The Ibadi Lesson Through the Book of “Studies in Ibāḍism” by the Thinker Amr Khalifa Al-Nami

Abstract

This research addresses, epistemologically, a symbolic personality in the fields of Scholastic Theology and thought. It examines the theological study of Amr Khalifa al-Nami and aims to understand the term "nation" according to him, through his written and oral scholarly heritage. This is because scholastic theology, in general and across various theological schools, remains parched and dependent. Parched in its discussions and issues, and dependent to tenets of every school, doctrine and trend, despite its rise from the rubble of the past and its attempt to keep up with the challenges of the reality in which it arose, grew and was renewed, under the pressure of religious debate, the sayings of philosophers and the conflicts of theologians and the leaders of sects. We do not exaggerate if we consider that the Ash'aris and Maturidis in general, or those who are expressed to be Ahl AL Sunna wal Jamaa (by the people of the Sunnah and the community),regardless of who later joined them,  found themselves on the opposite side of the Ibadi school, especially in the modern era, with the revival of religious awakening and the emergence of the broad Islamic movement with its various names and literature, of which Amr Khalifa al-Nami is considered one of the symbols, as he wove his cognitive project from two elements: the Ibadi doctrinal and jurisprudential trend and the early intellectual and organizational commitment to the modern Islamic movement/project. In this precise cognitive framework, the research “The Ibadi Lesson Through the Book of “Studies in Ibāḍism” by the Thinker Amr Khalifa Al-Nami” is presented, trying to define the features of his methodology in dealing with those controversial theological heritage issues, preparing from them the dough of his intellectual material within the framework of reshaping the Islamic awareness of the youth elites, and how he was able to carve out a new definition for the concept of the Muslim nation in order to build a new, harmonious, integrated, and non-contradictory generation ( due to that ancient jurisprudential and theological heritage), which is dialectical in many of its aspects. Therefore, we have divided the research into three sections, to enable the reader to understand the nature of Amr Khalifa's evolving project, both in evaluating the heritage and engaging in modern enlightenment projects and This manifests through his lecture, "Features of the Scientific Movement in Ouargla (Ouargla) and Its Suburbs" and his book "The Phenomenon of Hypocrisy in the Framework of Islamic Standards", and his book, "Studies on Ibadism," which represents the core of the research.