📜 Scene: 'Amr ibn al-'As's Ruse — Battle of Siffin, 37 AH

'Ali's armies are on the verge of victory. Mu'awiya's army is retreating.

'Amr ibn al-'As (advising Mu'awiya): "Order your men to raise the Qurans on their spear tips and cry out: 'The Book of Allah between us!'"

500 Qurans are raised. 'Ali's army hesitates.

Voices in 'Ali's army: "This is the Book of Allah! How can we fight a people who call to the Quran?"

'Ali (with his insight): "O servants of Allah, continue on your truth and your fighting! It is a trick!"

Future Khawarij (threatening): "No! Accept the arbitration or we will do to you what we did to 'Uthman!"

'Ali was forced to accept arbitration.

📜 Scene: "There is no judgment except for Allah!" — After the Arbitration, 37 AH

'Ali returns to Kufa after accepting arbitration. Suddenly, 12,000 men break away from his army.

The Khawarij (shouting): "LĀ ḤUKMA ILLĀ LILLĀH! You made men judge in Allah's religion!"

'Ali (calmly): "A word of truth by which falsehood is intended. Yes, there is no judgment except for Allah, but these people say: there is no authority except for Allah. And people must have a leader, whether righteous or wicked."

They withdrew to Harura', refusing any dialogue.

📜 Scene: The First Kharijite — The Prophetic Era

The Prophet ﷺ is distributing spoils. A man approaches.

Dhu al-Khuwaysira: "O Muhammad, be just!"

The Prophet ﷺ (astonished): "Woe to you! Who would be just if I am not just? You are indeed doomed and lost if I am not just."

'Umar (angrily): "O Messenger of Allah, permit me to strike his neck!"

The Prophet ﷺ: "Leave him. He has companions whom one of you would belittle his prayer compared to their prayer, and his fasting compared to their fasting. They recite the Quran but it does not go beyond their throats. They pass through the religion as an arrow passes through its prey."

[Bukhari 3610, Muslim 1064]

📜 Scene: Terror of the Azariqah — Ahwaz, ~65 AH

The Azariqah attack a town. A Muslim man flees with his family.

Azraqi commander: "Stop him! Test him!"

Azraqi (to the man): "What is your position on Abu Bakr and 'Umar?"

The man: "I love them! They are the best people after the Prophet ﷺ!"

Azraqi: "And 'Uthman and 'Ali?"

The man: "I love them too!"

Azraqi: "He loves the apostates! Kill him and his family!"

They killed the man, his wife, and his children.

📜 Scene: Ibn 'Abbas Before the Khawarij — Harura', 37 AH

Ibn 'Abbas رضي الله عنهما arrives at the Khawarij camp. He wears his finest clothes.

The Khawarij (surprised): "Welcome, O Ibn 'Abbas! What brings you?"

Ibn 'Abbas: "I come to you from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — the Muhajirun and Ansar — and from the Prophet's cousin. Upon them the Quran was revealed, and they are more knowledgeable of its interpretation than you."

The Khawarij: "Speak, we will listen to you."

Ibn 'Abbas: "What do you hold against the Commander of the Faithful?"

📜 Scene: The Assassins' Pact — Mecca, 40 AH

Three Khawarij meet during the Hajj season.

'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muljam: "What if we killed these three — 'Ali, Mu'awiya, and 'Amr — who have corrupted the affairs of the people?"

Al-Burak ibn 'Abdullah: "I will take care of Mu'awiya."

'Amr ibn Bakr: "And I will take care of 'Amr ibn al-'As."

Ibn Muljam: "And I will take care of 'Ali. Our appointment is the 17th of Ramadan — we strike all at once."

They dipped their swords in poison.

📜 Scene: The Martyrdom of 'Ali — Kufa Mosque, Dawn of 17th Ramadan 40 AH

'Ali رضي الله عنه comes out for Fajr prayer. Ibn Muljam awaits him.

'Ali (to the people): "The prayer, the prayer!"

Ibn Muljam strikes 'Ali with his poisoned sword on his head.

Ibn Muljam: "The judgment belongs to Allah, not to you or your companions!"

'Ali (mortally wounded): "Do not let the man escape you!"

He was caught. 'Ali lived three days then passed away. Before his death, he said:

'Ali: "Feed him and give him drink. If I live, I am the guardian of my blood: if I wish, I will pardon, and if I wish, I will take retaliation. And if I die, kill him as he killed me."

📜 Scene: The Young "Scholar" — Local Mosque, Today

Young man: "The one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever! He must be killed!"

Wise sheikh: "And who gave you the right to judge and execute?"

Young man: "The hadith says the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever!"

Sheikh: "And the conditions? And the preventive factors? And the competent authority? Do you think you know more than the Companions who differed on this issue?"