Part 9
Written by: Ehsan Arab
The Shedding of Muslim Blood
One of the gravest crimes committed by the ISIS Khawarij against the Islamic Ummah, acting as agents of the disbelieving world, was the ruthless shedding of innocent Muslim blood. They justified these atrocities with baseless and absurd pretexts, demonstrating their complete disregard for the sanctity of Muslim lives.
The Khawarij viewed the blood of Muslims as having no value; in fact, they regarded it as the cheapest and most trivial of commodities. Under the guise of bizarre and unfounded accusations, they mercilessly slaughtered countless Muslims, showing no fear of Allah’s punishment.
This is despite the fact that the sacred Sharia of Islam considers the blood of a Muslim holier than even the Kaaba itself. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) addressed Mecca, stating:
“مَا أَطْيَبَكِ وَأَطْيَبَ رِيحَكِ، مَا أَعْظَمَكِ وَأَعْظَمَ حُرْمَتَكِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ، لَحُرْمَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ أَعْظَمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ حُرْمَةً مِنْكِ، مَالِهِ وَدَمِهِ، وَأَنْ نَظُنَّ بِهِ إِلَّا خَيْرًا.”
(ابن ماجه، حدیث ۳۹۳۲)
Translation:
How pure you are, and how fragrant your scent! How great you are, and how sacred your sanctity. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of a believer is greater in the sight of Allah than your sanctity—his wealth, his blood, and that only good should be assumed of him.” (Ibn Majah, Hadith 3932)
Indeed, the blood of a single Muslim is more sacred than the Kaaba. Yet, countless innocent Muslims were slaughtered at the hands of the ISIS Khawarij, who even competed with the disbelieving world in massacring the Ummah.
The Weaponization of Takfir
The unfounded practice of takfir (excommunicating Muslims) became deeply embedded in regions under ISIS control. Any slight religious mistake was enough for them to label a Muslim as an apostate, resulting in immediate and merciless execution. This unjust use of takfir instilled a climate of fear and oppression, where even minor missteps led to death.
Exploitation of Civilians as Human Shields
As the tide of their oppression began to turn and they started losing their occupied territories, the ISIS Khawarij resorted to using Muslim civilians as human shields. They prevented people from fleeing their rule, enforcing their authority through sheer brutality and terror. This was the same group that, in their propaganda videos, falsely portrayed themselves as the defenders of the Ummah. Yet, their actions revealed their true nature as oppressors and tyrants.
Impeding Muslims from Fleeing Oppression
To maintain their grip on power, the ISIS Khawarij took extreme measures to prevent Muslims from escaping their rule. They established security checkpoints along escape routes, ruthlessly shooting anyone attempting to flee. In some cases, they publicly executed those who sought to escape, using them as examples to deter others. They even deployed snipers to hunt down and kill individuals trying to save themselves and their families.
Their brutality knew no bounds, evidenced by the planting of landmines along crucial exit paths, leaving fleeing Muslims with a horrific choice: remain under their tyranny or risk facing a deadly explosion.
The Irony of Their Downfall
While the ISIS Khawarij subjected Muslims to unimaginable horrors, their self-proclaimed “caliph,” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, met his end outside the so-called borders of his fabricated state. He was killed in the village of Barisha in Idlib, Syria—an area then under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. This ironic end underscored the hypocrisy and futility of their claims to power and legitimacy.
In their relentless campaign of terror, the ISIS Khawarij not only shed the blood of countless innocent Muslims but also betrayed the very principles of Islam they claimed to defend. Their actions stand as a stark reminder of the dangers of extremism and the devastating consequences it brings to the Ummah.
