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Division and religious innovation first arose in Islam after the killing of ‘Uthmān and the ensuing split among the Muslims. When ‘Alī and Mu‘āwiya agreed to arbitration, the Khārijites objected, saying, “Judgment belongs to Allah alone,” and broke away from the Muslim community. ‘Alī sent Ibn ‘Abbās to debate with them, and half of them returned. The rest raided people’s livestock and deemed their blood lawful to shed. They killed Ibn Khabbāb and said, “We all killed him.” ‘Alī then fought them.

Their doctrine was founded on reverence for the Quran and a desire to follow it, but they departed from the Sunnah and the Muslim community. They did not consider it right to follow any Sunnah they thought contradicted the Quran, such as stoning and the minimum value required for the prescribed punishment for theft. Thus they went astray, for the Messenger knew best what Allah had revealed to him, and Allah had revealed to him the Book and wisdom.

They also considered it possible for the Prophet to be unjust, so they would not submit to his judgment or that of the rulers after him. Rather, they said that ‘Uthmān, ‘Alī, and their supporters had judged by something other than what Allah had revealed:

“Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are the disbelievers.”

On this and other grounds, they declared Muslims disbelievers. Their declarations of unbelief, and those of all other proponents of religious innovation, rest on two false premises:

The first is that this contradicts the Quran.