Religion / branch / eraPhase 4b · Caliphates, schools & sectsMain personality

Khawarij

الخوارج

From 37/38 AH (657-658 CE)

The first sectarian splinter group, who seceded from Ali after the arbitration at Siffin, declaring 'no judgement but Allah's' and excommunicating grave sinners. Ali defeated them at Nahrawan; one of them assassinated him.

Biography

The Khawarij (literally 'those who went out') rejected arbitration, declared both Ali and Mu'awiyah disbelievers, and held that major sins expel one from Islam. Ali fought them at Nahrawan (38 AH). Sahih Bukhari and Muslim contain prophecies of a group who recite the Quran but it does not pass their throats, who 'pass through the religion as an arrow through its target' and kill Muslims; scholars widely apply these to the Khawarij, and Sahih Muslim connects one sign (the man with a deformed arm) to Nahrawan. The Kharijite Ibn Muljam assassinated Ali in 40 AH.

Later Kharijite groups (Azariqah, Najdat, Sufriyyah) were largely militant and died out; the moderate Ibadiyyah survive. The term 'Khariji' is still used for groups that excommunicate and fight other Muslims.

Sources & explanation

۞ Qur'an

No specific verses cited for this node.

📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com

Sahih al-Bukhari 3610 Sahih

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: Dhu'l-Khuwaysirah objected to the Prophet's distribution; the Prophet ﷺ foretold people who would pass out of the religion as an arrow passes through its target; Abu Sa'id testified Ali fought them.
Sahih Muslim 1065a Sahih

A group (the Khawarij) would break away when the Muslims divided, and the party nearer to the truth would fight them.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6930 Sahih

Ali reported the Prophet ﷺ describing young, foolish people who recite the Qur'an but it does not pass their throats, and pass out of Islam as an arrow passes through game.

💬 Explanation Unverified

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective

Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: The Sahih hadith on the Khawarij are the basis; their takfir is an archetype of extremism to avoid.

Further references

Sahih Bukhari (hadith on the Khawarij)
Sahih Muslim (Ali at Nahrawan; the sign)
Tarikh al-Tabari (historical)

Connections

Comes from

First Fitnah (Battles of the Camel and Siffin) offshoot — Seceded after the arbitration

Leads to

Ibadiyyah (Ibadis) offshoot — Moderate surviving branch

Linked with

Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) related — Fought them at Nahrawan; assassinated by Ibn Muljam
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (RA) related — Narrated hadith on the Khawarij