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The Sufris of Sijilmasa: toward a history of the Midrarids

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 15; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13629380902734136

1743-9345

Paul M. Love,

Historical and Linguistic Studies

Abstract This is a study of the history of the Sufri-Kharijite Midrarid dynasty that ruled the Moroccan city of Sijilmasa from 750–976CE. It first considers the historiographical challenges of studying Kharijite movements and Kharijism by briefly analysing its origins and development as well as how these issues relate to the Midrarids. This is followed by an overview of the resource material available for developing a history of this state. The next section provides a sketch of Midrarid political and economic history from the foundations of Sijilmasa to the early Fatimid period. The final section addresses the religious and ethnic makeup of Midrarid society. Keywords: KharijitesKhawarijMidraridsSijilmasaIbadisSufris Acknowledgements The research for this article was conducted while on a Fulbright Research Grant in Cairo, Egypt from the fall of 2007 to the spring of 2008. The author wishes to thank Dr. Matt Malczycki, Dr. James Miller, Dr. Ron Messier and Christopher Anzalone for their invaluable comments on the numerous drafts of this paper. Notes On the origins of the Kharijites see 'The Kharijites' (Crone Citation2004, pp. 54–64). See also Watt (Citation1993, pp. 10–19) and Salem Citation(1956). For a discussion of Kharijites in Medieval and Modern discourse see 'Origins and legacy of the Kharijites' (Kenney Citation2001). Also see Timani (2002). For a very useful analysis of works dealing with the Kharijites by modern Arab historians see 'at-tajriba al-kharijia fii ad-dirasat al-mu'asara (The Kharijite Experience in Modern Studies), in al-Islam al-Khariji (Bu'ajila Citation2006, pp. 10–25). These are the four main sects noted in the heresiographies of al-Baghdadi Citation(2002), al-Farq bayna al-Firaq; al-Shahrastani, Kitab al-Milal wa'l-Nihal: book of religious and philosophical sects; al-Baghdadi Citation(1935), Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq; and Ibn Hazm Citation(1899), al-Fasl fa al-milal wa-al-ahwa wa-al-nihal. Published source materials for the Rustamids include Abu Zakariyya's Kitab Siyar (1979) and Chronique d'Ibn Saghir sur les Imams Rostimides de Tahert (Motylinski Citation1975, pp. 315–368). 'Ikrama was a client (mawla) of Ibn 'Abbas, a famous hadith scholar of the eastern Islamic world. Connections to him were claimed by both Sufri and Ibadi Kharijites in North Africa. See 'Ikrama' and 'Sufriyya,' Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. Alternatively, 'Thakia.' See 'Banu Midrar,' Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition. See 'Sufriyya,' Encyclopedia of Islam, second edition. For a chronological table of Midrarid coinage see Kassis (Citation1988, p. 497). For a more detailed discussion of this problem see 'Sufriyya,' Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition.