Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz's Debate with the Kharijites

مناظرة عمر بن عبد العزيز مع الخوارج

99 AH

In the caliphate of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Shawdhab the Kharijite rose in al-Jazira with a band of the Muhakkima from Rabi'a and others. Umar sent to them Muhammad ibn al-Zubayr al-Hanzali and Awn ibn Abd Allah ibn Utba ibn Mas'ud with a letter ¹. They sent back two men with them, one of Banu Shayban and the other whom the book describes as Abyssinian. Umar questioned them in his majlis at Khunasira, after searching them to make sure they carried no iron ². He argued against them that Abu Bakr and Umar, whom the Kharijites take as their leaders, had sanctioned fighting the apostates and taking captives, and that Umar later returned the captives; that the people of Nahrawan, Kufa and Basra fought one another and some killed others; and then asked them whether cursing the people of sin is a required duty, and whether they could curse his own household and disown them when the religion is one ³. The Abyssinian said he had never heard an argument so clear and so easily grasped as Umar's, that he bore witness Umar was in the right, and that he disowned whoever had disowned Umar. The Shaybani said he would not presume to decide for the Muslims on a matter without first putting his view to them. Umar left; the Abyssinian stayed, received his stipend, and died fifteen days later; the Shaybani rejoined his companions and was killed with them after Umar's death ⁴.