Last Day, and the belief that grave sinners are to abide in Hell unless they repent before death. There are some other distinctive features of the Ibadhi school, such as the suspension of the (hadd) punishments during the stage of 'secrecy.' And the laws laid down for this politico - religious stage. In the legal and religious system there is a number of points on which the Ibadhi school differs from the rest of the Islamic schools or from some of them. This was due in fact to the texts on which those points were based. In some cases Sunni or Shi'i authorities and vice-versa do not know the material used by Ibadhis.

The other main feature is that Ibadhis always have understood religion to be one unit in its political, spiritual and legal aspects which should be carried out in life simultaneously. When one of these aspects is suspended in certain stages of the Ibadhi community, it is not out of negligence, but as a deliberate action required by the current stage through which the community is passing, based on the example of the Prophet's practical life, and which should lead to the next step of carrying out all teachings of the religion in suitable conditions. This seems to be the reason why Ibadhis, for example, never accepted Sufism, because it directs the activities of the Muslim mainly to the spiritual side and does not care much for other aspects of religion. One of the early comments on this point was made by Muhammad b. Mahbub (ob.260 H.) in his Sirah to the Ibadhis of Hadramawt, "We learnt that certain people existed in your country who made it their worship to wear wool during summer, and have doubts about fighting the enemies of God by the sword."4

( يتعبدون بلباس الصوف في الصيف ويتشككون في قتال أهل البغي بالسيف )

As Ibadhis have always lived in simple remote communities their laws were not affected by changes of environment or time, and remained in their original form. Ibadhis always tried to live according to the divine law, and to adapt it wherever they were and at all time. Special rules for the different stages of politico - religious situations were formed at an early stage according to which the Ibadhi community had to maintain its existence.

There remains a great deal to be done to form a clearer picture of the Ibadhi communities and their development in different fields of activity. Very little is known about the present situation in the various Ibadhi countries and these Ibadhi communities need close study. There is still also a large body of original Ibadhi works on Hadith, law, theology, history and to their files of knowledge which deserves attention, and an extensive amount of new material awaits patient examination and thorough inspection in order to have a more complete view of the Ibadhi school.

1 Mubarrad, al-Kamil, III