Kharijites In Bahrain: A Historical Perspective

The Kharijites were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656-661) as supporters of Ali, who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle a conflict with his challenger, Mu'awiya, at the Battle of Siffin in 657. The Kharijites asserted that judgment belongs to God alone, which became their motto, and that rebels such as Mu'awiya had to be fought and overcome according to Qur'anic injunctions.

The Kharijites were driven out of their original stronghold among the Arab tribesmen of lower Iraq and withdrew into southwestern Persia (modern-day Iran) under the leadership of Nafi' b. Azraq. His followers became known as the Azariqa, the most fanatical of the Kharijite sub-sects. From their bases in Ahvaz, they threatened Basra but also pushed further east into Fars and Kerman and were active as far as Isfahan and Ray.

The Kharijites were the first sect to arise within Islam and originated during the First Fitna, the struggle for political leadership over the Muslim community following the assassination of the third caliph Uthman in 656. They believed that any Muslim, irrespective of descent or ethnicity, qualified for the role of caliph, provided he was morally irreproachable.

The term Kharijites comes from the Arabic root meaning to leave or to get out. The term is used by modern mainstream Muslims to describe Islamist extremist groups that have been compared to the Kharijites for their radical ideology and militancy.

Bahrain is an island country in West Asia situated in the Persian Gulf. It is officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain and comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centred on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 83% of the country's landmass.

The official flag of Bahrain, approved on 17 February 2002, consists of a red cloth, which is the colour of the Kharijites, a white stripe on the side of the flagpole, symbolising peace, and five white triangles, symbolising the five pillars of Islam.

Therefore, the answer to the question Are Kharijites in Bahrain? is yes, historically speaking. The Kharijites were present in Bahrain, specifically in the region known today as Iran, which neighbours Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.

The Kharijites' beliefs and doctrines

The Kharijites were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656-661). They were supporters of Ali, who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challenger, Mu'awiya, at the Battle of Siffin in 657. The Kharijites believed that "judgment belongs to God alone", and that rebels such as Mu'awiya had to be fought and overcome according to Qur'anic injunctions.

The Kharijites believed that any Muslim, irrespective of descent or ethnicity, qualified for the role of caliph, provided he was morally irreproachable. It was the duty of Muslims to rebel against and depose caliphs who sinned. Most Kharijite groups branded Muslims who committed grave sins as unbelievers and declared the killing of such unbelievers to be licit, unless they repented.

The Kharijites also asserted that faith without accompanying deeds is useless, and that anyone who commits a major sin is an unbeliever. However, their notion of unbelief differed from the mainstream Muslim definition, which understood a kafir as a non-Muslim. To the Kharijites, kufr implied a defective Muslim, or pseudo-Muslim, who rejected true Islam.

The Azariqa and Najdat, two of the most extreme Kharijite subsects, held that since the Umayyad rulers and all non-Kharijites were unbelievers, it was unlawful to continue living under their rule. It was thus obligatory to emigrate and establish a legitimate dominion of their own. The Azariqa prohibited the practice of dissimulation of their faith and branded non-activist Kharijites as unbelievers. The Najdat allowed dissimulation and quietism but labelled their practitioners as hypocrites.

The Kharijites espoused that all Muslims were equal, regardless of ethnicity, and advocated for the equal status of the mawali (non-Arab, free Muslims of conquered lands) with the Arabs. They also advocated for the equality of women with men, viewing jihad as incumbent upon women.

The Kharijites did not have a uniform and coherent set of doctrines. Different sects and individuals held different views.

The Kharijites' emergence and history

The Kharijites were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656-661) as supporters of Ali, who rebelled against arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challenger, Mu'awiya, at the Battle of Siffin in 657. They asserted that "judgment belongs to God alone", which became their motto, and that rebels such as Mu'awiya had to be fought and overcome according to Qur'anic injunctions.

The Kharijites believed that any Muslim, irrespective of descent or ethnicity, could become caliph, provided they were morally irreproachable. It was the duty of Muslims to rebel against and depose caliphs who sinned. Most Kharijite groups branded Muslims who committed grave sins as unbelievers and the most militant declared the killing of such unbelievers as licit.

The Kharijites emerged as a response to a religio-political controversy over the Caliphate. They were opposed to both Ali's claims and those of Mu'awiya, repudiating the existing caliphal candidates and all Muslims who did not accept their views. They engaged in campaigns of harassment and terror and continued to launch insurrections against the caliphate.

The Kharijites' constant harassment of the various Muslim governments was an exercise of their religious beliefs. They held that the judgment of God could only be expressed through the free choice of the entire Muslim community. They insisted that anyone, even an enslaved person, could be elected caliph if they possessed the necessary qualifications, chiefly religious piety and moral purity. A caliph could be deposed upon the commission of any major sin.

The Kharijites set themselves against the legitimist claims of the tribe of Quraysh and of Ali's descendants. As proponents of the democratic principle, the Kharijites drew to themselves many who were dissatisfied with the existing political and religious authorities. They were also known for their puritanism and fanaticism.

The Kharijites originated during the First Fitna, the struggle for political leadership over the Muslim community (umma), following the assassination of the third caliph Uthman in 656. Uthman's murder sparked the civil war, and Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, became caliph with the help of the people of Medina and the rebels.

The Kharijites were the first sect to arise within Islam. They were the first group to declare other Muslims as kuffar, a designation previously reserved for non-Muslims. They contributed to mainstream Islamic theology, particularly debates concerning divine unity versus multiplicity of attributes and predestination versus free will.

The Kharijites drew condemnation from traditional Muslim historians and heresiographers of subsequent centuries, who attempted to portray them as a monolithic, identifiable group with the characteristics and practices of the most radical sect, the Azariqa. The term "Kharijites" is often used by modern mainstream Muslims to describe Islamist extremist groups that have been compared to the Kharijites for their radical ideology and militancy.

The Kharijites' presence in Bahrain

The Kharijites were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656-661) as supporters of Ali, who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle a conflict with his challenger, Mu'awiya, at the Battle of Siffin in 657. The Kharijites asserted that "judgment belongs to God alone," and that rebels such as Mu'awiya had to be fought and overcome according to Qur'anic injunctions.

Driven out of their original stronghold among the Arab tribesmen of lower Iraq, the most uncompromising groups of the Kharijites withdrew into southwestern Persia under the leadership of Nafi' b. Azraq. His followers became known as the Azariqa, the most fanatical of the Kharijite sub-sects. From their bases in Ahvaz, they threatened Basra but also pushed further east into Fars and Kerman and were active as far as Isfahan and Ray.

In the latter part of Umayyad rule, the epicenter of Kharijite activity shifted to Upper Mesopotamia, i.e., northern Iraq and the Jazira, though Kharijite partisans persisted in the mountainous regions of southern Persia. During the Abbasid Revolution in 747 and 748, the Kharijites opportunistically supported the insurgent Abbasids against the retreating Umayyad forces. From Kerman, the Kharijites established a presence in Sistan, particularly in the rural areas rather than in Zarang, the capital of the caliphal governors.

While the Kharijites initially constituted an Arab movement, the stage was set for a great Kharijite outbreak in the east, which emerged in 795 and 796 and extended over thirty years and was led by an Iranian, Hamza b. Adharak. Between 797 and 798, Hamza's adherents proclaimed him Amir al-Mu'menin. He combated Kharijite rivals in Kerman and Sistan and launched attacks on the towns of Khorasan, becoming a serious threat that prompted the caliph Harun al-Rashid to march against him personally in 808. However, Harun died in Khorasan the following year, and the disorder in Iraq and the civil war among his heirs left Hamza undisturbed for some time.

The Kharijites continued to be important in the religious and political situation of eastern regions such as Kerman, Sistan, and the fringes of Khorasan. While they had initially hated the Umayyads as their opponents and pursuers, they came to hate the Abbasids as well. Kharijite groups formed at this time were essentially an ethnically Arab, spiritually aristocratic movement.

While militant Kharijite groups seem to have declined after Hamza's death in 828, pockets of peaceful adherents appear to have survived. The geographer Moqaddasi mentioned around 985 that the Karukh in Badghis were still predominantly made up of Kharijites. Yaqub, the Saffarid ruler of Sistan, incorporated Kharijites into his army as a special contingent in 873, solving the problem of their continued presence in the region.

The Kharijites' legacy and influence

The Kharijites, also known as the Khawarij, were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656–661) and are considered the first sect to arise within Islam. They were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the conflict with his challenger, Mu'awiya, at the Battle of Siffin in 657. The Kharijites asserted that "judgment belongs to God alone," which became their motto, and that rebels such as Mu'awiya had to be fought and overcome according to Qur'anic injunctions.

The legacy and influence of the Kharijites can be seen in several aspects:

Religious and Theological Contributions: The Kharijites contributed to the development of mainstream Muslim theology, particularly in debates related to faith and deeds, and the concept of leadership. They believed that any Muslim, regardless of descent or ethnicity, could become a caliph if he was morally irreproachable. This challenged the prevailing views that favoured Qurayshite descent or kinship with Muhammad as prerequisites for the role. The Kharijites also asserted that faith without deeds is useless and that committing a major sin is equivalent to unbelief (kufr). While they were considered religious extremists by traditional Muslim historians, modern scholars have debated the socio-economic factors that may have contributed to the rise of the Kharijites.

Political and Social Impact: The Kharijites had a significant impact on the political landscape of the time. They posed a challenge to the established Muslim community and the emerging orthodoxy. Their rebellions and insurrections continued for several decades, even after Ali defeated them at the Battle of Nahrawan in 658. The Kharijites controlled large areas in Persia and Arabia during the Second Fitna (680–692) and established a presence in various regions, including Upper Mesopotamia, Persia, and Arabia.

Militant Activities and Insurgencies: The Kharijites were known for their militant activities and insurgencies. They engaged in anti-government rebellions, assassinations, and indiscriminate killing of non-Kharijite Muslims. Their most infamous act was the assassination of Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, in 661. The Kharijites also had a presence in Bahrain, where they seized control and repulsed a 14,000-strong army.

Influence on Modern Extremism: Some scholars and commentators have drawn comparisons between the Kharijites and modern Islamist extremist groups, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. The Kharijites' radical ideology, militancy, and justification for killing those deemed unbelievers have been cited as similar to these modern groups. However, other historians argue that the socio-political context of the Kharijites differs significantly from that of modern extremist groups.

Survival of the Ibadiyya: While most Kharijite groups were eventually eliminated, the non-activist Ibadiyya survived and continue to exist today in Oman and some parts of North Africa. The Ibadiyya deny any links with the militant Kharijites of the past and condemn them as extremists.

The Kharijites' comparison to modern-day terrorist groups

The Kharijites were an Islamic sect that emerged during the First Fitna (656-661) and are considered the first extremist group in Islamic history. The term Kharijites comes from the Arabic word Khawarij, meaning "those who left", referring to the group of Muslims who were initially followers of Ali, the fourth Caliph, but later rebelled against him.

The Kharijites' beliefs and practices shared similarities with modern-day terrorist groups, leading some to compare the two. Here are some of the characteristics of the Kharijites that draw such comparisons:

• Strict and Uncompromising Views: The Kharijites held strict and uncompromising views of Islam, considering sinful Muslims as disbelievers and waging war against them if they did not repent. They rebelled against rulers who did not govern according to Islamic law and were the first group in Islamic history to practice takfir, declaring other Muslims as infidels.
• Shallow Understanding of Religion: The Kharijites had a shallow understanding of Islam and lacked rigorous Islamic scholarship. Their interpretation of the Quran was often superficial and prone to literal, extreme misinterpretations. Despite this, they scorned true Islamic scholars, considering themselves more righteous.
• Outward Piety: The Kharijites portrayed themselves as extremely religious and devout, impressing others with their piety and devotional acts. However, their outward piety did not translate into moral behaviour, as evidenced by their brutal murder of Abdullah Bin Khabbab, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Militancy and Violence: The Kharijites were known for their militancy and willingness to use violence against those they deemed unbelievers, including other Muslims. They engaged in multiple rebellions and insurrections, such as the Battle of Nahrawan in 658, where they were defeated by Ali.
• Anarchist Tendencies: Some modern Arab historians have highlighted the Kharijites' anarchist tendencies, advocating for a leaderless society where any Muslim could become a caliph, regardless of descent or ethnicity, as long as they were morally irreproachable.

Comparisons between the Kharijites and modern-day terrorist groups like ISIS or IS are often made due to these shared characteristics. Both exhibit extreme religious beliefs, a narrow interpretation of Islam, a willingness to use violence, and a rejection of established Islamic sects and interpretations. However, it is important to note that the socio-political context of the Kharijites differs significantly from that of modern-day terrorist groups, and such comparisons should be made with caution.

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