Who are the Khwarijis ?

By Ahmad Imran
Muslims and Non-Muslims alike increasingly hear the terms Ikhwan ul Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) Salafis, and Wahabis ad nauseum. Muslim laity incorrectly presume these terms to connote different sects, while the non-Muslims just attribute all things ignoble to being inherently Islamic. The Western reading marketplace has come along ways in distinguishing between the Shia and Sunni, but that is about the depth of their understanding. However the Muslim theological marketplace is very diverse and complex and the competition for the Muslim hearts and minds is getting even more fierce in the post Cold War, post September 11th, post Arab Spring world. The media and Western scholarship refer the above three mentioned groups as Islamists, however the Muslims refer to them as Khawarijis or Kharijis and Modernist (jadidi) Neo-Khawarijis. The term Political Islam [1] is flawed in that any time and place when a Muslim individual or a group engages in domestic, regional or international politics (siyasa) the term would apply and inhibit the distinction between Muslims adherents of Classical Islam and the modernist scourge of the Khwarijis. The approach also shows the secular mindset in contemporary western circles of the compartmentalized fallacy that religion,ideology, politics and economics do not affect one another, whence all know that society is an amalgam of overlapping influences. The term Islamo-fascism [2] would require the Khwarijis to justify their totalitarianism based on the Qur'an and Islamic Epistemology which they cannot since the Khwarijis hold economic,political,juristic theological, and social positions in stark contradiction of the mellenia old collective definitions of Classical Islam. Thus , the term Khwariji is rooted in Muslim epistemology and most comprehensively defines the phenomenon than Western nomenclature of mere Fascism. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam [3] defines the Kharijis as, Seceders, early sectarian group in Islam, neither Sunni nor Shi'i. The Concise encyclopedia of Islam [4] defines them in a more comprehensive style as, A sect that arose in opposition to both Ali(KAW) and Mua'wiyah. The encyclopedia incorrectly defines them as a sect, when the musings of these modernists can hardly be referred to as theology. The Kharijis, had been part of Ali's (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 obfuscationist 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 incorrectly 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 as advocated. The encyclopedia continues revealing that in the eyes of the Kharijis, being a Muslim is absolute in itself and equivalent to salvation convoluting Islamic theological position that ones deeds and thoughts lead 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 al -Akbar [5] 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 and the Mua'wiyah/ Ali(KAW) divide. The author Banrnaby Rogerson in his well written book The heirs of Mohammad [6] 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. [7] Thus the picture that arises of the Khawarijis has certain common 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 for example Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai,Bahrain and the militant jihads including Al-Edda, Al-Edda affiliates in the Middle East and/or residing anywhere in the world, Three-e-Taliban Pakistan, Al-Shabby,AQIM,AQAP,The Syrian National Council,The Free Syrian Army, and all soup letter militant organizations. The ruling elites of Turkey, Egypt,Tunisia,and the ruling party in Morocco. These fit the profile on all matters that is theological, political, economic,cultural and social. The Broader Middle East is living through the Chinese curse of , May you live through interesting times! The Khwariji typology would be discussed in the next article.

Sources: [1] http://www.merip.org/mer/mer205/what-political-islam [2] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5743773 [3] http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Dictionary-Islam-Paperback-Reference/dp/0195125592 [4] http://www.amazon.com/New-Encyclopedia-Islam-Revised-Edition/dp/0759101892 [5] http://www.amazon.com/Imam-Hanifas-Al-Fiqh-al-Akbar-Explained/dp/1933764031 [6] http://www.amazon.com/Heirs-Prophet-Muhammad-Sunni-Shia-Schism/dp/0349117578 [7] http://www.turntoislam.com/threads/khawarij-history-who-are-the-khawarij.49414/