Back to Table of Contents 4
To next page
Letter of Salma b. Muslim al-Awtabi: The Kilwa Sira: (+1116) Oman
----------------------------------------------------------

The Sira was probably the work of the younger Awtabi known for writing the Ansab al Arab (Chronicle of Oman), he was flourishing halfway the 12^th century. This Ibadi (= the form of Islam in Oman) polemic has long discussions on the fundamentals of jurisprudence (Usul al Fiqh). Included is a list of transmitters of the Ibadi doctrine. He concentrates on the main rivals Shafi islam and Mutazilism. Today the complete coast of east Africa is Shafi while the island of Zanzibar is Ibadi. These documents are very important for the history of East Africa.

Taken from:  J.C. Wilkinson: African Historical Studies 1981

The Kilwa Sira (2) consists of two documents of which this one is the first. The second one dates from 1200.

Basically it is an Ibadi (1) polemic addressed to two brothers from Kilwa being Ali b. Ali and al-Hasan b. Ali. Except of the polemic there is only this address to the two brothers: We have heard that you have become tashdid fi'l-din (this maybe means that they were actively propagating Ibadism.)

(1) Ibadi: The Ibadi movement, is a school of Islam. It exists in Oman and Zanzibar.

(2) The Sira are the prophetic biographies. In addition to what is written in the Quran and Hadith, the sira also provide information on Muhammed's life and the early period of Islam.