Origins of the name Ibadhism

The name Ibadhism comes from the father of Abdullah bin Ibadh al-Murri al-Tamimi, who belonged to one of the main tribes of Mudar.

He was one of the main leaders in the struggle against the Umayyad rule in defending Mecca because he believed the Umayyad rule to be a violation of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. In his attempts to find one strong leader for this group, he was turned down by the leading men of the age, such as Abdullah al-Zubair.

Therefore Ibn Ibadh had to take up the leading position in this political struggle and the Ibadhi school emerged with actual foundations, defined boundaries and leadership.   The system of the Imamate lasted until the end of the 19th century.