corruption.

For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Wherever you encounter them, kill them.”

He also said:

“If I live to encounter them, I will surely kill them as ‘Ād were killed.”

Umar said to Subaygh ibn ‘Isl, “Had I found your head shaved, I would have struck the head that holds your eyes.” Moreover, Alī ibn Abī Tālib sought to kill Abd Allāh ibn Saba’, the first of the Rāfidah, until he fled from him. These people are also among the greatest spreaders of corruption on earth. If their corruption cannot be stopped except by killing them, they are to be killed. It is not, however, obligatory to kill every individual among them when this doctrine has not been openly expressed, or when killing him would cause greater harm.

For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, initially refrained from killing that Khārijī, lest people say, “Muhammad kills his companions.” At that time, he was not causing widespread corruption. Likewise, Alī refrained from killing them when they first appeared, because they were numerous and outwardly remained obedient and part of the Muslim community. They had not fought the members of the community, nor had it become clear to him that they were the ones intended.

As for declaring them unbelievers and holding that they will remain eternally in Hell, scholars likewise have two well-known opinions, both transmitted from Ahmad. These two opinions concern the Khawārij and those who pass out of the religion among the Harūriyyah, the Rāfidah and similar groups.

The correct view is that those statements of theirs which are known to contradict what the Messenger brought constitute unbelief. Likewise, their actions resembling those committed by unbelievers against Muslims also constitute unbelief. I have mentioned the evidence for this elsewhere. However, declaring a particular individual among them an unbeliever and judging that he will remain eternally in Hell depend upon establishing that the conditions for declaring him an unbeliever are fulfilled and that the impediments to doing so are absent. For we affirm in general terms