Written by: Mawlawi Ahmad Ali
Part 1
The Khawarij, throughout history, have consistently inflicted irreparable harm upon Muslims. Whenever they emerge, the most virtuous individuals of the Ummah are martyred by them, as indicated in narrations:
“یقتلون خیار المسلمین”
Translation:
“They kill the best of the Muslims.”
Imam Ibn Hajar (رحمه الله) says:
أَمَّا الْخَوَارِجُ فَهُمْ جَمْعُ خَارِجَةٍ أَيْ طَائِفَةٍ وَهُمْ قَوْمٌ مُبْتَدِعُونَ سُمُّوا بِذَلِكَ لِخُرُوجِهِمْ عَنِ الدِّينِ وَخُرُوجِهِمْ عَلَى خِيَارِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
Translation:
“Khawarij is the plural of Khārija. They are a sect considered innovators, and they are called Khawarij because they deviate from the correct understanding of the religion and rebel against the best of the Muslims.”
Note: Some individuals may categorize the mujahideen who engage in armed struggles against oppressors as Khawarij. However, the definition provided by Ibn Hajar (RA) does not encompass these mujahideen as they have not revolted against the pious Muslims. Instead, they have initiated jihad against the proponents of disbelief and the enforcers of non-Islamic legislation.
Additionally, the Mujahideen have not abandoned the religion; rather, they seek its implementation. It is the Khawarij who have left the religion, and this is an evident and clear fact.
In the book “Al-Khawarij: Their Creed, History, and Present”, on page 2, the author writes regarding the Khawarij:
فقط ظهرت بوادرها في زمن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، عندما طعن عبدالله ذو الخويصرة التميمي بقسمة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال فيها -ولبئس ما قال-: هذه قِسمة ما أُريد بها وجه الله .
وقال أيضاً، إعدل يا رسول الله، فقال الصادق الأمين: (ويلك، إن لم أعدل فمن يعدل؟)
ثمّ قال فيه: يخرج من ضئضئ هذا قوم تحقرون صلاتكم إلى صلاتهم وصيامكم إلى صيامهم يمرقون من الدين كما يمرق السهم من الرمية. أنظر كامل القصّة في البخاري ومسلم.
أمّا من حيث كونها فرقة لها تجمّع وعقائد وشوكة، فقد ظهر هذا بعد التحكيم الذي حدث بطلب منهم (وكانوا في جيش عليّ رضي الله عنه وأرضاه وطالبوه بالتحكيم) بين عليّ ومعاويةرضوان الله عليهم جميعاً، ثمّ قاتلهم عليّ رضي الله عنه حتّى كان قتله رحمه الله ورضي عنه على أيديهم الخبيثة.
“Their first signs appeared during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when Abdullah bin Dhul-Khuwaisira at-Tamimi criticized the division of spoils made by the Prophet (ﷺ) and said – an evil statement: ‘This is a division that was not intended to seek Allah’s pleasure.’
He also said, ‘Be just, O Messenger of Allah!’ to which the Prophet (ﷺ) responded, ‘Woe to you! If I am not just, then who will be just?’ He then said, ‘From this lineage will emerge a people whose prayer you will consider inferior to your prayer and whose fasting to your fasting, but they will pass through the religion just as an arrow passes through the prey.’ You can find the full story in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.”
However, as an organized group with distinct beliefs and power, the Khawarij emerged after the arbitration that took place upon their request (they were in the army of Ali رضي الله عنه and had asked him for arbitration between Ali and Muawiya رضي الله عنهما). They then fought against Ali رضي الله عنه until he was martyred by their evil hands.
So, the term Khawarij is not new; it is an old term. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the first to use it, and he said: “The Khawarij are the dogs of Hellfire” – he repeated this three times. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah.” In another narration, he said: “For them is Hellfire.”
Imam Shawkaani (رحمه الله) states in “Nayl al-Awtaar”, volume 7, page 187:
بَابُ قِتَالِ الْخَوَارِجِ) هُمْ جَمْعُ خَارِجَةٍ: أَيْ طَائِفَةٍ، سُمُّوا بِذَلِكَ لِخُرُوجِهِمْ عَنْ الدِّينِ وَابْتِدَاعِهِمْ أَوْ خُرُوجِهِمْ عَنْ خِيَارِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
Translation:
“The Khawarij are a group of innovators who have deviated from the correct understanding of Islam and opposed the best Muslims.”
Khawarij is the plural form of “Kharija.” They are called Khawarij because they have deviated from the correct understanding of Islam and embraced innovation. That is, they differ from the understanding and interpretation of religion as understood by the people of Sunnah and Jama’ah, the Companions, the Tabi’een, the Tabi’ Tabi’een, and the Imams of Ijtihad. They have deviated from the best of Muslims.
In “Fath al-Bari”, Ibn Hajar (رحمه الله) says:
“Ibn Umar (RA) considered them the worst of Allah’s creation.”
Ibn Umar (RA) regarded the Khawarij as the worst of people because they applied verses meant for disbelievers onto Muslims.
وَصَلَهُ الطَّبَرِيُّ فِي مُسْنَدِ عَلِيٍّ مِنْ تَهْذِيبِ الْآثَارِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ بُكَيْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْأَشَجِّ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ نَافِعًا كَيْفَ كَانَ رَأْيُ بن عُمَرَ فِي الْحَرُورِيَّةِ قَالَ كَانَ يَرَاهُمْ شِرَارَ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ انْطَلَقُوا إِلَى آيَاتِ الْكُفَّارِ فَجَعَلُوهَا فِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قُلْتُ وَسَنَدُهُ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ الْمَرْفُوعِ عِنْدَ مُسْلِمٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي ذَرٍّ فِي وَصْفِ الْخَوَارِجِ هُمْ شِرَارُ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ.
وَعِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بِسَنَدٍ جَيِّدٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ مَرْفُوعًا مِثْلَهُ وَعِنْدَ الْبَزَّارِ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ ذِكْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْخَوَارِجَ فَقَالَ هُمْ شِرَارُ أُمَّتِي يَقْتُلُهُمْ خِيَارُ أُمَّتِي.
Translation:
At-Tabari, in “Musnad Ali”, from “Tahdhib al-Athar”, through the narration of Bukair bin Abdullah bin al-Ashajj, mentions that he asked Nafi‘ about Ibn Umar’s view regarding the Haruriyya (another name for Khawarij). Nafi’ said: “He considered them the worst of Allah’s creation. They took the verses revealed about disbelievers and applied them to believers.” I say: Its chain is authentic, and it has been established in the hadith reported by Muslim from Abu Dharr in describing the Khawarij: “They are the worst of creation.” (Khawarij are the worst of all human beings and animals.)
Ahmad also reports with a good chain from Anas a similar narration. Al-Bazzar, through a chain from Al-Shu’bi from Masruq from Aisha (رضي الله عنها), reports that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) mentioned the Khawarij and said: “They are the worst of my Ummah, and the best of my Ummah will kill them.”
وَسَنَدُهُ حَسَنٌ وَعِنْدَ الطَّبَرَانِيِّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ مَرْفُوعًا هُمْ شَرُّ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ يَقْتُلُهُمْ خَيْرُ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ وَفِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عِنْدَ مُسْلِمٍ مِنْ أَبْغَضِ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ إِلَيْهِ.
Translation:
This narration has a good chain, and At-Tabarani narrates similarly that they are the worst of creation, and the best of creation will kill them. In a narration from Abu Sa’id reported by Ahmad, it states: “They are the worst of creatures.” In another narration from Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi’ from Ali (رضي الله عنه) in Muslim, it is stated: “They are the most hated of Allah’s creation to Him.”
وَفِي حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَبَّابٍ يَعْنِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عِنْدَ الطَّبَرَانِيِّ شَرُّ قَتْلَى أَظَلَّتْهُمُ السَّمَاءُ وَأَقَلَّتْهُمُ الْأَرْضُ.
Translation:
In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Khabbab, as narrated by At-Tabarani: “They are the worst of those killed under the sky and on the earth.”
وَفِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ نَحوه وَعند أَحْمد وبن أَبِي شَيْبَةَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ مَرْفُوعًا فِي ذِكْرِ الْخَوَارِجِ شَرُّ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ يَقُولُهَا ثَلَاثًا وَعند بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْخَلْقِ.
Translation:
In the hadith of Abu Umamah, it is narrated similarly. Ahmad and Ibn Abi Shaybah report from Abu Barzah that the Prophet (PBUH) mentioned the Khawarij, saying: “They are the worst of creation,” repeating it three times. Ibn Abi Shaybah also reports through Umair ibn Ishaq from Abu Hurairah: “They are the worst of creation.”
The Khawarij are considered the worst of living beings because they spill Muslim blood under the pretext of apostasy and takfir. Declaring a Muslim as a disbeliever and killing him is a major crime.
In a hadith, it is reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا قال الرجل لأخيه يا كافر فقد باء بها أحدهما فإن كان كما قال وإلا رجعت عليه. (متفق علیه)
Translation:
“Whoever says to his brother: ‘O disbeliever,’ it will return to one of them. If he truly is a disbeliever, then it is accurate; if not, it will return upon the one who said it.”
The blood of Muslims is highly sacred, and one must be very cautious about it. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
مایٌقضَی بین الناس یوم القیامة في الدماء.
Translation:
“The first matter to be judged among the people on the Day of Resurrection will be cases of bloodshed.”
The Prophet (PBUH) also said:
اِنّ من ورطات الامور الّتي لَا مخرج لمن أوقع نفسه فیها سفک الدم الحرام بغیر حلّه.
Translation:
“One of the most dangerous traps that a person can fall into, from which there is no escape, is spilling unlawful blood without any legitimate reason.”
The Prophet (PBUH) further stated:
لوأَنَّ أَنّ أهل السماء و أهل الأرض اشترکوا في دمِ مؤمنٍ لأَکَبّهم الله في النار.
Translation:
“If the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth were to participate in killing a single believer, Allah would cast them all into Hell.”
In the tafseer of the verse: “أفمن زيّن له سوء عمله فرأه حسنا”, Imam Abu Hafs al-Hanbali (رحمه الله) writes:
فقال قتادة: منهم الخوارج الذین یستحلون دماء المسلمین و أموالهم.
Translation:
“Qatadah says that among them are the Khawarij, who deem the blood and wealth of Muslims as lawful for themselves.”
To be continued…
