because of the ignorance and injustice that reside within them. They confront their adversaries with nothing but obstinate refusals and counter-arguments, and are therefore driven to deny portions of the truth brought by the Messenger and to wrong and transgress against their fellow believers, in view of the advantage (1) those polytheists have gained over them. Their discourse thus becomes a mixture of faith and unbelief, guidance and misguidance, rectitude and error—a merger of opposites. They end up differing from both the unbelievers and the believers, like those who fight the unbelievers as well as the believers. Their case resembles that of the frontier rulers who neglected obedience to Allah and His Messenger until the enemy was given power over them, in fulfilment of His words:

“Indeed, those of you who turned away on the day the two hosts met—it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some of what they had earned.” ⦗3:155⦘ (2)

They wage war against the enemy in a manner that itself entails disobedience to Allah—treachery, mutilation, misappropriation of the spoils, and aggression—so that, in order to combat that enemy, they are driven to aggress against their own believing brothers, seizing their lives, their wealth, and their lands. Thus they come to fight their believing brothers with some of the very methods they had employed against the polytheists, and at times they even deem fighting the Muslims the more pressing obligation (3). It is precisely this that the Prophet—blessings and peace be upon him—described concerning the Khawarij when he said:

“They kill the people of Islam and leave alone the idol-worshippers.” (4)