If people such as these do not turn what they have innovated into a doctrine by which they separate themselves from the Muslim community, making it the basis of their allegiance and enmity, then it falls within the category of error. Allah, glorified and exalted, forgives the believers their errors in such matters.

Thus, many of the early generations of this Ummah and its leading scholars fell into similar errors: through independent scholarly judgment, they expressed views that contradicted what is established in the Quran and Sunnah. This is unlike someone who gives allegiance to those who agree with him, shows enmity towards those who disagree with him, divides the Muslim community, and declares his opponents—but not his supporters—to be disbelievers and evildoers over matters of opinion and scholarly judgment. He also deems it lawful to fight those who disagree with him, but not those who agree with him. Such people are among those who cause division and discord.

For this reason, the first people of religious innovation to separate themselves from the Muslim community were the renegade “Khārijites.” The hadith concerning the Khārijites has been authentically transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through ten routes of transmission, which Muslim included in his Sahīh. Al-Bukhārī also included more than one of these routes.

The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fought them alongside the Commander of the Faithful, ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib. They did not disagree about fighting them as they had disagreed about fighting during the civil strife at the battles of the Camel and Siffīn. In those conflicts, they fell into three groups: one fought on one side, another fought on the other, and a third refrained from fighting and stayed out of the conflict. The scriptural texts indicate that this last course was preferable.

Thus, when the Khārijites separated themselves from the Muslim community, declared its members disbelievers, and deemed it lawful to fight them, the Sunnah brought