argues that it is a distinguishing mark of the Kharijites who departed from the religion, whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) condemned in authentic hadiths transmitted through several routes. It is also reported that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Their distinguishing mark is shaving their heads.”

If, then, this is the distinguishing mark of those who departed from the religion, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported in the Musnad and the Sunan collections to have said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them,” this is more appropriately taken as evidence of how far it is from being a distinguishing mark of religious people than of the opposite.