Fighting Against The Khawarij

‘Ubaidah (al-salman) said :
‘Ali mentioned about the people of al Nahrawan, saying: Among them there will be a man with a defective hand or with a small hand. if you were not to overjoy. I would inform you of what Allah has promised (the reward for) those who will kill them at the tongue of Muhammad ﷺ. I asked : Have you heard this from him? He replied : Yes, by the lord of the Ka’bah.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، : أَنَّ عَلِيًّا، ذَكَرَ أَهْلَ النَّهْرَوَانِ فَقَالَ : فِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ مُودَنُ الْيَدِ أَوْ مُخْدَجُ الْيَدِ، أَوْ مَثْدُونُ الْيَدِ لَوْلاَ أَنْ تَبْطَرُوا لَنَبَّأْتُكُمْ مَا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ يَقْتُلُونَهُمْ عَلَى لِسَانِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ . قَالَ قُلْتُ : أَنْتَ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْهُ قَالَ : إِي وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ .

Abu sa’id al-khudri said :
‘Ali sent some gold-mixed dust to the prophet ﷺ. He divided it among the four : al-Aqra b. Habis al-Hanzall and then al-Mujashi, uyainah b. Badr al-fazari, zaid al-khail al-Ta’l, next to one of Banu nabhan, and ‘Alqamah b. ‘Ulathat al-Amiri (in general), next to one of Banu kulaib. The Quraish and the ansar became angry and said : He is giving to the chiefs of the people of Najd and leaving us. He said : I am giving them for reconciliation of their hearts. Then a man with deep-seated eyes, high cheek-bones, a projecting brow, a thick beard and a shaven head came forward and said: For Allah, Muhammad! He said : Who will obey Allah if I disobey Him? Allah entrusts me with power over the inhabitants of the earth, but you do not. A man asked to be allowed to kill him and I think he was Khalid b. al-Walid but he prevented him. Then when the man turned away, he said: From this one’s stock there will be people who recite the Quran, but it will not pass down their throats. They will sever from Islam and leave the worshippers of Idols alone; but if I live up to their time I shall certainly kill them as 'Ad were killed.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نُعْمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ : بَعَثَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِذُهَيْبَةٍ فِي تُرْبَتِهَا، فَقَسَّمَهَا بَيْنَ أَرْبَعَةٍ بَيْنَ : الأَقْرَعِ بْنِ حَابِسٍ الْحَنْظَلِيِّ ثُمَّ الْمُجَاشِعِيِّ، وَبَيْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ بْنِ بَدْرٍ الْفَزَارِيِّ وَبَيْنَ زَيْدِ الْخَيْلِ الطَّائِيِّ ثُمَّ أَحَدِ بَنِي نَبْهَانَ وَبَيْنَ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ عُلاَثَةَ الْعَامِرِيِّ ثُمَّ أَحَدِ بَنِي كِلاَبٍ قَالَ فَغَضِبَتْ قُرَيْشٌ وَالأَنْصَارُ وَقَالَتْ : يُعْطِي صَنَادِيدَ أَهْلِ نَجْدٍ وَيَدَعُنَا . فَقَالَ : " إِنَّمَا أَتَأَلَّفُهُمْ " . قَالَ : فَأَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ غَائِرُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ مُشْرِفُ الْوَجْنَتَيْنِ نَاتِئُ الْجَبِينِ كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ مَحْلُوقٌ قَالَ : اتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ . فَقَالَ : " مَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ إِذَا عَصَيْتُهُ أَيَأْمَنُنِي اللَّهُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ تَأْمَنُونِي " . قَالَ : فَسَأَلَ رَجُلٌ قَتْلَهُ أَحْسِبُهُ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ - قَالَ - فَمَنَعَهُ . قَالَ : فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ : " إِنَّ مِنْ ضِئْضِئِ هَذَا أَوْ فِي عَقِبِ هَذَا قَوْمًا يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ مُرُوقَ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، يَقْتُلُونَ أَهْلَ الإِسْلاَمِ وَيَدَعُونَ أَهْلَ الأَوْثَانِ لَئِنْ أَنَا أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ قَتَلْتُهُمْ قَتْلَ عَادٍ " .

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri ; Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet ﷺ said: Soon there will appear disagreement and dissension in my people; there will be people who will be good in speech and bad in work. They recite the Qur'an, but it does not pass their collar-bones. They will swerve from the religion as an animal goes through the animal shot at. They will not return to it till the arrow comes back to its notch. They are worst of the people and animals. Happy is the one who kills them and they kill him. They call to the book of Allah, but they have nothing to do with it. He who fights against them will be nearer to Allah than them (the rest of the people). The people asked: What is their sign? He replied: They shave the head.

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَاصِمٍ الأَنْطَاكِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، وَمُبَشِّرٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْحَلَبِيَّ عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو، قَالَ - يَعْنِي الْوَلِيدَ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ : " سَيَكُونُ فِي أُمَّتِي اخْتِلاَفٌ وَفُرْقَةٌ، قَوْمٌ يُحْسِنُونَ الْقِيلَ وَيُسِيئُونَ الْفِعْلَ وَيَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ مُرُوقَ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ حَتَّى يَرْتَدَّ عَلَى فُوقِهِ هُمْ شَرُّ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ طُوبَى لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ وَقَتَلُوهُ، يَدْعُونَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَيْسُوا مِنْهُ فِي شَىْءٍ، مَنْ قَاتَلَهُمْ كَانَ أَوْلَى بِاللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ " . قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا سِيمَاهُمْ قَالَ : " التَّحْلِيقُ " .

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Anas through a different chain of narrators in a similar manner. This version adds; Their sign is shaving the head and eliminating the hair. If you see them, kill them.

Abu Dawud said:

Tasmid means uprooting the hair.

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَحْوَهُ قَالَ : " سِيمَاهُمُ التَّحْلِيقُ وَالتَّسْبِيدُ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُمْ فَأَنِيمُوهُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ : التَّسْبِيدُ اسْتِئْصَالُ الشَّعْرِ .

‘Ali said:
When I mention a tradition to you from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it is dearer to me that I fall from the heaven than I lie on him. But when I talk to you about matters between me and you, then war is a deception. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Towards the end of the time there will be people who are young in age and from Islam as an arrow goes through the animal aimed at, and their faith will not pass their throats. Wherever you meet them kill them, for their killing will bring a reward for him who kills them on the day of Resurrection.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ غَفَلَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ : إِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَدِيثًا فَلأَنْ أَخِرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَكْذِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ : " يَأْتِي فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ قَوْمٌ حُدَثَاءُ الأَسْنَانِ سُفَهَاءُ الأَحْلاَمِ، يَقُولُونَ مِنْ قَوْلِ خَيْرِ الْبَرِيَّةِ يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، لاَ يُجَاوِزُ إِيمَانُهُمْ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، فَأَيْنَمَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " .

Salamah b. Kuhail said:
Zaid b. Wahb al-Juhani told us that he was in the army which proceeded to (fight with) the Khawarij in the company of `Ali. `Ali then said: O people! I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: there will appear from among my community people who recite the Qur'an, and your recitation has no comparison with their recitation, and your prayer has no comparison with their prayer, and your fasts have no comparison with their fasts. They will recite the Qur'an thinking that it is beneficial for them, while it is harmful for them. Their prayer will not pass their collar-bones. They will swerve from Islam as an arrow goes through the animal shot at. If the army that is approaching them knows what (reward) has been decided for them at the tongue of their Prophet ﷺ, they would leave (other good) activities. The sign of that is that among them there will be a man who has an upper arm, but not hand; on his upper arm there will be something like the nipple of a female breast, having white hair thereon. Will you go to Mu`awiyah and the people of Syria, and leave them behind among your children and property? I swear by Allah, I hope these are the same people, for they shed the blood unlawfully, and attacked the cattle of the people so go on in the name of Allah. Salamah b. Kuhail said: Zaid b. Wahb then informed me of all the halting places one by one, (saying): Until we passed a bridge. When we fought with each other, `Abd Allah b. Wahb al-Rasibi, who was the leader of the Khawarij, said to them: Throw away the lances and pull out the swords from their sheaths, for I am afraid they will adjure you as they had adjured on the day of Harura. So they threw away their lances and pulled out their swords, and the people pierced them with their lances. They were killed (lying one on the other). On that day only two persons of the partisans (of `Ali) were afflicted. `Ali said: Search for the man with the crippled hand. But they could not find him. Then `Ali got up himself and went to the people who had been killed and were lying on one another. He said: Take them out. They found him just near the ground. So he shouted: Allah is Most Great! He said: Allah spoke the truth, and His Apostle has conveyed. `Ubaidat al-Salmani stood up to him, saying: Commander of the Faithful! Have you heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Yes, by him, there is no God but He. He put to swear thrice and he swore.

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ الْجُهَنِيُّ، : أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي الْجَيْشِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ الَّذِينَ سَارُوا إِلَى الْخَوَارِجِ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ : أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ : " يَخْرُجُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَيْسَتْ قِرَاءَتُكُمْ إِلَى قِرَاءَتِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَلاَ صَلاَتُكُمْ إِلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَلاَ صِيَامُكُمْ إِلَى صِيَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا، يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُ لَهُمْ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ، لاَ تُجَاوِزُ صَلاَتُهُمْ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْجَيْشُ الَّذِينَ يُصِيبُونَهُمْ مَا قُضِيَ لَهُمْ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِمْ ﷺ لَنَكَلُوا عَلَى الْعَمَلِ، وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ فِيهِمْ رَجُلاً لَهُ عَضُدٌ وَلَيْسَتْ لَهُ ذِرَاعٌ، عَلَى عَضُدِهِ مِثْلُ حَلَمَةِ الثَّدْىِ عَلَيْهِ شَعَرَاتٌ بِيضٌ " . أَفَتَذْهَبُونَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَأَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَتَتْرُكُونَ هَؤُلاَءِ يَخْلُفُونَكُمْ فِي ذَرَارِيِّكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونُوا هَؤُلاَءِ الْقَوْمَ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ سَفَكُوا الدَّمَ الْحَرَامَ، وَأَغَارُوا فِي سَرْحِ النَّاسِ فَسِيرُوا عَلَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ . قَالَ : سَلَمَةُ بْنُ كُهَيْلٍ : فَنَزَّلَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ مَنْزِلاً مَنْزِلاً حَتَّى مَرَّ بِنَا عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ قَالَ فَلَمَّا الْتَقَيْنَا وَعَلَى الْخَوَارِجِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ الرَّاسِبِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ : أَلْقُوا الرِّمَاحَ وَسُلُّوا السُّيُوفَ مِنْ جُفُونِهَا، فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُنَاشِدُوكُمْ كَمَا نَاشَدُوكُمْ يَوْمَ حَرُورَاءَ قَالَ : فَوَحَّشُوا بِرِمَاحِهِمْ وَاسْتَلُّوا السُّيُوفَ وَشَجَرَهُمُ النَّاسُ بِرِمَاحِهِمْ - قَالَ - وَقَتَلُوا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمْ . قَالَ : وَمَا أُصِيبَ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ رَجُلاَنِ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ : الْتَمِسُوا فِيهِمُ الْمُخْدَجَ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا قَالَ : فَقَامَ عَلِيٌّ رضى الله عنه بِنَفْسِهِ حَتَّى أَتَى نَاسًا قَدْ قُتِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ : أَخْرِجُوهُمْ فَوَجَدُوهُ مِمَّا يَلِي الأَرْضَ فَكَبَّرَ وَقَالَ : صَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَبَلَّغَ رَسُولُهُ . فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ عَبِيدَةُ السَّلْمَانِيُّ فَقَالَ : يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَقَدْ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ : إِي وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ حَتَّى اسْتَحْلَفَهُ ثَلاَثًا وَهُوَ يَحْلِفُ .

‘Ali said:
Search for the man with crippled hand. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition. This version has: They took him out from beneath the slain in the dust. Abu al-wadi said: As if I am looking at an Abyssinian with a shirt on him. He had one of his hands like the nipple of the female breast, having hair on it like the hair on the tail of the jerboa.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَضِيءِ، قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ : اطْلُبُوا الْمُخْدَجَ . فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ فَاسْتَخْرَجُوهُ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْقَتْلَى فِي طِينٍ، قَالَ أَبُو الْوَضِيءِ : فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ حَبَشِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ قُرَيْطَقٌ لَهُ إِحْدَى يَدَيْنِ مِثْلُ ثَدْىِ الْمَرْأَةِ عَلَيْهَا شُعَيْرَاتٌ مِثْلُ شُعَيْرَاتِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ عَلَى ذَنَبِ الْيَرْبُوعِ .