Skip to main content

Who are the Khariji/Khawariji and Neo-Khwariji


By Ahmad Imran

The Oxford Dictionary of Islam defines the Kharijis as "Seceders, early sectarian group in Islam, neither Sunni nor Shi'i." The Concise encyclopedia of Islam defines them in a more comprehensive style as: A sect that arose in opposition to both Ali(KAW) and Mua'wiyah.


They ,the Kharijis, had been part of Ali(KAW) army and they felt that the the matter between Mua'wiyah and Ali (KAW) could only be decided upon by God(SWT) by virtue of battle. However what the encyclopedia does not say is that in the field of battle, whence Mua'wiyah realized the battle was lost, he resolved to "appeal to Muslim sense of piety" by raising lances with pages of Qur'an tied on them as a means to stop the battle to ask for talks instead, it is here that the Kharijjis went against Hazrat Ali's(KAW) advice to not negotiate with Mua'wiyah and angered him tremendously.

The encyclopedia initially refers to the Kharijis as "qurra"or "public reciters of the Qur'an" meaning their understanding of the Qur'an was not the best nor were they any good at interpreting it, but were mere reciters alone.

The encyclopedia further explains that the central doctrine of the Kharijis was Sin. In other words the Kharijis were "puritan" and "hardliners" or desired a mythical absolutist world where no Muslim committed a single sin. If a sin was committed then the person was outside the fold of Islam.

The encyclopedia suggests the reason for this hard line approach maybe the "arab attitude of conversion externally and not internally." What the encyclopedia does not refer to is a similar theological position among Levantine Jews. Committing a single sin got one outside the fold of Judaism, not only that but punishment for it could be for the entire community hence communal punishment.

The encyclopedia continues revealing that in the eyes of the Kharijis, being a Muslim is "absolute in itself and equivalent to salvation." Thus committing a sin meant negating Islam thus proving apostasy and thus the individual and the family could be killed. Here again the absolute notions of perfection and a self righteous notion of guaranteed salvation reminds us all of Evangelical Modern day Christianity along with archaic rigid absolutist theological positions of Judaism with communal punishments.



It was Imam Abu Hanifah who declared in his book "Al fiqh a -Akbar" that " no one is to be considered an infidel on account of sin."

Lets revisit what the Kharijis did to Ali(KAW). The Kharijis had prompted the Caliph to war mongering to begin with. But most reports do not mention that the Kharijis were on both sides of the Syria/Iraq also Mua'wiyah/ Ali(KAW) divide.

The author Banrnaby Rogerson in his well written book "The heirs of Mohammad" talks about a Syrian cavalry running up between the warring armies crying out, " The word of God(SWT). Let the book of God(SWT) judge between you and us". Ali(KAW) and his commanders saw right through the deception, knowing this tactic to be a ruse to protect Mua'wiyah's imminent defeat.

Barnaby says, "The semi-professional Koranic readers and reciters (the Kharijis), who formed a sort of guard regiment in both armies,,were especially vociferous in favor of trial by book. Ali(KAW) and his confederates raged at their men but there was no turning them now."

It must be noted that in battle the Khwarijis did not want to fight, but once Ali(KAW) was forced by the same Khawarij on both side of the battle to make peace THEN they turned on him. It seems a clear ploy that the disparate Khawarij groups were not tied in to any meaningful "ideology" (certainly not Islamic) but opportunism. They practiced brinkmanship as long as they remained unscathed by it, but they stoked other Muslims into battle. Thus, Muslims were their cannon fodder. It becomes clear that when Ali(KAW) asked why they sat in opposition to him just before the battle of Nahrawan. They unashamedly announced that Ali(KAW) had refused to allow them to take the women and children of the defeated, something clearly against Islamic creed.

Thus the picture that arises of the Khawarijis has certain commmon denominators namely 1) utter lack of knowledge of Islam , 2) their lack of affiliation,and affection for Islam or the broader Muslim society they live amongst, 3) cunning use of political opportunism, 4) the desire to acquire the ability to rule others where they are an obvious minority, 5) an unequivocal material,financial and carnal greed, 6) stoking intra-Muslim violence and using Muslim blood as cannon fodder.

Modern day groups (Neo-Khawarijis)that would fit the above definition and description would be the ruling elites of the oil producing countries eg Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai,Bahrain and the militant jihadis including Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda affiliates in the Middle East and/or residing anywhere in the world, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Al-Shabab,AQIM,AQAP,The Syrian National Council,The Free Syrian Army, and all soup letter militant organizations. These fit the profile on all matters ie theological, political, economic,cultural and social ! Western academics tend to define the phenomenon as Fascism, however, for the Middle East, it shows in a holistic fashion how and why such groups may be defined as seceders because they betray the broader communites they live with in matters of governance, politics, economics, culture etc. We hereby seek the protection of Allah(SWT) against all such groups and hope we can triumph against them, the price of slumber will be destruction of the roots Epistemological Islam (Classical Islam) and the rise of literal Orthopraxy. 



www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49414
www.sunnah.org/aqida/kharijites1.htm
biphome.spray.se/hyla/wahabia/07.htm
www.facebook.com/AKYFPakistan
www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/featur...ot_islamic_fascists/

Educational Videos
youtu.be/CQEUlJ5sa54


Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the SPY EYES Analysis and or its affiliates. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). SPY EYES Analysis and or its affiliates will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements and or information contained in this article.
 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pakistan can never be Madina E Saani

By Nadeem Sajjad. Pakistan is a land loved by many and lived in by millions. It has been witnessed in the past --and somewhat in the present age – that the origin of the name (word) “Pakistan” has had many different accounts of its creators/inventors. Known to be the most accurate of all accounts, is the one of the much respected Chaudhry Rehmat Ali. Others have the concept that the word “Pakistan” was given to the Muslims of India, after the success of Lahore resolution in 1940, by the Hindus of the subcontinent and was then used by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his presidential address to the All India Muslim League annual session at Delhi on 24 April 1943. Whatever may be the origin, the Muslims got their own land to practice their religion Islam, and to maintain their traditions. The thing that should be emphasized upon is that the country was created in the name of Islam.  Knowing the origin is one thing, but naming the country or the name itself to something els...

Waging war on ourselves

BY  ETHAN CASEY A couple of years ago, giving a talk at a church in Seattle, I was conveying as best I could the anger Pakistanis feel toward the US about drone attacks, when a woman raised her hand and asked, “What’s a drone attack?” I give her credit for asking, but I was astounded nonetheless. Ever since then I’ve kept that woman in my mind, and often cited her to audiences, as an example of the ignorance of ordinary Americans about things that are happening – I should say things we’re doing to other people – beyond our shores. My mentor  Clyde Edwin Pettit  used to say that we’re all ignorant, only about different things. That can be a helpful working assumption when trying to achieve common understanding, but it’s also true that some of us are closer than others to the coal face of hard experience. For example, the novelist  John Grisham recently pointed out  that support for the death penalty is “still very much the consensus among white people i...

Pakistani Pilots in Arab Israel War

45 years after the 1967 war: How the Arabs lost Jerusalem War is normally measured by its final outcome, but many individual heroes gave up their lives for the Arab side during the 1967 Six-Day War. (Image courtesy AP)   By  ALI YOUNES   SPECIAL TO AL ARABIYA This past June marked the 45th anniversary of the Arab defeat of the 1967 war. War is normally measured by its final outcome, but many individual heroes faithfully gave up their lives for the Arab side, defending the honor of their nations. The actions of those men deserve to be highlighted and explained, especially the contributions of the Pakistani pilot Saiful Azam and the brave Jordanian soldiers of the battle of Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. At 12:48 p.m. on June 5, four Israeli jets were descending on Jordan’s Mafraq air base to smash the country’s tiny air force, shortly after the entire Egyptian air force had been reduced to rubble.  To intercept the incoming attack, ...