The meaning of Khawarij Citing verses revealed concerning the polytheists and applying them to Muslims.
Contents:
1. The narration
2. The claim
3. Response.
4. Imam Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī applied Surah Yūnus, verse 18 revealed concerning idolaters in a general sense.
5. Sufi Al-Ṣāwī used 3:64 generally even though it was for polytheists.
6. Khawarij used the verses of Quran without understanding of Sahaba and applied on Muslims.
7. The response by Ibn Abbas radhiAllahanho to the khawarij.
8. The verses which the khawarij used against the Muslims and understanding of the Sahaba.
9. The Khārijites’ false interpretation of (Qur’an 3:192) And (Qur’an 32:20): that major sinners are eternally condemned to Hell.
10. Shaykh ʿAbdul-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād commented:
11. Conclusion.
1. The narration:
Al-Bukhari reported Muallaqan: Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, considered the Khawarij rebels to be the worst of Allah’s creation and he said, “Indeed, they take verses that were revealed about unbelievers and use them against believers.”
2. The claim.
They put forward a strange claim: that the Ahlus sunnah applied verses revealed about the polytheists to some people of this Ummah who are worshipping the graves.
3. Response.
This is not something exclusive to the Ahlus sunnah, as some allege but rather it is a matter commonly practiced among Ashari scholars without any objection. For example
4. Imam Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī applied Surah Yūnus, verse 18 revealed concerning idolaters in a general sense.
{“And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah’”}
He commented:
أنهم وضعوا هذه الأصنام والأوثان على صور أنبيائهم وأكابرهم، وزعموا أنهم متى اشتغلوا بعبادة هذه التماثيل، فإن أولئك الأكابر تكون شفعاء لهم عند الله تعالى، ونظيره في هذا الزمان اشتغال كثير من الخلق بتعظيم قبور الأكابر، على اعتقاد أنهم إذا عظموا قبورهم فإنهم يكونون شفعاء لهم عند الله.
“They made these idols and statues in the likenesses of their prophets and their elders, and they assumed that whenever they occupied themselves with worshipping these images, those elders would be intercessors for them with Allah. A parallel to this in our time is the involvement of many people in venerating the graves of elders, with the belief that when they venerate their graves, those elders will be their intercessors with Allah.” [Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb (16/58).]
5. Sufi Al-Ṣāwī used 3:64 generally even though it was for polytheists.
“Say: O People of the Book, come to a word that is equitable between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, associate nothing with Him, and that none of us take others as lords besides Allah. Then if they turn away, say: Bear witness that we are Muslims”}
[Aal ʿImrān: 64]:He commented:
“هذه الآية وإن كانت خطابًا لليهود والنصارى، إلا أنها تجر بذيلها على من يشرك بالله غيره من المسلمين، كضعفاء الإيمان الذين يعتقدون في الأولياء أنهم يضرون وينفعون بذواتهم ويحلّون ما حرم الله ويحرمون ما أحل الله، ومع ذلك يحدثون بدعًا عظيمة ما أنزل الله بها من سلطان، ويجعلون تلك البدع طرقًا لهؤلاء الأولياء، ويزعمون أنها منجية وإن كانت مخالفة للشرع، ويحسبون أنهم على شيء، ألا إنهم هم الكاذبون.
“Although this verse is addressed to the Jews and Christians, it also extends to those Muslims who associate others with Allah. This includes the weak in faith who believe regarding the saints that they independently cause harm and benefit, who declare lawful what Allah has forbidden and forbid what Allah has made lawful. Along with this, they introduce grave innovations for which Allah has sent down no authority, and they make these innovations into paths attributed to those saints. They claim that these practices are means of salvation, even though they contradict the Shariʿah, and they think that they are upon something. Indeed, they are the liars.”
Ḥāshiyat al-Ṣāwī ʿalā al-Jalālayn (1/150)
Now what’s the meaning of the statement of Ibn Umar radhiAllahanho.
6. Khawarij used the verses of Quran without understanding of Sahaba and applied on Muslims.
Ibn Hajr al Asqalani commented:
أنهم كانوا يتأولون القرآن على غير المراد منه ويستبدون برأيهم ويتنطعون في الزهد والخشوع وغير ذلك
They used to interpret the Qur’an contrary to its intended meaning, were obstinate with their opinions, and were excessive in asceticism, piety, and other matters. [Fath al Bari 12/296]
7. The response by Ibn Abbas radhiAllahanho to the khawarij.
Ibn ʿAbbās said to the Khawārij in his debate:
أتيتكم من عند صحابة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من المهاجرين والأنصار ، لأبلغكم ما يقولون المخبرون بما يقولون فعليهم نزل القرآن ، وهم أعلم بالوحي منكم
“I have come to you from among the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), from the Muhājirīn and Anṣār, to convey to you what they say those who truly know what they say. The Qur’an was revealed in their presence, and they know the (meaning of) revelation more than you do.”
(Al‑Musradrak al‑Hakīm no. 2656; al‑Hakīm said it is authentic upon the conditions of Muslim, and al‑Dhahabī agreed with him.)
After the debate as per Ibn Hajr al asqalani:
فرجع كثير منهم معه .
So many of them returned with him. [Fath al Bari]
8. The verses which the khawarij used against the Muslims and understanding of the Sahaba.
“There is no command but that of Allah”
Ubaidullah b. Abu Rafi’, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), said: When Haruria (the Khwarij) set out and as he was with ‘Ali b. Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) they said,” There is no command but that of Allah.” Upon this ‘Ali said: The statement is true but it is intentionally applied (to support) a wrong (cause)… (Bukhari Book #005, Hadith #2334)
Above simply means, khawarij used the verses without the understanding of the sahaba, Today we see people quoting verses of Quran without quoting its tafseer with Sahaba, Tabiyeen and Mufassireen.
9. The Khārijites’ false interpretation of (Qur’an 3:192) And (Qur’an 32:20): that major sinners are eternally condemned to Hell.
Yazīd al-Faqīr said:
“This view of the Khārijites that those who commit major sins would be eternally doomed to Hell had obsessed me. We set out in a large group, intending to perform Hajj and then go to the people to propagate the views of the Khārijites.
He said: We happened to pass by Madinah and found Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh sitting near a pillar, narrating to the people the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). When he mentioned the inhabitants of Hell, I said: O Companion of the Messenger of Allah, what is this that you are narrating, while Allah says: “Indeed, whoever You admit to the Fire, You have surely disgraced him” (Qur’an 3:192), and: “Every time they wish to get out of it, they will be returned to it” (Qur’an 32:20)? So what is it that you are saying?
He said: Have you read the Qur’an?
I said: Yes.
He said: Have you heard about the exalted مقام (station) of Muhammad (peace be upon him), to which Allah will raise him?
I said: Yes.
He said: Indeed, the station of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a station of great praise, and by it Allah will bring out from the Fire whomever He wills.
He then described the Path (the Bridge) and how the people would pass over it, and he said: I fear that I may not remember everything, but what I still remember is that people will come out of Hell after having entered it. He said: They will come out as though they were pieces of ebony wood.
The narrator said: They will then enter a river one of the rivers of Paradise and bathe in it, and then come out as though they were white like paper.
We then turned back and said: Woe to you! How could this old man lie against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)? We turned back from the views of the Khārijites, and by Allah, every one of us abandoned this belief except one man.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 371)
10. Shaykh ʿAbdul-Muḥsin al-ʿAbbād commented:
“Those people were in confusion who went for Hajj believing that people who commit major sins will not come out of Hellfire. They used verses that were revealed concerning the disbelievers and applied them to Muslims. This was the creed (ʿaqīdah) of the Khawārij. They intended to spread this belief after Hajj, but during that blessed journey Allah granted them tawfīq to meet Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh (رضي الله عنه), and He exposed the corruption in their understanding of the Qur’an.”
(Sharḥ Ḥadīth Jibrīl, p. 10)
Above clearly means, khawarij used the verses applied on Muslims, without the understanding of the sahaba.
11. Conclusion.
Thus, al-Ṣāwī and Imam Fakhr ud din al Razi Ashʿarī may Allah be pleased with them applied verses that were originally revealed concerning the disbelievers to groups among the Muslims. Likewise, verse 4:64 was revealed concerning the Jews, yet some Sufis claim that it applies to Muslims and that one should seek help from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Not a single scholar used the verse for istigatha from far away, all they did is recited the verse at the grave and asked Allh for forgiveness and hope for the intercession on the day of judgement. There are many such examples that could be mentioned, but these suffice.
So yes, khawarij use the verses revealed for the polytheists against the Muslims WITHOUT the understanding of the Prophet peace be upon him and Companions.