Die Geschichte der Toleranz bei den Ibāḍīs im Oman – Entwicklungen von der Entstehungszeit der Ibāḍīya bis zur Gegenwart

Abstract “Muslims in Oman are tolerant!” This statement is often heard from visitors and residents of the Sultanate. This article will examine the question of whether this current attitude of religious tolerance of the Ibāḍīs in Oman towards other religions is inherent in their tradition or whether it is a modern phenomenon triggered by the modernisation efforts of the late Sultan Qaboos since 1970. Textual witnesses of religious leaders of the Ibāḍīya from the early period (2 nd / 8 th century), the Nahḍa period (beginning of the 20 th century) and the present are examined. Parameters such as the change in concepts of tolerance, categorization of religious groups and different contexts are used to examine these textual witnesses. The article shows that in the history of the Ibāḍīs, structures favouring tolerance towards other religious communities were already present in the early period, that historical contexts shaped attitudes and that a paradigm shift took place with the coming to power of Sultan Qaboos, which led to the narrative of tolerance in Oman.