"ملف ‎٣/ ٣ كُتُب إلخ: قانون الصحراء العربية" [و‎‎١‎٢] (٤٨/٢٣)

Motes on desert law*
In general and with modifloat!on in looalities#desert law
is the same in Oman as elsewhfcre^ in Arabia*based as it ii
on the tribal conception of society*that is to say corporate
responsibility for the act of the individual member.
In this it is oposed to civilised codes which are based
on individual responsibility for personal acts,
bhara' law in practice lies somewhere between the two but
is most aicin to desert law.
The magistrates of desert law*iaiown in Kuwait as Ahl al
Khibra( incidentally they may or may not be of the sheiich*
-ly house) have their equivalent here in the term *hauz N
the law is huicum al hauz. Its scope in Oman embraces
chiefly the nomadic remoter tribes e.g. Daru*?al «ahiba etc
where not much settled government writ runs.
The camel tribes of Oman proper is Ibadhi Oman are gene*
-rally only semi nomadic and come within the orbit of
Ibadhi influence*This being of a religious flavour*Shara
law is imposed wherever possible and 9 hu]cum al hauz* re-
-garded as pagan*though pastoral elements generally pre
fer it. To the Imam desert law(hauz)is anathema.
In actual practice however the differences between law with
a devine sanction i.e. 3hara#and the hauz*are so slight*
that luphasis of them may be regarded as a question of
religious austerity.
As regards the detailed rules set^ir n by Col.Dickson
the chief variations in Oman would appear to be as
follows.
Alii. The 'blood 1 law of 5 generations is unknown hores
the reason perhaps that the wide spaces and roaming Badus
of the Kuwait hinterland are here replaced by closer knit]
societies. In theory the feud lasts indefinitely until
restitution has been made.In practice it is unthinkable
that it would go unrevenged for 5 generations.The law of
Shara* demands 'blood money* from the murderer to the