Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 40742 — Reports on the Khawarij

Abu al-Bakhtari said: A man entered the mosque and said: "There is no rule except Allah's." Then another man stood up and said: "There is no rule except Allah's." Hearing this, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There is no rule except Allah's. Indeed, the promise of Allah is true, and let not those who have no certainty unsettle you. [Al-Rum: 60] Do you know what these people are saying? They are saying that there is to be no leadership. O people, you must have a leader, whether righteous or wicked." The people said: "We have seen the righteous leader; what about the wicked one?" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The believer works and the wicked one is given respite, Allah Almighty brings the appointed term, your roads are safe, your markets are established, your spoils are distributed, jihad is waged against your enemy, and the right of the weak is taken from the strong (or he said: from the powerful) among you and given to him."