المعنى الاصطلاحي

A Jewish sect that is attributed to ‘Anān ibn Dāwūd. They contradict other Jews in the rulings pertaining to the Sabbath and feasts. They believe in the prophethood of Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and that he did not abrogate the law of the Torah.

الشرح المختصر

"‘Al-Anāniyyah" (the Ananites) is one of the most well-known Jewish sects. Its followers are ascribed to Anan ben David, who was an influential Rabbi in the 8th century AD. He was alive in the year 136 (Hijri) during the rule of the Abbāsid Caliph Abu Ja‘far al-Mansoor. This sect is also called Karaism because they believe in Tanakh (the Old Testament) alone as their supreme authority. Tanakh was also called Miqrah, which means "what is read"; hence the name Karaites, meaning the reciters. Some of their prominent beliefs and ideologies: 1. They were influenced by the Sadducees and Isawites in their adherence to the Old Testament alone, while denying the Talmud. 2. They were influenced by Islam in regards to believing that Jesus, peace be upon him, was not a heretic and that he was a pious, righteous man from the Children of Israel. They also believed that Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, is a true prophet; however, they claimed that Jesus was not a prophet and that Muhammad did not abrogate the laws of the Torah. 3. They deny anthropomorphism and resemblance with regards to Allah, the Exalted. 4. They oppose the rest of the Jews regarding the rulings of the Sabbath and religious festivals. 5. They forbid eating birds, deer, fish, and locusts, and they slaughter animals from the back of their neck. 6. They consider the founder of their sect Anan ben David to be a saint, and they dedicate a special supplication for him in their prayers. 7. They are against the Zionist movement and try to drive people away from it, because they view that the seizure of Israeli holy lands by the non-Jewish rabbis is a danger that threatens them. The followers of this sect live in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and in parts of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Spain. Their numbers are insignificant compared to the general Jewish population. Currently, there are about ten thousand of them.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر

"‘Anāniyyah": ascribed to ‘Anān. It refers to the Ananite sect, called thus because they followed a man named ‘Anān ibn Dāwūd.