ISIS - the Khawarij of our time
- the Khawārij are a sect that appeared in the first century of Islam and have manifested throughout the centuries since. They deviated from mainstream Islam and were known for killing Muslims under various pretexts.
- Although the historical sect of the Khawārij does not exist today, we have clear proofs in the Prophetic Traditions that it would re-emerge at various times throughout the centuries of Islam.
- there are solid and poignant reasons to consider ISIS followers Khawārij. Here I will only mention three of their major areas:
1. Revolting against the Muslim community (both against rulers and the community of the believers);
2. Accusing the majority of Sunni Muslims of being unbelievers; and
3. Deeming as permissible the spread of injustice and corruption across the land by means of killing, wanton destruction, and plunder. - Imam al-Bukhārī, who is counted as the highest authority amongst scholars of Prophetic traditions, titled a chapter section of his book, Ṣaḥīḥ, “Objectionable Practices: Extremist Tendencies, Quarrelsome Disputes in Religious Matters, Religiously-inspired Fanaticism, and Heretical Innovations.” Virtually all of these characteristics are typical of ISIS and its likes.
- (they misconstrue the meanings of the Quran by relying upon their own whimsical understanding. In reality, they are not even qualified to interpret the Book of God, so it is no wonder that they end up giving absurd interpretations of the Quran)
- They did exactly as Ibn ˓Umar (d. 693 CE) said when he described the Khawārij, “They picked up verses from the Holy Quran that speak about unbelievers and applied them to Muslims.
God's Messenger (saas) prophecised their coming, and described them :
The comparison between the crimes and practices of ISIS and the description of the Khawārij mentioned in the words (hadiths) of the Prophet (PBUH) substantiates my conclusion that ISIS is the modern-day Khawārij group,- This sect was described in numerous Prophetic Traditions (hadith),
- compare the description of the Khawārij given by the Prophet (PBUH) to the characteristics and actions of the ISIS movement. The inescapable conclusion, as we shall see, is that there is a “positive match” between the two—ISIS are the modern-day Khawārij.
- God's Messenger (saas) said:
- (They are the worst type of people)
- “the worst of mankind and animals.”[1]
- “the worst of those who are killed under the sky.” [5]
- “dogs of Hell” and “dogs of the denizens of Hell.” [7]
- “Of all the creatures, they are the most hated by God Most High.”[10]
- (They are extremists who have hijacked the name of Islam)
- “they will seek the extremities of the religion, so much so that they will eventually leave the religion altogether.”[8]
- “They call to the book of Allah though they do not belong to it in the slightest.” [4]
- “read the Quran assuming that it is to their benefit, but instead it is to their detriment.” [13]
- “Their belief does not go beyond their throats.” [14]
- (They have left Islam / are no longer Muslim)
- “they shall pass out of the religion, just as an arrow passes out of the prey.” [2]
- “They have absolutely no connection to Islam.” [12]
- “They are the Khawārij (those who left)” [16]
- (Thus they are permissible to Fight )
- “Glad tidings to the one who kills them and the one who is killed by them.”[6]
- “Of all who are killed under the sky, they are the worst. The best martyr is the one who is killed by them. They are dogs of Hell. They were Muslims then became unbelievers.” The narrator asked. “O Abū Umāma! Are these statements based on your personal judgment?” He said, “No! This is what I heard from the Messenger of God (PBUH).” [11]
- “In the end of time there shall emerge a group of people, adolescent and dim-witted. Although (apparently) they will be uttering the best words ever uttered and recite the Quran, in reality their faith does not pass beyond their throats. They shall pass out of Islam just as an arrow passes out of prey. So wherever you find them, kill them, for truly the one who kills them will receive from God a great reward on the Day of Judgment.” [15]
- (The Antichrist will appear from among them)
- “Whenever a generation of them emerges, God Almighty destroys it.” The narrator of this tradition said: “The Messenger (PBUH) repeated that twenty or more times while I listened,” and in one variant we also find the textual addition “...until the last one of them emerges with the Anti-Christ (Dajjāl).”[17]
- ˓Alī b Abu Talib r.a. said: "When you see black flags, stay where you are, and do not move your hand or legs. Then, a group of people shall emerge; they are weak, insignificant, and their hearts are like pieces of iron. They are people of the State. They never fulfill any pact or contract. They call to the truth though they do not belong to it. Their names shall be agnomens (e.g. Abū Bakr, Abū ˓Umar, etc) and their ascriptions will be after villages (e.g. al-Baghdādī after Bagdad, al-Shīshānī after Chechnya, etc). Their hair shall be left down like the hair of women. [They will emerge] until they begin to quarrel amongst themselves. Then God will give the truth to whomever He wills". (Nu˓aym b. Hammād in his book al-Fitan (§375).)
Notes
1 Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “The Khawārij are the Worst Creatures, of Men and Animals” (vol. 3 p. 116).
2 al-Musnad of Imam Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (vol. 1 pp. 88, 92, 131, 147, 151, 160, 256, 404; vol. 3 pp. 5, 15, 33, 52, 56, 60, 64, 65, 67,73, 159, 179, 224, 353–355, 476; vol. 4 pp. 145, 422, 425; vol. 5 pp. 42,176). al-Bukhārī, cf. (9). al-Bukhārī in the section “Asking Apostates and Rebels to Repent and Fighting Them,” in the chapter entitled “Killing the Khawārij and the Heretics after Having Expounded to Them the Proofs That Refute Their Doctrinal Errors.” (vol. 9 pp. 16–17) Muslim records it in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij and Their Qualities.” (vol. 3 p. 112)
3 Abū Dāwud in al-Sunan (see Jāmi’ al- Uṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr, vol. 10 p. 79), Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 224).
4 Abu Dawud, section of Sunna, subsection on “Fighting the Khawārij”, v. p. 34. Ahmad, Al-Musnad, v. 3, p. 224.
5 al-Tirmidhī in his Jāmi’ (vol. 2 p. 166) under the chapter “Exegesis of Surat Āl ‘Imrān,” and Ibn Mājah under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij” (see Jāmi’ al- Uṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr (vol. 2 p. 68), and recorded by Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 5 pp. 253, 257). Al-Ḥākim recorded it in alMustadrak (vol. 2 pp. 149–150) and classified it as authentic, and al-Dhahabī agreed with him..
6 cf. (3).
7 al-Hākim in al-Mustadrak
8 Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 p. 219). al-Ṭabarānī al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 33), al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 159).
9 Al-Bukhāri, Ṣaḥīḥ (vol. 9 p. 97), under the chapter “Clinging to the Quran and the Prophetic Tradition.”
10 Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “Insistence on Killing the Khawārij” (vol. 3 p. 116). See Jāmi’ alUṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr (vol. 10 pp. 79-80).
11 Ibn Mājah, Sunan (vol. 1 p. 62)
12 Imam Aḥmad, al-Bazzār and al-Ṭabarānī.
13 Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 1 p. 92) and Abū Dāwūd.
14 al-Bukhārī in the section “Virtues of the Quran” under the chapter “Signs of Prophethood in Islam” (vol. 4 p. 201) and Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 1 pp. 81, 92, 113, 131)
15 al-Bukhārī in the section “Virtues of the Quran,” under the chapter “Ostentatious Recitation of the Quran” (vol. 6 p. 197), and in the section “Asking Apostates and Rebels to Repent and Fighting Them,” in the chapter “Killing the Khawārij and Heretics after Expounding to Them the Proofs That Refute Their Doctrines” (vol. 9 p. 16). Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” in the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij and Their Qualities” (vol. 3 p. 114), and Abū Dāwūd (§4767), al-Nasā˒ī (vol. 7 p. 119), and others.
16 al-Ṭabarānī,
17 Ibn Mājah in the introduction to al-Sunan, under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij” (vol. 1 p. 61 §174) and by Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 p. 84). Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 pp. 199, 209).
1 Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “The Khawārij are the Worst Creatures, of Men and Animals” (vol. 3 p. 116).
2 al-Musnad of Imam Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (vol. 1 pp. 88, 92, 131, 147, 151, 160, 256, 404; vol. 3 pp. 5, 15, 33, 52, 56, 60, 64, 65, 67,73, 159, 179, 224, 353–355, 476; vol. 4 pp. 145, 422, 425; vol. 5 pp. 42,176). al-Bukhārī, cf. (9). al-Bukhārī in the section “Asking Apostates and Rebels to Repent and Fighting Them,” in the chapter entitled “Killing the Khawārij and the Heretics after Having Expounded to Them the Proofs That Refute Their Doctrinal Errors.” (vol. 9 pp. 16–17) Muslim records it in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij and Their Qualities.” (vol. 3 p. 112)
3 Abū Dāwud in al-Sunan (see Jāmi’ al- Uṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr, vol. 10 p. 79), Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 224).
4 Abu Dawud, section of Sunna, subsection on “Fighting the Khawārij”, v. p. 34. Ahmad, Al-Musnad, v. 3, p. 224.
5 al-Tirmidhī in his Jāmi’ (vol. 2 p. 166) under the chapter “Exegesis of Surat Āl ‘Imrān,” and Ibn Mājah under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij” (see Jāmi’ al- Uṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr (vol. 2 p. 68), and recorded by Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 5 pp. 253, 257). Al-Ḥākim recorded it in alMustadrak (vol. 2 pp. 149–150) and classified it as authentic, and al-Dhahabī agreed with him..
6 cf. (3).
7 al-Hākim in al-Mustadrak
8 Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 p. 219). al-Ṭabarānī al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 33), al-Musnad (vol. 3 p. 159).
9 Al-Bukhāri, Ṣaḥīḥ (vol. 9 p. 97), under the chapter “Clinging to the Quran and the Prophetic Tradition.”
10 Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” under the chapter “Insistence on Killing the Khawārij” (vol. 3 p. 116). See Jāmi’ alUṣūl by Ibn al-Athīr (vol. 10 pp. 79-80).
11 Ibn Mājah, Sunan (vol. 1 p. 62)
12 Imam Aḥmad, al-Bazzār and al-Ṭabarānī.
13 Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 1 p. 92) and Abū Dāwūd.
14 al-Bukhārī in the section “Virtues of the Quran” under the chapter “Signs of Prophethood in Islam” (vol. 4 p. 201) and Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 1 pp. 81, 92, 113, 131)
15 al-Bukhārī in the section “Virtues of the Quran,” under the chapter “Ostentatious Recitation of the Quran” (vol. 6 p. 197), and in the section “Asking Apostates and Rebels to Repent and Fighting Them,” in the chapter “Killing the Khawārij and Heretics after Expounding to Them the Proofs That Refute Their Doctrines” (vol. 9 p. 16). Muslim in the section “Zakāt,” in the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij and Their Qualities” (vol. 3 p. 114), and Abū Dāwūd (§4767), al-Nasā˒ī (vol. 7 p. 119), and others.
16 al-Ṭabarānī,
17 Ibn Mājah in the introduction to al-Sunan, under the chapter “Recounting the Khawārij” (vol. 1 p. 61 §174) and by Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 p. 84). Imam Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 2 pp. 199, 209).
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