THE KHWARIJ

�AlI sent some gold alloyed with dust from Yemen to Muhammad.  In its distribution, Muhammad showed favoritism.  When some people complained, Muhammad demanded: �Will you not trust me, whereas I am a trustee of Him Who is in the heaven?  The news comes to me from the heaven morning and evening.� This silenced the men, but one of them, a man with deep-sunken eyes, prominent cheekbones, thick beard, and shaven head, stood up, and said: �Messenger of Allah, fear Allah and do justice.� This angered Muhammad, and he replied: �Woe be upon thee, who would do justice if I do not do justice?� �Umar, who was present, said to Muhammad: �Messenger of Allah, permit me to kill this hypocrite.� Though the man was spared, he and his posterity were denounced.  Muhammad said: �From this very person�s posterity there would arise people who would recite the QurAn, but it would not go beyond their throat; they would kill the followers of Islam but would spare the idol-worshippers. . . . If I were to find them I would kill them like �Ad [a people who were exterminated root and branch]� (2316-2327).

These men, who later on were called the khwArij, took some of the slogans of Islam seriously.  It was about them, according to �AlI, that Muhammad said: �When you meet them, kill them, for in their killing you would get a reward with Allah on the Day of Judgment� (2328).  These were the anarchists and purists of the early days of Islam.  The injunction about them was: �Pursue them as they are routed and kill their prisoners and destroy their property.�

author : ram swarup