Regarding the lexical and terminological definitions of the Khawarij, we will now discuss the similarities between the definitions and the circumstances of their emergence, ensuring that the Ummah is not misled by this misguided group. This sect has existed since the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and will continue until the End of Time, when the last of them, according to narrations, will emerge alongside the Dajjal.
As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says: “When the matter of the Khawarij became widespread in the nation, the Sahaba began to speak about them, narrate hadiths about them from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and explain what was in the Qur’an in refutation of them until their innovation became apparent to the general public.” The first individual from this group, who opposed the standard-bearer of justice and guidance on earth, was the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when a rude foreigner challenged his authority.
But who was the first Khawarij seditionist? Scholars differ on this matter. Some consider “Harqus bin Zuhair” or “Dhu al-Khuwaisrah” to be the first foreigner; others regard the killers of Hazrat Usman as the initial group of Khawarij.
According to some views, the first foreigner and seditionist during the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was Dhu al-Khuwaisrah. In an authentic narration from Bukhari, it is stated: On the authority of Abi Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): “While we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he was taking an oath of allegiance, Dhu al-Khuwaisrah, a man from Bani Tamim, said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, be just.’ The Prophet replied: ‘Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not? How could you be wretched if I am not just?’ Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, permit me to strike his neck.’ The Prophet replied: ‘Leave him; for the companions of this man are those whose prayers, fasting, and recitation of the Qur’an you may find insignificant compared to theirs. They recite the Qur’an, but it does not pass beyond their throats; they depart from religion as an arrow swiftly darts from its target. When they leave, they do not leave a trace of faith in their hearts.’ Abu Saeed stated: ‘I testify that I heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and bear witness that Ali bin Abi Talib fought them, and I was with him when he ordered the man to be brought before him; I witnessed that he had the same characteristics that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had described.’”
Those scholars who assert that the formation of the Khawarij began during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reference this hadith. Ibn al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “The first Khawarij and the worst of them was Dhu al-Khuwaisrah.” In another narration, it is noted that he said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Be just.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not?” Thus, Dhu al-Khuwaisrah is recognized as the first individual to challenge the distribution of wealth by the Prophet, and his dissent stemmed from his own misguided opinion despite knowing that none could surpass the wisdom of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Some scholars maintain that the emergence of the Khawarij began with the uprising against Hazrat Usman and the subsequent events leading to his brutal assassination, with this sedition referred to as the first fitnah.
The most likely opinion regarding the beginning of the Khawarij’s emergence is that, despite Dhu al-Khuaisrah’s connection with the rioters against Hazrat Usman and the Khawarij who opposed Hazrat Ali over arbitration, the term Khawarij specifically applies to those who revolted over arbitration. They formed a group with distinct political orientations and worldviews that had a clear ideological influence, which was markedly different from earlier events.
Thus, the Khawarij embody both virtues and vices. They are worshippers and ascetics who spend their nights in devotion, showing no desire for worldly pleasures. As the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informed: “A group will emerge among you who will be little your prayers compared to theirs, your fasting compared to theirs, and your deeds compared to theirs. They recite the Qur’an, but the Qur’an does not pass beyond their throats…”
However, in contrast to their external piety, this group is deeply ignorant. Their understanding of religion is superficial, leading them to misinterpret the principles of faith and to hastily declare others as disbelievers. This phenomenon of takfir, innovation, and division within the Muslim Ummah arises from their excessive rigidity and insistence on their interpretations of religion, even in instances where they may perform good deeds—such as in the controversy surrounding the arbitration during Hazrat Ali’s time. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeatedly warned, “Perish the indecisive; the indecisive are destroyed.”
An intriguing aspect of the names given to the Khawarij is that Imam Ash’ari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that the Khawarij are the same faction that revolted against Hazrat Ali during the Battle of Siffin after he accepted arbitration. They possess various titles aside from Khawarij, including “Haruriyyah,” “Shirat,” “Maraqah,” and “Mahkamah.” They accepted all these titles except for Maraqah, denying any association with quitting their faith like an arrow leaves the body of a game animal.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah explains the reasons for the emergence and the misunderstanding exhibited by the Khawarij: “The Haruriyyah Khawarij were among the first adherents of innovation to depart from the Sunnah and the Jama’ah. Despite the presence of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Sahaba, knowledge, faith, and justice were evident in the nation. They distorted good deeds into sins and equated sins with disbelief; hence, they did not cause dissent during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar, as their interpretations were weak at the time.”
Key Points from Shaykh al-Islam’s Analysis:
1. The Khawarij are among the earliest groups of innovators.
2. The apparent power and knowledge among believers did not prevent them from breaking away from the community.
3. The reasons for their emergence are rooted in misinterpretations of events that require deep understanding to navigate.
4. The Khawarij did not initially declare the early caliphate’s leaders as disbelievers until they misunderstood and misinterpreted events, erroneously attributing allegiance to judgments contrary to Allah’s revelations, effectively labeling them as disbelief.
It is crucial to understand the fourth point: they declared takfir based on perceived violations of Islam. For instance, while Sharia permits peace negotiations with non-believers, the Khawarij misinterpret these actions as supporting enemies against fellow Muslims, thereby declaring those involved as disbelievers.
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