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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Al Nass Wal Ijtihad The Kharijites’ Apostasy There have been many clear prophetic traditions talking about the apostasy of the Kharijites. Here are some of them besides the ones we have mentioned above.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim have mentioned in their Sahihs a tradition narrated by Abu Sa’eed al-Khidri saying: “While we were with the Prophet (s), who was taking an oath, Thul Khuwaysira, who was a man from the tribe of Tameem, said: “O messenger of Allah, be just!” The messenger of Allah said: “Woe unto you! And who is just if I am not?

Surely I shall fail and lose if I do not do right.” Umar said (to the Prophet (s)): “Would you allow me to kill him?”[^3] The messenger of Allah (s) said: “Let him alone! He has companions, who exaggerate in offering prayers and in fasting. They recite the Qur'an but it does not go past their clavicles.

They apostatize from religion as an arrow that slips away from a game animal…their sign is a black man whose upper arm is like a woman’s breast or like a dangling piece of flesh…they will appear at the time of a good group of people.”[^4] Abu Sa’eed said: “I witness that I have [^1] vol.1 p.395 and Ahmad’s Musnad, vol.3 p.5. [^2] Ahmad’s Musnad, vol.4 p.422, 424. [^3] Would he have killed him when he had been ordered to! [^4] The group of Imam Ali (s) and his followers.

(155) heard this tradition from the messenger of Allah and I witness that Imam Ali (s) has fought them and I was with him. Imam Ali (s) ordered that man to be brought. When he was brought, I looked at him and I saw that he was as the Prophet (s) had described him.”[^1] The prophetic traditions talking about the evil doings and aspects of the Kharijites are true and recurrent whether have been narrated from the infallible imams (s) or the Sunni.

These traditions were among the signs of the Prophet (s) and Islam due to the unseen that appeared like the light of morning to people after the death of the Prophet (s).

People saw clearly the apostasy of that group (the Kharijites) from religion when they revolted against Imam Ali (s), who was the legal caliph.[^2] Their rising was when people had separated into two groups.[^3] They were killed and their killer was the imam of the truth.[^4] They, as the Prophet (s) had predicted, killed the faithful people and let the idolaters free. They became too strict in religion where there was no necessity for strictness.