Servant of Allah
Member
Who are the Khawaarij & how did the salaf describe them?
Who are the Khawaarij?
- Thread starter Servant of Allah
- Start date
The Khawaarij are the first deviant sect to appear in Islam. They rebelled against Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه and the Muslim rulers by declaring major sinners as disbelievers, shedding Muslim blood, and revolting against legitimate authority.
They are called Khawaarij because they "kharajoo" - meaning they went out from obedience to the ruler and departed from the Jamaa'ah of the Muslims.
أهم صفاتهم:
Takfir of major sinners
Rebelling against Muslim rulers
Shedding protected Muslim blood
Misinterpreting Qur'an according to desires
Excessive outward worship combined with ignorance
2. أدلة من القرآن
Allah described those who oppose the believers and rebel:
﴿ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ ﴾
When it is said to him: Fear Allah, pride in sin takes hold of him.
[Surah al-Baqarah 2:206]
Although not revealed specifically about the Khawaarij, scholars mention it applies to their behavior of rejecting correction.
3. السنة النبوية: أوصاف النبي ﷺ للخوارج
(1) يتجاوزون حدود الدين
النبي ﷺ قال:
« يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَرَقَ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ »
They will exit the religion like an arrow passes through a target.
(2) عبادتهم كثيرة لكن فهمهم قليل
He ﷺ described their exaggerated worship:
« تَحْقِرُونَ صَلَاتَكُمْ مَعَ صَلَاتِهِمْ، وَصِيَامَكُمْ مَعَ صِيَامِهِمْ »
You will consider your prayer insignificant compared to theirs, and your fasting compared to theirs.
Yet he called them the worst of creation.
(3) الخوارج يقتلون أهل الإسلام
النبي ﷺ قال:
« يَقْتُلُونَ أَهْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَيَدَعُونَ أَهْلَ الأَوْثَانِ »
They kill the Muslims and leave the idol worshippers.
(4) شر قتلى تحت أديم السماء
The Prophet ﷺ said:
« شَرُّ قَتْلَى تَحْتَ أَدِيمِ السَّمَاءِ »
They are the worst killed people under the sky.
4. كلام السلف في الخوارج
1. علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه
He said about them:
كلمة حق أريد بها باطل
A statement of truth intended for falsehood.
Regarding their misuse of the verse:
﴿ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ﴾
2. Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما
Ibn Umar said:
إنهم انطلقوا إلى آيات نزلت في الكفار فجعلوها في المؤمنين
They applied verses revealed about disbelievers to the believers.
This is one of the core deviations of the Khawaarij.
3. الإمام أحمد رحمه الله
Imam Ahmad said:
الخوارج قوم سوء، لا أعلم في الأرض قوما شرا منهم
The Khawaarij are an evil people. I do not know on earth a people worse than them.
4. ابن تيمية رحمه الله
Shaykh al-Islam said:
الخوارج أول من كفّر المسلمين بالذنوب، وأول من استحلّ دماءهم
The Khawaarij were the first to declare Muslims disbelievers due to sins and the first to shed their blood.
They are called Khawaarij because they "kharajoo" - meaning they went out from obedience to the ruler and departed from the Jamaa'ah of the Muslims.
أهم صفاتهم:Takfir of major sinners
Rebelling against Muslim rulers
Shedding protected Muslim blood
Misinterpreting Qur'an according to desires
Excessive outward worship combined with ignorance
2. أدلة من القرآنAllah described those who oppose the believers and rebel:
﴿ وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ أَخَذَتْهُ الْعِزَّةُ بِالْإِثْمِ ﴾
When it is said to him: Fear Allah, pride in sin takes hold of him.
[Surah al-Baqarah 2:206]
Although not revealed specifically about the Khawaarij, scholars mention it applies to their behavior of rejecting correction.
3. السنة النبوية: أوصاف النبي ﷺ للخوارج(1) يتجاوزون حدود الدين
النبي ﷺ قال:
« يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَرَقَ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ »
They will exit the religion like an arrow passes through a target.
Reference: Saheeh al-Bukhari: 6930
(2) عبادتهم كثيرة لكن فهمهم قليل
He ﷺ described their exaggerated worship:
« تَحْقِرُونَ صَلَاتَكُمْ مَعَ صَلَاتِهِمْ، وَصِيَامَكُمْ مَعَ صِيَامِهِمْ »
You will consider your prayer insignificant compared to theirs, and your fasting compared to theirs.
Reference: Saheeh al-Bukhari: 5058
Yet he called them the worst of creation.
(3) الخوارج يقتلون أهل الإسلام
النبي ﷺ قال:
« يَقْتُلُونَ أَهْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَيَدَعُونَ أَهْلَ الأَوْثَانِ »
They kill the Muslims and leave the idol worshippers.
Reference: Saheeh al-Bukhari: 6964
(4) شر قتلى تحت أديم السماء
The Prophet ﷺ said:
« شَرُّ قَتْلَى تَحْتَ أَدِيمِ السَّمَاءِ »
They are the worst killed people under the sky.
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah: 176
4. كلام السلف في الخوارج 1. علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنهHe said about them:
كلمة حق أريد بها باطل
A statement of truth intended for falsehood.
Regarding their misuse of the verse:
﴿ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ﴾
Reference: Tafsir at-Tabari: 6/256
2. Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهماIbn Umar said:
إنهم انطلقوا إلى آيات نزلت في الكفار فجعلوها في المؤمنين
They applied verses revealed about disbelievers to the believers.
Reference: Ash-Shari'ah lil-Ajurri: 27
This is one of the core deviations of the Khawaarij.
3. الإمام أحمد رحمه اللهImam Ahmad said:
الخوارج قوم سوء، لا أعلم في الأرض قوما شرا منهم
The Khawaarij are an evil people. I do not know on earth a people worse than them.
Reference: As-Sunnah by al-Khallal: 110
4. ابن تيمية رحمه اللهShaykh al-Islam said:
الخوارج أول من كفّر المسلمين بالذنوب، وأول من استحلّ دماءهم
The Khawaarij were the first to declare Muslims disbelievers due to sins and the first to shed their blood.
Reference: Majmoo al-Fatawa: 28/497
Special Analytical Column – en.tohed.comIn Afghanistan, the land has been made constricted for Ahl al-Hadith (Salafi) scholars. Those scholars who spent their entire lives calling to pure Tawheed, the authentic Sunnah, and speaking out against shirk and bid‘ah are today either martyred, rotting in prisons, or forced into a life of silence.
The Taliban government, which claims to establish an Islamic system, is in reality enforcing a particular juristic school through force. Anyone who disagrees with them is labeled “Daeshi,” “Khariji,” or “fitnah-maker,” and eventually...
