Ali’s [radiAllahu anhu] treatment of the Kharijites.

 

Amir al-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (radiAllahu anhu) treated the Kharijites as Muslims, both before and after the battle. No sooner had the battle ended but he issued orders to his troops, saying:

“Do not pursue anyone who is fleeing, do not finish off anyone who is wounded, and do not mutilate anyone who has been killed.”

 

Shaqeeq ibn Salamah, who was known as Abu Wa’il, one of the jurists of the Tabi’oon who was present with ‘Ali during his battles, said: ”

‘Ali did not take any female prisoners either on the day of the Camel or on the day of Nahrawan.[1]“

 

After the battle of Nahrawan, he took the property of the slain to Kufah and said: “Whoever recognizes anything, let him take it.” The people started taking things until there was one pot left, then a man came and took it.[2]  ‘Ali (radiAllahu anhu) did not divide anything among his troops except what the Kharijites had brought into battle with them: weapons and horses only.

 

Amir al-Mu’mineen ‘Ali (radiAllahu anhu) did not regard the Kharijites as disbelievers. Before the battle, he tried to bring them back to the main body of Muslims, and many of them did come back. He exhorted them and reminded them of the seriousness of fighting.

 

Ibn Qudamah said:

“He did this because his aim was to restrain them and fend off their evil, not to kill them. If it was possible to achieve this by talking, that should take precedence over fighting because of the harm that may be caused to both parties as a result of fighting. This indicates that the Kharijites were a group of Muslims, as was stated by many of the scholars.”[3]

 

‘Ali (radiAllahu anhu) was asked whether they were disbelievers.

He said: “They have fled from disbelief.” He was asked: “Are they hypocrites?” He said: “The hypocrites only remember Allah a little.” He was asked: “What are they?” He said: “They are people who transgressed against us, so we fought them.” [4]

 

According to another report:

“They are people who transgressed against us, therefore we prevailed over them.” According to a third report: “They are people upon whom a fitnah came, and they became blind and deaf.”[5]

 

Ali (radiAllahu anhu) also offered this advice to his army and to the Muslim Ummah after him:

“If they go against a just ruler, then fight them, but if they go against an unjust ruler, do not fight them, because they have a reason.”[6]

 

It may be noted that ‘Ali (radiAllahu anhu) regretted and was grieved by the fighting in the Battle of the Camel and Siffeen, while he expressed satisfaction and contentment about fighting the Kharijites.

 

Ibn Taymiyyah [Rahimahullah]said:

“The texts and scholarly consensus differentiate between the two cases. He fought the Kharijites on the basis of a text from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and was happy about that, and none of the Companions objected to that. As for his fighting on the’ day of Siffeen, he showed a great deal of sorrow and regretted it.”[7]

 

Footnotes:

[1] Sunan al-Kubra/Baihaqi [8/182]

[2] Al-Talkhees ul Habeer [4/47]

[3] Fath ul Bari [12/300,301], Nayl al-Awtar [8/182]

[4] Musannaf Abdur Razzaq [10/150], Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah [10, 332]

[5] Musannab ibn Abi Shaybah [10/320,324], Al aitisaam/ Shaatibi[1/62]

[6] Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah [10/320], Fath ul Bari [12/301]

[7] Majmoo al-Fatawa [28/514]

[Taken from: Rightly guided Caliphs by Dr. Ali Sallabi]

 

Download PDF: [E-Book] The most correct opinion concerning the takfeer of Khawarij

A Brief history of the Innovated sects by Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (D.728H)

 

“And know that most of the innovations connected to uloom (sciences) and acts of worship occurred in this Ummah at the end of the period (if the rightly-guided Khaleefahs; just as the Prophet (swallallahu alayhi wasallam) informed, when he said, ‘Those of you who live long after me will see a great deal of differences. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly -guided Khaleefaha after me…”

 

So when the period of the rightly-guided Khaleefaas had passed and the rule of kingship appeared, deficiencies appeared in the leaders, and therefore deficiency spread also to the people of knowledge and deen. So during the end of the rule of ‘Alee radiyallaahu ‘anhu the innovation of the Khawaarij (a) and Raafidah (b) appeared.
This being connected to the issue of leadership and khilafah, and that was connected to this from actions and Sharee’ah rulings.

 

The kingship of Mu’aawiyah radiyallaahu ‘anhu was a kingship of mercy. So when it passed, the rule of Yazeed came and fitnah (trials and discord) took place within it: the killing of al- Husayn in ‘lraaq, the fitnah of the people of Hurrah in Madeenah and the siege of Makkah when ‘Abdullaah ibn Zubair made his stand. Then Yazeed passed away and the Ummah split up. Ibn Zubair in Hijaaz, Banoo Hakam in Shaam (Syria, Jordan and Palestine) and the jump to power of Mukhtaar ibn Abee-Ubayd and others in ‘lraaq. All this took place at the end of the era of the Companions, when there only remained the likes of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, Jaahir ibn ‘Abdullaah, Aboo Sa’eed al-Khudree and others. The innovation of the Qadariyyah (c) and the Murjiyah (d) then occurred, and it was refuted by those Companions who remained, as they had, along with others, refuted the innovations of the Khawaarij and the Raafidah. Indeed the status of the first three generations, by agreement of the majority, is the best and most just generations.

 

That which the Qadariyah mostly spoke about was related to the actions of the servants, as did the Murjiah. Their speech was concerned with issues of obedience and disobedience; the believer and the sinful one; and other similar related matters such as the names and the judgements, and promises and threats. Until then they had not spoken about their Lord, nor about His Attributes, except in the last period of the lesser Taabi’oon, this being the last period of the Umayyah rule, when the third generation – the atbaaut –Taabioon – began, and by which time most of the Taabioon had already passed away.

 

So the majority of the Companions had passed away by the end of the rule of the four rightly-guided Khaleefahs, until none remained from the people of Badr except a few.

 

The majority of the Taabi’oon had passed away in the last period of the younger Companions, during the reign of Ibn az- Zubair and ‘Abdul-Malik. The Majority of the third generation passed away in the last part of the Umayyah rule, at the
beginning of the ‘Abbaasee rule.

 
It then occurred that many of the offices of authority and power started to be occupied by the non-Arabs, whilst at the same time, many of the Arabs left the offices of power. Some of the non-Arab books were translated into Arabic: the books of the Persians, the Indians (Hindus) and the Romans.

 

Thus, what the Prophet (swallallahu alayhi wasallam) said appeared, “Then lies will become widespread, to such an extent that a person will testify and will not have been asked to do so, and will take an oath without being asked to do so.”

 
Then three matters occurred: ra’ee (opinion), Kalaam (philosophical speech and theology) and tasawwuf (sufism). The innovation of the Jahmiyyah (e) also occurred, which is negating and denying the Attributes of Allah.

 

______________________________________________________________

(a) The Khaawarij were

the first sect in Islaam to split from the way of the Prophet (swallallahu alayhi wasallam) and his Companions. They arose in the Khilaafah of ‘Alee, making Khurooj (rebellion) against him, before the arbitration between him and Mu’aawiyah radiyallaahu ‘anhu. From their false ‘aqeedah (beliefs) is: allowing rebellion against the legitimate Muslim ruler, whether pious or wicked, and declaring a Muslim to be a kaafir (disbeliever) due to commission of a major sin. They were described by the Prophet (swallallahu alayhi wasallam) as the ‘Dogs of Hellfire.’

Refer to: Maqalatul-Islaamiuyeen (1/168) of Abool Hasan al- Ash’aree, al-Bidaayah (8/22-24) of Ibn Katheer and Fathul-Baaree (12/282-302) of Ibn Hajr.

 

(b) The Raafidah (the Rejectors) are

an extreme sect of the Shee’ah who rejected Zayd ibn ‘Alee ibn al-Husayn due to his refusal to condemn Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar. They rapidly deteriorated in aqeedah, morals and deen – until the present day – where their beliefs are those represented by the Ithna Ashariyah Shee’ah of lraan. From their false beliefs are: declaring all but three to five of the Companions to he disbelievers, the belief that their inmans have knowledge of the Unseen past, present and future, considering the ulamahs to be one of the main pillars of eeman (faith) and they believe that the Quraan is incomplete.

Refer to: Maqalatul Islaamiyyeen (1/65), al-Farq baynal-Firaq (no. 21) of ‘Abdul Qaadir al-Baghdaadee and Talbees –lblees (pp. 94-100) of Ibn ul-
Jawzee.

 

(c) The Qadariyah are

the followers of Ma’bad ibn al-Juhanni, and from their false beliefs are: that Allah has no prior knowledge of anything until it comes into existence; that it is people, and not Allah, who are the creators of their own actions, denying ‘aqeedah’ (belief) in the Punishment of the Grave, and denying that the authentic hadeeh is an evidence for the ‘aqeedah’ unless it is related in mutawaatir form.

Refer to: al-Milal wan-Nihal (1/72) of ash – Shahrastanee and Sawnul – Mantaq wal – Kalaan of as-Suyutee.

 

(d) The Murjiah are

those who reject that actions are a part of eemaan (faith), and say that eemaan is affirmation of the heart and statement of the tongue only. The extreme amongst them limit eemaan to belief of the heart only. They also deny that eemaan increases and decreases.

Refer to: al-Maqalat (1/214) and al-Farq baynal-Firaq (p. 202).

 

(e) The Jahmiyyah are

the followers of Jahm ibn Safwaan, who unleashed upon this Ummah the horrific innovation of ta’teel (denial of Allaah’s Attributes)-either directly, or by twisting the meanings; such as twisting the meaning of the Hand of Allaah to mean His Power and Generosity. They also deny that Allaah is above His creation, above His Throne, as well as holding the belief that Paradise and Hellfire are not ever lasting.

Refer to: ar-Radd ‘alal-Jahmiyyah by Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and also
ad-Daarimee and al-lbaanah: (p. 141) of Abul-Hasan al-’Asharee.

 

Related Link:

  • Who are the Ash’aris?