Ghurabiyya Shia
Encyclopedia
The Ghurabiyya Shia was a Ghulat
sect of Shia Islam. They were the best known sect of a few extremist Shia sects from the Middle Ages
who adopted the belief that the angel Jibra’il (Gabriel
) was mistaken when passing on the prophecy to Muhammad instead of Ali.
s” and was derived for the sect because the Ghurabiyya Shia said that Muhammad
resembled Ali
very much, like one Raven resembles another Raven or even more similar than that.
at the turn of the 13th century, the Andalusian
traveler Ibn Jubayr
noted that the Ghurabiyya Shia were among the Shia sects represented in Syria at that time.
Furthermore, a document written around 1200 C.E. called “al-Maqama al Kilwiyya” discovered in Oman
, gives details of a mission to reconvert Kilwa
(an island of Tanzania
) to Ibadism, as it had recently been effected by the Ghurabiyya doctrine from southern Iraq
. The document also mentions an apostate from Ibadism called al-Munghirah. Another reference to the influence of the Ghurabiyya Shia comes from the Syrian biographer and geographer Yaqut, who writing before 1224 C.E., reported that the Sultan of Pemba (another island of Tanzania) was an Arab who had recently emigrated from Kufa
, suggesting that the doctrines of the Ghurabiyya (which were strongly present in Kufa) had also spread to Pemba.
Ghulat
Ghulāt , is a term used in the theology of Shia Islam to describe some minority Muslim groups who either ascribe divine characteristics to a member of Muhammad's family , or hold beliefs deemed deviant by mainstream Shi'i theology...
sect of Shia Islam. They were the best known sect of a few extremist Shia sects from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
who adopted the belief that the angel Jibra’il (Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
) was mistaken when passing on the prophecy to Muhammad instead of Ali.
Etymology
The name of the sect “Ghurabiyya” is Arabic for “RavenRaven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s” and was derived for the sect because the Ghurabiyya Shia said that Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
resembled Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
very much, like one Raven resembles another Raven or even more similar than that.
History
While Traveling through SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
at the turn of the 13th century, the Andalusian
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
traveler Ibn Jubayr
Ibn Jubayr
Ibn Jubayr was a geographer, traveler and poet from al-Andalus.-Early life:Born in Valencia in Spain, then the seat of an independent emirate. Ibn Jubayr was descendant of a tribe of Andalusian origins, Jubayr was the son of a civil servant...
noted that the Ghurabiyya Shia were among the Shia sects represented in Syria at that time.
Furthermore, a document written around 1200 C.E. called “al-Maqama al Kilwiyya” discovered in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, gives details of a mission to reconvert Kilwa
Kilwa Kisiwani
Kilwa Kisiwani is a community on an island off the coast of East Africa, in present day Tanzania.- History :A document written around AD 1200 called al-Maqama al Kilwiyya discovered in Oman, gives details of a mission to reconvert Kilwa to Ibadism, as it had recently been effected by the Ghurabiyya...
(an island of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
) to Ibadism, as it had recently been effected by the Ghurabiyya doctrine from southern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The document also mentions an apostate from Ibadism called al-Munghirah. Another reference to the influence of the Ghurabiyya Shia comes from the Syrian biographer and geographer Yaqut, who writing before 1224 C.E., reported that the Sultan of Pemba (another island of Tanzania) was an Arab who had recently emigrated from Kufa
Kufa
Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....
, suggesting that the doctrines of the Ghurabiyya (which were strongly present in Kufa) had also spread to Pemba.
Beliefs
The Ghurabiyya Shia had the following beliefs:- They believed God’s knowledge is temporally produced.
- They believed God does not know anything until after he creates it.
- They believed God may change his mind about matters just like a person who acquires one opinion after another. This belief was an extreme form of Bada’.
- They believed that Ali was supposed to be the Messenger and ProphetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
of God. - They believed that God dispatched the angel Gabriel to Ali and had ordered him to take the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
to Ali, but Gabriel turned away from him with the message and went to Muhammad due to his enthusiasm for him, or by mistake on his part due to being confused by the exact similitude between Muhammad and Ali and (consciously or not) is said to have revealed and transmitted the Qur'anic message to Muhammad instead of to Ali. When Gabriel returned to God, God said, “Were it not that the Quraysh would say that the Lord of Muhammad is irresolute, I would send you to Ali once again and I would dismiss Muhammad. But go instead back to Muhammad and tell him I am appointing Ali to share prophecy with him as long as both shall live, and say: “but you are only a warner (i.e. Muhammad) and for every nation there is a guide (i.e. Ali).” When Gabriel came back to Muhammad and informed him of the message of God, Muhammad said to Ali at that moment, “You are to me in the position of Harun (AaronAaronIn the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
) to Musa (MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
) except that there will not be a prophet after me.” - They believed that Muhammad was a warner and Ali was a guide by drawing upon further support from the words of God in the Qur'an: “Can they be like those who accept a clear sign from their Lord and there follows him (i.e Muhammad) a witness (i.e. Ali) from Him.“
- They believed they were justified in cursing Gabriel, for the reason of Gabriel going to Muhammad instead of Ali.
- They believed that it had been verified in a report that Ali was the partner of Muhammad in prophecy during his lifetime just as Aaron was the partner of Moses in the apostleship. For that reason Muhammad said, “No prophet after me” but did not say, “no prophet alongside me,” since Gabriel visited them both together with the revelation.
- They believed that when Muhammad died, the inspiration was withdrawn from Ali.
- They believed that the ImamateImamah (Shi'a doctrine)Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
is only restricted to the offspring of Ali.- They believed that the descendents of FatimahFatimahFatimah was a daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from his first wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She is regarded by Muslims as an exemplar for men and women. She remained at her father's side through the difficulties suffered by him at the hands of the Quraysh of Mecca...
and the other descendents of Ali all have an equal right to the Imamate. - They believed the descendents of Ali are from the lineages of 5 people: Hasan ibn AliHasan ibn AliAl-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib is an important figure in Islam, the son of Fatimah the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and of the fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Hasan is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa...
, Husayn ibn AliHusayn ibn AliHussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
, Umar, al-Abbas and Muhammad. - They believed that the Imam is anyone who rises from among the descendents of Ali with sword unsheathed, summoning to the Qur'an and the SunnahSunnahThe word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
of Muhammad and who is just and knowledgeable.
- They believed that the descendents of Fatimah