They even supplied them with the Muslims’ own weapons, and whenever a righteous Muslim fell into their grasp they would either kill him or rob him; only a handful (1) ever managed to escape by cunning.

Then Allah granted support and eased the way. Thanks to the ruler’s sincere intention, his determination to uphold the laws of Islam, and his zeal for waging jihad against the renegades, a legitimate campaign was launched—as God and His Messenger had commanded—after their true state had been exposed, their excuses refuted, and their specious claims dispelled (2). They were shown a measure of justice and equity they had never imagined possible. It was clarified to them that this expedition followed the example of the Commander of the Believers ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allah be pleased with him, in his battle against the Haruriyya (the Khārijī renegades) whose combat the Prophet ﷺ enjoined in numerous, mutually corroborated reports. The authors of the two Sahih collections have recorded ten such reports, narrated by ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, Sahl ibn Ḥunayf, Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, Rāfiʿ ibn ʿAmr, and other Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

He ﷺ said of them: “One of you would deem his own prayer insignificant compared to theirs, and his fasting insignificant compared to theirs, and his recitation insignificant compared to theirs. They recite the Quran, yet it does not go beyond their throats. They shoot out of Islam as an arrow flies through its game. Were I to encounter them, I would kill them with the slaughter of ʿĀd. If those who fight them only knew what reward has been promised them on the tongue of Muhammad ﷺ, they would abandon (3) every other deed. They kill the people of Islam and leave the idol-worshippers alone. They recite the Quran, thinking it pleads for them, while in truth it pleads against them…"