Brief History on the Khawarij (sessionists)

Technically, the definition of a sessionist is one who goes against the selected Imam that the community agreed upon.  This is known as "khurooj".

Khurooj is derived from the root word kharaja خرج ,  which means to go out.  Khawaarij is plural for Khaariji.

• This word was mentioned in the Quran in different places:
  • "He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah" [4:100]
  • "And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it" [9:46]
• Some of the khawarij liked their name because it's mentioned positively in these aayaat, referring to those who left their homes for sake of Allah.

Other names for Khawarij:

• Harouriyah: a location near Kufah called Haroura’
  • A woman had asked 'Aaishah why a woman only made up her fasts while menstruating, and not her salah. 'Aaishah replied that "The Prophet (sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam told us that we only made up her fasts, and not our Salaah"  She then asked if this woman was from Haroura', meaning, she asked if she was from the town that the Khawaarij are located.
• Shurraa'. Plural of Shaari' which means: buyer.
  • Derived from the ayah: "Verily, Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties; for the price that theirs shall be Paradise" [9:111]

The Khawarij are the first sect formed in Islam after the Prophet's (sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) demise.
The Prophet (saw) predicted their coming in a narration:

• "A people that recite Qur'an will come out of the East, but it will not go past their throats. They will pass through the religion (of Islam) like the arrow passes through its quarry (prey). They will no more come back to the religion than the arrow will come back to its course. Their sign is that they shave (their heads)(tahleeq)."
  They shave their heads because of 'umrah. It is an evidence of their excessive 'ibaadah. However, they are misguided and they don't have understanding.

In another narration,

After Ta'if, in 8AH, "We were with Allah’s messenger while he was distributing some wealth. Dhu al-Khuwayṣirah, a man from the Tamīm tribe, came to him and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, be fair!’ The prophet replied: 'Beware. And who would be fair if I was not? You would be ruined if I were not just.'" 
Umar or Khalid asked to kill this man but the Prophet said:

“Leave him. He will certainly have companions (from his progeny) whom one of you would belittle his own prayer when compared to their prayer and his fasting compared to their fasting. They will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats.  They will pass through the religion as an arrow passes through a game animal. One could then look at the arrowhead and not see a thing remaining on it. He could look at the binding which attaches the arrowhead to the rod and not see a thing. 

The Prophet (saw) is telling the companions that even they exceed in worship.  But the Qur'an doesn't pass through their throat, meaning "in one ear out the other".  They didn't benefit from it. There was no group Khawaarij at the time.  But the thought was there, it started from there.

• "Pass through the religion"  - They are considered sinful muslims.

• He could look at the rod and not see a thing. He could look at the feathers and not see a thing. It would go straight through the bowels and blood. Their sign is that of a black man. One of his limbs will appear like a woman’s breast or a disfigured lump of flesh. They will emerge when the people are disunited.” 

 When 'Ali (ra) fought them, he found this man described here.

Their Beginning

They separated from ‘Ali during his Caliphate after ‘Ali accepted the arbitration between himself and Mu’awiyah, because they did not like the result of the arbitration.

• ‘Ali was given the pledge of allegiance after the killing of ‘Uthman.

• Mu’awiyah asked ‘Ali to turn in the killers of ‘Uthman. Otherwise, he won’t give ‘Ali the pledge.

• That dispute led to a bitter battle “Al-Jamal” (the camel) and then another one “Siffeen”.
  • Camel of 'Aisha, because they targeted it.  She was on 'Ali's side.
  • Talha and az-Zubayr were killed in this battle.
• In the battle of Siffeen, the army of Mu’awiyah was losing so he consulted with ‘Amr ibn Al ‘As and he told him to raise the qurans over the spears. 500 qurans were raised asking for arbitration.
  • "Do you not consider, [O Muhammad], those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They are invited to the Scripture of Allah that it should arbitrate between them; then a party of them turns away, and they are refusing." [3:23]
• ‘Ali knew that this is only a trick and wanted to continue fighting but many in his army refused and threatened if they didn’t stop fighting so he had no choice but to stop the fighting.

The Arbitration

• Ali and Muawiah chose one representing them and send with him a group of people. Whatever the arbitrators agree on is binding.
• Ali chose Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari and Muawiyah chose ‘Amr ibn Al ‘Aas.
• There was 400 people with Abu Musa and 400 people with ‘Amr.
• The document was signed on Safar 13th, 37 AH.
  
  • The agreement was that both groups that both leaders are not leaders. And Mu'awiah would be the Khaleefah.   This upset the people.  The shia tried to say 'Amr tricked Abu Musa.

The opinion of Khawarij

• When the news came that the two arbitrators agreed on dethroning both ‘Ali and Mu’awiah a group of people began opposing the result and saying "The decision rests with Allah only"[6:57]
• They accused 'Ali of Kufr

The separation of Khawarij

• Then the Khawarij went to Haroura’ and stayed there separating themselves from ‘Ali, saying that he wasn't muslim. 
• Are their extremists in our communities?  Yes, there are, if there were in ‘Ali’s community, then we should expect them to be in our own.

The Debate

• ‘Ali sent Ibn ‘Abbas to debate with them.
  • Debating is the best way to deal with extremists.
• Ibn 'Abbas was wearing a beautiful cloak. They said, "This isn't the cloak of muslims"
  • "I saw the Prophet wearing a similar cloak"

• The main points were:
  • The rejection of arbitration.  The proofs against this rejection are:
    •  "And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will cause it between them. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Acquainted (with all things)" [4:35]
    •  "O you who have believed, do not kill game while you are in the state of ihram. And whoever of you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent from sacrificial animals to what he killed, as judged by two just men among you as an offering..." [5:95]
  • The enslavement.
    • After the Battle of the Camel and Siffeen, there was a lot of killing, and the army of ‘Ali was winning, but he didn’t allow them to take any women as slaves, and the khawaarij didn’t like that.  Fight the wrongdoers (See Al-Hujuraat 49:9), so this is why it was allowed to fight each other, but Ibn 'Abbas asked them, who wants to take the mother of the believers as their slave woman?  And they realized that was wrong.
  • ‘Ali removed himself from Caliphate without authorization so he cannot be khalifah anymore. Amr disallowed Abu Musa from writing ‘Ali’s name as the Caliph.
    
    • Prophet also didn't write "Messenger of Allah" in the treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
  • The disbelief of ‘Ali.
    
    • They wanted Ali to confess disbelief and repent.  A man cannot testify that he has disbelieved.

The Pledge of Khawarij

• Most of the khawarij repented with Ibn ‘Abbas (2000) and the rest of them came to Kufah.
  • They tried to keep the fitnah up, and spread that 'Ali confessed disbelief and repented.
• When the news came that ‘Ali agreed with them that he disbelieved and then repented, he stood on the pulpit and denied that and also blamed the khawarij for their opinion on the arbitration.
• Then a group of the khawarij (who had repented) left again and decided to establish a group

They gave the pledge to ‘Abdillah ibn Wahb Al-Raasibi on the 20th of Shawwal 37H.