Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib

A Look At the Khawarij

The germs of Kharijism had already formed during the time of the Prophet (a.s) and were latently growing and spreading. These people, in the garb of Islam, created intrigue against the Creed. They took part in the destructive activities with great gusto. Their impertinence was of such order that they did not abstain even from attacking the justice and fairness of the Prophet (a.s). Therefore, when, in the battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (a.s) distributed the booty at the Valley of al-Ju`ranah and, as an incentive to the new Muslims he gave them more share from his khums, a person of that group, Dhul-Khuwaysirah al-Tamimi, said in an impertinent tone to the Prophet (a.s) that he should be just and fair At this, the Prophet (a.s) said, “If I do not do justice, then who else will do it?” `Umar too was angry on the person and said, “O Prophet of Allah (a.s)! Should we not kill this person?” The Prophet (a.s) said:

“Leave him! There are many like him! If some of you compare their prayers with your prayers, and your fasting with their fasting, you will find yourself far behind them. They will escape from the Faith as the arrow pierces through the game!”[1]

Outwardly such people were sticklers for the norms of the Religion and regular in prayers, fasting and the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. But they were unaware of the Spirit of Islam and the Reality of the faith. Therefore, the Prophet of Islam (a.s) had said about them:

“My Ummah will be divided into two groups. And another group will spring from one of the two. The people of this group will shave their heads, clip their moustaches and will wear their loincloth half way to the knees. They will recite the Qur’an, but the Qur’an will not go beyond their throats. They will be killed by the person who is most dear to me and Allah.”[2]

[1] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Vol 4, Page 134
[2] Tārīkh Baghdād, Vol 1, Page 160

Their outward appearance, their prayers and the large calluses on their foreheads would attract people and beguile them; their prayers were so intense that even the Sahabah used to be impressed. Therefore, once the Prophet (a.s) saw Dhul-Khuwaysirah in prostration. The Prophet (a.s) finished his prayer and Dhul-Khuwaysirah was still in his prostration. The Prophet (a.s) turned to Abū-Bakr and said, “You go and kill Dhul-Khuwaysirah. Abū-Bakr saw him praying with great dedication and did not like to kill him and returned. Then the Prophet (a.s) asked `Umar to execute him. He too saw him offering prayer and returned and said that he is a pious person and he could not kill him. In the end the Prophet (a.s) deputed `Ali (a.s), but by that time Dhul-Khuwaysirah had already left from there. The Imam (a.s) returned and reported to the Prophet (a.s) that he had gone away. The Prophet (a.s) said that if he was killed today the mischief could have been nipped in the bud. He is a member of that group who will get out of the faith in a manner the arrow escapes from the bow!

The Khawarij were the nomads of Arabia who naturally had all the traits of the Bedouin. By instinct, they were agitators and liked to fight and kill. After the Prophet (a.s), they were pushed into many a war. Thus, they were so much involved in fighting that when there was no battle to fight, they would fight amongst themselves. These warlike activities did not give them time to study the niceties of the Faith or to take any effect of the moral values promoted by it. After the conquest of Iraq, when the foundation for the cities of al-Kūfah and al-Basrah were laid with the purpose of guarding the boundaries of the realm, these rough Bedouin people were settled in these places. They settled down here for better prospects but despite coming to live in the cities, they continued with their old diehard traits.

When Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) wanted an army to fight against the enemy, these people, who were veterans of many a battle, rose to a man on the call of the Imam (a.s). Their willingness was not on the basis of principle or for upholding the Truth. Their motivation was only their instinct and craving for fighting and material gains.

Among the Khawarij mostly there were men from Banū-Tamim and the gallivants of Arabia. Therefore, `Abdullah ibn Abaz, `Urwah ibn al-`Adiyah, Mustaradd ibn Sa`d, Abū-Bilal Mirdas ibn al-`Adiyah, Mus`ir ibn Fadki etc belonged to the tribe of Banū-Tamim. Before Islam, the Banū-Tamim were fire worshippers and because of penury and hardships they used to bury their daughters alive. Therefore, Qays ibn `Asim al-Tamimi said to the Prophet (a.s) on embracing Islam, “O Allah’s Messenger (a.s)! During the days of

ignorance I have buried eight of my daughters alive!” Even after accepting Islam their wild instinct remained latent in their psyche and came out from time to time when the occasion demanded. Turmah has rightly said about the habits of Banū-Tamim:

“Banū-Tamim cannot forget the ways of depravity the same way that a bird cannot forget its way. They will go astray even if they come to the righteous path.”

When Banū-Tamim came to al-Madinah as a delegation, and went to the presence of the Prophet (a.s) to embrace Islam, one of them shouted, “O Muhammad (a.s), come out!” Because of this way of addressing, the following verse was revealed concerning Banū-Tamim:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحُجُرَاتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ.

“As for those who call out to you from behind the private chambers, surely most of them do not understand. (49/4)”

After the Prophet (a.s), a majority of them recanted the Faith. The infamous claimant of prophethood, Sujah bint al-Harith, was from this tribe. She created rifts amongst the Muslims and encouraged mischief. It can therefore be said about Banū-Tamim that in their hearts Islam was not etched and their intrinsic hypocrisy came out either in the form of apostasy or rebellion. It was their instinct of mischief that made them rise against Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s).

One group has termed the Khawarij as Shi`ah to create an impression that the Shi`ah had converted the victory of `Ali (a.s) into failure and then forsook him and later on they came to fight with him. They present this episode as his political ineptitude. No doubt, these people were in the army of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s), but calling them the Shi`ah of `Ali (a.s) and blaming Shi`ism is not right. In the army of the Imam (a.s), there were not men of one sect only. Certainly there was a group who believed his Imamate was through Nass and, because of his being the Vicegerent of the Prophet (a.s), they considered it their bounden duty to obey him and his disobedience as Haram. These people never changed sides nor left him under any circumstances. There was another group that was larger considered his caliphate as the result of the support of the majority the way they had accepted the earlier caliph. In the same order they accepted him as the fourth in the lineage of the caliphs. They were attached to others before `Ali (a.s) became the caliph.

After he assumed the caliphate they left Mu`awiyah and came to his side. From them one group, when they felt that `Ali (a.s) would not approve of

their ways, found an excuse and veered away from the Imam (a.s). These people were never sincere with Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) and were not Shi`ah of `Ali (a.s) that they broke away from him. The people who are opportunists by nature are fair weather friends. They vanish in times of adversity. These people were not interested in the caliphate of `Ali (a.s) and came to him out of compulsion and left him in the same way. Some were interested in seeing al-Zubayr as the caliph and others were in favor of Talhah. When they saw that neither al-Zubayr nor Talhah were in sight of getting the caliphate, they came towards `Ali (a.s). An army that had such elements, it was the sagacity of `Ali (a.s) that he kept together for such a long time. These elements were in the habit of getting bought and sold. The result was that when victory was almost complete, they joined hands with the enemy and almost turned the tables.