know that we are not going to take you for a friend."144 "I wish they accepted the opinion of Umar.145 It is further reported by al-Fadl b. al-Hawwari that Umar b. Abd al-Aziz acceded to the Ibadhi doctrine, and baraah from the 'tyrants' and agreed to accept Ibadhis as "awliya." The delegation asked him to declare this openly, as, according to Ibadhis, religious dissimulation (taqiyah) does not behove the just ruler. Umar could not agree with them and promised them to revive a Sunnah and abolish a heresy every day, but they refused his proposal.146 Maghribi Ibadhis held that Umar b. Abd al-Aziz was nearer to 'baraah.' Abd al-Wahhab b. Abd al-Rahman b. Rustam, the second Imam of the Ibadhi state in Tahert, was asked about his opinion of Umar b Abd al-Aziz and he replied, "He was not commended among the Muslims (i.e. Ibadhis). They did not take him as a 'waliy', and he was nearer to 'baraah'."147

To begin with, the Ibadhi sources discussed in detail the problem of tyranny and the tyrants; and the attitude that was maintained by the Ibadhis under their rule. The following is the description of the tyrants given by Abu Ya'qub Yusuf b. Ibrahim al-Warijlani, "Tyrants are those who rule the people by force and do not comply with the laws of the shari'ah. They neither call others to shari'ah nor they follow it. They neglect Zakat, alms-giving, tithes and land tax. They do not care about the shari'ah or fulfilling (hadd) punishments. They devise for themselves special ways to administer their own creed; build high palaces and houses, protect them with guards and servants. They have raids on towns and take all property as fines and bails; and use guards and servants. They drink wine and wear silk; enjoy music and use screens; and show injustice in everything."148 Ibadhi sources point out for example, Ziyad b. Abi Sufyan, and al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf as tyrant's (Salatin al-jawr). A list of names of the tyrants of Maghrib and al-Andalus is given by Abu Ya'qub al-Warijlani in his book al-Dalil wa al-Burhan.149 All Ibadhi scholars agree that such rulers have no right of (walayah); they and their supporters must be in the