Author: Bashir Sadat
The Kharijites have consistently resorted to extremism and rigidity in their opposition to Muslims. Throughout history, they have disrupted Muslim governments and caused destruction and instability to promote their misguided ideology.
Their hands are stained with the blood of notable figures such as Uthman (RA), Ali (RA), and many other Companions, Tabi’un, Tabi’ Tabi’un, scholars, and mujahideen. Even today, they remain an obstacle to the unity of the Ummah.
When examining history, the harm inflicted upon the Ummah by the Kharijites exceeds even that caused by Crusaders and Christians. During the Umayyad, Abbasid caliphates, and various Islamic eras, the swords of the Kharijites, instead of striking the enemies of Islam, were drenched in the blood of fellow Muslims.
Following the conquest of al-Andalus, Muslims lived in peace and stability until around 138 AH. Life proceeded normally, with no signs of unrest or insecurity.
The foundations of Islamic greatness in al-Andalus were so robust that no external enemy could harm them. However, in 138 AH, due to internal conflicts among Muslims, Kharijites clandestinely infiltrated al-Andalus from Sham (Syria) with plans to ally with the Berbers, who were distressed by the oppression of Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Fihri. The Kharijites sought to lure them away from the true Islamic group and push them towards extremism and rigidity.
Historians note that the Kharijites’ efforts to spread extremism were so swift that Islam in al-Andalus was on the brink of complete eradication.
The Kharijites eliminated prominent and capable Islamic scholars from public affairs and resorted to various forms of deceit to win over the people. However, over time, the arrival of the esteemed warrior Abd al-Rahman ibn Mu’awiyah ibn Hisham al-Dakhil (may Allah have mercy on him)—the last Umayyad ruler in al-Andalus—put an end to the Kharijites and similar movements. His leadership preserved Islamic society and al-Andalus from the turmoil caused by the Kharijites.
