Introduction

One of the central theses of this study is that the I:Ianbalis were notmerely a group of lawyers whose sole preoccupation was legal doctrine, but rather members of a social movement that maintained distinct moral and theological positions. Therefore, writing the history of I:Ianbalism entails taking into account a variety of factors, including social and moral ideals, theological articles of faith, social and political clashes and networks of personal relations. This section deals with some of the central factors, both social and intellectual, that influenced the formation of the I:Ianbali madhhab.