Rebelling with the Sword and Performing Takfeer Due to Major Sins

 

Taken from 'Al-Kabair' - The Major Sins

 

By  Imaam ad-Dhahabi

 

Translated by  Abbas Abu Yahya

 

The Major Sin – Forty-Nine

 

Allaah Ta'ala said: … but transgress not the limits. Truly, Allaah does not like the transgressors.  [al-Baqarah: 190]

 

Allaah Ta'ala said:   And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in clear misguidance.  [Ahzaab: 36]

 

316- The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said: "Whoever says to his Muslim brother, O Kafir (disbeliever)!' Then verily it returns to one of them."[1]

 

There are many narrations which describe the Khawarij, and the people differed in performing Takfeer (taking people out of the fold of Islaam) upon them, since the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said about them:  "they will go out from (leave) their religion as an arrow goes out of the game. So, where-ever you find them, kill them."[2]

 

 

318 - The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said about them: "They are the most evil of those killed under the sky, and the best person killed is the one who is killed by them."[3]

 

So the Khawarij are the people of Bida', they make it Halaal to take the blood of people, and they perform Takfeer. They performed Takfeer upon 'Uthmaan and 'Alee and of a group from the pre-eminent Companions- may Allaah be pleased with all of them.

 

319- Ishaaq al-Azzraq, on the authority of al-'Amash, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Awfaa - radiAllaah anhu- who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah - SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – say: The Khawaarij are the dogs of the Hell-fire.[4]

 

320- Hashraj bin Nubaatata, said Sa'eed bin Jumhaan narrated to me that he said: I entered upon Ibn Abu 'Awfaa and he was blind, and he said: who are you?

I said: Sa'eed bin Jumhaan.

 

He said: What happened to your father?

 

I said: The al-Azzariqa (who are a sect from the Khawarij) killed him.

 

He said: May Allaah kill the al-Azzariqa! Then he said: The Messenger of Allaah - SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – narrated to us that they are the dogs of the hell fire.

 

I asked: only the al-Azzariqa?

 

He said: All the Khawarij.[5]

 

321- Hammad bin Salama said: Abu Hafs narrated to us, that he heard Abdullah bin Abu 'Awfaa say while they were fighting the Khawarij: I heard the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- say: "Tooba (a tree in paradise) for the one who kills them and is killed by them."[6]     

 

 

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace and blessings be upon our final Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those who follow his guidance.

 

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[1] Bukharee & Muslim

[2] Bukharee & Muslim

[3]  Ibn Abee Shaybah, Ahmad, Tirmidhee and Ibn Majah

[4] Narrated by Ahmad 4/355 & 4/382-383, & Ibn Majah 173, authenticated by al-Albaani

[5] Abu Dawood at-Tayalisee, Ahmad and Hakim

[6] Abu Dawood at-Tayalisee, Ahmad and Hakim