Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

252 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia
Ash-Shahrastiini defined the Kharijites in general terms and
for any era, saying: "Anyone who rebels against the rightful ruler of
the Muslims, on whom they are agreed, is called a Kharijite, whether
that rebellion took place at the time of the Companions against the
Rightly Guided Caliphs or it happened after that against those who
followed them in truth and the rnlers of every era."3
Ibn Hajar said concerning them: "The Kharijites are those who
objected to 'Ali (&) for appointing arbitrators, disavowed him and
'Uthmh and his descendants, and fought them. If they regard them
as disbelievers, then they are e~treme."~ Giving another definition,
he said: 'The Kharijites are a rebellious group. They are innovators
who were given this name because of their rebellion (khurooj)
against Islam and against the best of the ~uslims."~
Ahu al-Hasan d-Malti thinks that the first Kharijite group was
al-Muhakkimah, whose slogan was "There is no rnling except the
ruling of Allah (s)." They said that when 'Ali (&) agreed to
arbitration and gave Abu Moosa d-Ash'ari the authority to rule and
judge, 'Ali (&) committed an act of disbelief, because there is no
ruling except the rnling of Allah (&). The Kharijites were so called
because of their rebellion (khurooj) against 'Ali (&) at the time of
arbitrati~n.~
Dr. Nisir al-'Aql says: "They are those who regard people as
disbelievers for committing sins and those who rebel against unjust
r~lers."~
So the Kharijites are those people who rebelled against 'Ali
(&) after he agreed to arbitration following the battle of Siffeen.
They have other names by which they are also known, such as the
~aroori~ah,~ ash-Shur?ih~ d-Mkiqah and al-~uhakkimah.'~ They
accepted all of these names except the name al-M&iqah (the
renegades); they did not accept that they were renegades 60m Islam
who passed out of the faith as the arrow passes out of the prey."