Chapter: The Khawarij and their attributes

Muhammad, do justice. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe be upon thee, who would do justice if I do not do justice, and you would be very unfortunate and a loser if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Permit me to kill this hypocrite. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: May there be protection of Allah! People would say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their throat, and they swerve from it just as the arrow goes through the prey.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. 'Abdullah through another chain of transmitters.

He (the Holy Prophet) gave to the chiefs of Najd and ignored us. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I have done it with a view to conciliating between them. Then there came a person with thick beard, prominent cheeks, deep sunken eyes and protruding forehead and shaven head. He said: Muhammad, fear Allah. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "If I disobey Allah, who would then obey Him? Have I not been (sent as the) most trustworthy among the people of the world? But you do not repose trust in me." That person then went back. A person among the people then sought permission (from the Holy Prophet) for his murder. According to some, it was Khalid b. Walid who sought the permission. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said: From this very person's posterity there would arise people who would recite the Qur'an, but it would not go beyond their throat; they would kill the followers of Islam and would spare the idol-worshippers. They would glance through the teachings of Islam so hurriedly just as the arrow passes through the pray. If I were to ever find them I would kill them like 'Ad.

'Ali b. Abu Talib sent to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from Yemen some gold alloyed with clay in a leather bag dyed in the leaves of Mimosa flava. He distributed it among four men. 'Uyaina b. Hisna, Aqra' b. Habis and Zaid al-Khail, and the fourth one was either Alqama b. 'Ulatha or 'Amir b. Tufail. A person from among his (Prophet's) Companions said: We had a better claim to this (wealth) than these (persons). This (remark) reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) upon which he said: Will you not trust me, whereas I am a trustee of Him Who is in the heaven? The news come to me from the heaven morning and evening. Then there stood up a person with deep sunken eyes, prominent cheek bones, and elevated forehead, thick beard, shaven head, tucked up loincloth, and he said: Messenger of Allah, fear Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe to thee. Do I not deserve most to fear Allah amongst the people of the earth? That man then returned. Khalid b. Walid then said: Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Perhaps he may be observing the prayer. Khalid said: How many observers of prayer are there who profess with their tongue what is not in their heart? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I have not been commanded to pierce through the hearts of people, nor to split their bellies (insides). He again looked at him and he was going back. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: There would arise a people from the progeny of this (man) who would recite the Qur'an glibly, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would (hurriedly) pass through (the teachings of their) religion just as the arrow passes through the prey. I conceive that he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them as were killed the (people of) Thamud.

" There stood up 'Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him), and said: Should I not strike his neck? Upon this he said: No. Then he turned away, and Khalid the Sword of Allah stood up against him, and said: Prophet of Allah. shall I not strike off his neck? He said, No, and then said: A people would rise from his progeny who would recite the Book of Allah glibly and fluently. 'Umar said: I think he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them like Thamud."

" If I find them, I would kill them as the Thamud were killed."

Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making a mention of them? He (Abu Sai'd al-Khudri) said: I don't know who the Haruriya are, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There would arise in this nation (and he did not say" out of them" ) a people and you would hold insignificant your prayers as compared with their prayers. And they would recite the Qur'an which would not go beyond their throats and would swerve through the religion (as blank) just as a (swift) arrow passes through the prey. The archer looks at his arrow, at its iron head and glances at its end (which he held) in the tip of his fingers to see whether it had any stain of blood.

When we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was distributing the spoils of war, there came to him Dhul-Khuwasira, one of Banu Tamim. He said: Messenger of Allah, do justice. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Woe be upon thee! Who would do justice, if I do not do justice? You would be unsuccessful and incurring a loss, if I do not do justice. Upon this Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Messenger of Allah, permit me to strike off his neck. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Leave him, for he has friends (who would outwardly look to be so religious and pious) that everyone among you would consider his prayer insignificant as compared with their prayer, and his fast as compared with their fasts. They would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their collar-bones. They would pass through (the teachings of Islam so hurriedly) just as the arrow passes through the prey. He would look at its Iron head, but would not find anything ticking) there. He would then see at the lowest end, but would not find anything sticking there. He would then see at its grip but would not find anything sticking to it. He would then see at its feathers and he would find nothing sticking to them (as the arrow would pass so quickly that nothing would stick to it) neither excrement nor blood. They would be recognised by the presence of a black man among them whose upper arms would be like a woman's breast, or like a piece of meat as it quivers, and they would come forth at the time when there is dissension among the people. Abu Sai'd said: I testify to the fact that I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and I testify to the fact that 'Ali b. Abu Talib fought against them and I was with him. He gave orders about that man who was sought for, and when he was brought in, and when I looked at him, he was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had described him.

A man throws an arrow at the prey (or he said at the target) , and sees at its iron head , but finds no sign (of blood there) , or he sees at the lowest end , but would not see or find any sign (of blood there). He would then see into the grip but would not find (anything) sticking to it. Abu Sai'd then said : People of Iraq. it is you who have killed them.

A group would secede itself (from the Ummah) when there would be dissension among the Muslims. Out of the two groups who would be nearer the truth would kill them.

There would be two groups in my Ummah , and there would emerge another group (seceding itself from both of them) , and the party nearer to the truth among the two would kill them (the group of the Khawarij).

"A group will secede at a time of division among the people , and they will be killed by the group that is closer to the truth."me

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that a group (Khawarij) would emerge from the different parties (the party of Hadrat 'Ali and the party of Amir Mu'awiya) , the group nearer the truth between the two would kill them.