Imam Al-Sadiq

decision and the order, and He is able to do everything and encompasses His servants.
Also, He may hold back him from the factors of disobedience and misguidance as a favor
from Him for His servant, and this is what we call tawfiq (Allah's blessing on someone for
doing good actions).
These are some beliefs of the Imamis about the existence and the oneness of Allah, the
attributes of Allah, prophethood, the Imamate, the hereafter, and the actions of men.
We have briefly mentioned the beliefs of the Imamis. But they have been explained in detail
in the books of theology and beliefs.
Today, the Imamis constitute the great majority of the Shi'a all over the Islamic countries.
Since the first day of the beginning of writing, their books about all sciences have been spread
among nations. The urban, the Bedouin, the ignorant, and the scholar read their books.
At the present time, their is no obvious well known sect except that were during the time of
al- Sadiq, peace on him, so we have neglected those sects that took place after him, peace on
him, such as the Fatahiya, the Nawusiya, and the Waqifiya.
4. The Kharijites:
This sect appeared on the day of (the Battle of) Siffin due to the trick of b. al-'As when he
advised Mu'awiya, who was feeble, to continue fighting to raise copies of the Koran and to
summon (Imam 'Ali's Army) to resort to them. When they (Ma'awiyya's Army) raised the
copies of the Koran, a group of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-
Mu'minin), peace be on him, mutinied against him saying that they (Mu'awiya's Army) were
summoning them to the Book of Allah while he was summoning them to the sword. So, he
blamed them for that , tried to hold them back from being deceived by that trick, and said to
them: "Woe unto You! I am the most knowledgeable in the Book of Allah." But his blame,
his deterrence, and his evidence were all useless. Moreover; they said to him: "Prevent Malik
from fighting the Muslims; otherwise we will do against you as we had done against
'Uthman." So, he was forced to order Malik to come back while he was about to defeat
Mu'awiya's Army and the latter was about to escape. Then they (the Kharijites) forced him
(Imam 'Ali) to accept the arbitration. Thus, he wanted to send Abd Allah b. Abbas, but they
ordered him to send Abu Musa al- Ash'ary. When the arbitration took place, the Khrijities
said: "Why did you appoint the men as arbitrators in the religion of Allah? There is no rule
but for Allah." From here, they were called al- Muhakima. The Commander of the faithful
came back from (the Battle of) Siffin while they were insisting on their deviation and
disobedience. Then they gathered at Harawra' near Kufa, so they were called the Harawriyya.