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/
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