A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Distinguishing Features Between Ibāḍīs and Khārijītes

This paper tackles one of the most challenging topics in Ibāḍī studies: the
association between Ibāḍīs and the classical Khārijītes. The chief motive of
conducting the study is to refute the constant unsubstantiated association between
the moderate Ibāḍī school of thought and a classical extremist group, the
Khārijītes. The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach, making a comparative
study between the two sects. This involves a discussion of the historical, political,
and theological distinguishing features of Ibāḍīs compared to Khārijītes in three
sections. The historical section reveals that the term Khārijītes only appeared in 64
AH/684 CE, when al-Muḥakkimah split into two main sects: the moderate Ibāḍīs
and the violent Azāriqah, Ṣufriyyah, and Najdāt. The political section makes a
decisive distinction between the Ibāḍīs and Khārijītes in three main practical areas:
the ruling of Isti‘rāḍ, the ruling of Khurūj, and the ruling on taking an opponent’s
property. The third section demonstrates that the theological distinction between
the two sects is the main distinguishing marker and the most dangerous one. The
paper concludes that there is no commonality between Ibāḍīs and Khārijītes apart
from a historical denial of the arbitration between ‘Alī and Mu‘āwiyah at the battle
of Ṣiffīn (37 AH/657 CE).