Haruriyya
Encyclopedia
The Harūrī were an early Muslim sect from the period of the Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs
(632-661 CE), named for their first leader, Habīb ibn-Yazīd al-Harūrī. The Harūrī were one branch of the Khārijī "Rejectors" movement, so called because they rejected ‘Alī's right to the Caliphate. While originally members of the "Party of ‘Alī
", they turned against him when he agreed to arbitration regarding the issue of leadership and a Harūrī assassinated ‘Alī while he was praying on 21 Ramaḍān in 661 CE.
, in the commentary of the ayat 18:103-104, "...Say, shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!...", Imam Bukhari recorded from Amr that Musab who said, "I asked my father --meaning Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
-- about Allah's Saying, "Say, shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds!", 'Are they the Haruriyyah?' He said, "No, they are the Jews and Christians. As for the Jews, they disbelieved in Muhammad and as for the Christians, they disbelieved in Paradise and said that there is no food or drink there, and the Hururiyyah are those who break Allah's Covenant after ratifying it."
Ali bin Abu Talib is quoted to have said that it is the Hururiyyah.
While the Harūrī are primarily notable because one of their members assassinated the Fourth Caliph, this is not the only reason they have drawn historical interest. The issue of political leadership and divine power that has been a hot topic for Muslims since colonialism and most acutely in post-colonial Islamic movements and states is paralleled in many ways by the "problem" of Khārijī movements in early Islam. As Khaled Abou El Fadl writes,Also of interest to scholars is the Harūrī position that it was permissible to entrust the Imamate to a woman
if she was able to carry out the required duties. The founder's wife, Ghazāla al-Harūriyya
, commanded troops; in this she followed the example of Juwayriyya, daughter of Abu Sufyan, at the battle of Yarmuk. In one battle between and the famous Umayyad general Hajjāj ibn-Yūsuf, he had to retreat.
Rashidun
The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four Caliphs who established the Rashidun Caliphate. The concept of "Rightly Guided Caliphs" originated with the Abbasid Dynasty...
(632-661 CE), named for their first leader, Habīb ibn-Yazīd al-Harūrī. The Harūrī were one branch of the Khārijī "Rejectors" movement, so called because they rejected ‘Alī's right to the Caliphate. While originally members of the "Party of ‘Alī
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
", they turned against him when he agreed to arbitration regarding the issue of leadership and a Harūrī assassinated ‘Alī while he was praying on 21 Ramaḍān in 661 CE.
Notable Issues
In Tafsir ibn KathirTafsir ibn Kathir
Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim, popularly Tafsir ibn Kathir , is a classic Sunni Islam tafsir by Ibn Kathir....
, in the commentary of the ayat 18:103-104, "...Say, shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds!...", Imam Bukhari recorded from Amr that Musab who said, "I asked my father --meaning Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas
Saad ibn Abī Waqqās was an early convert to Islam in 610-11 and one of the important companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sa'd was the seventeenth person to embrace Islam at the age of seventeen...
-- about Allah's Saying, "Say, shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds!", 'Are they the Haruriyyah?' He said, "No, they are the Jews and Christians. As for the Jews, they disbelieved in Muhammad and as for the Christians, they disbelieved in Paradise and said that there is no food or drink there, and the Hururiyyah are those who break Allah's Covenant after ratifying it."
Ali bin Abu Talib is quoted to have said that it is the Hururiyyah.
While the Harūrī are primarily notable because one of their members assassinated the Fourth Caliph, this is not the only reason they have drawn historical interest. The issue of political leadership and divine power that has been a hot topic for Muslims since colonialism and most acutely in post-colonial Islamic movements and states is paralleled in many ways by the "problem" of Khārijī movements in early Islam. As Khaled Abou El Fadl writes,Also of interest to scholars is the Harūrī position that it was permissible to entrust the Imamate to a woman
Women as imams
There is a current controversy among Muslims regarding the circumstances in which women may act as imams—that is, lead a congregation in salah...
if she was able to carry out the required duties. The founder's wife, Ghazāla al-Harūriyya
Ghazala al-Haruriyya
Ghazāla al-Harūriyya was the wife of Habib ibn-Yazīd al-Harūrī, founder of the Harūriyya sect of Kharijite Islam, which held that it is permissible to entrust the imamate to a woman if she is able to carry out the required duties....
, commanded troops; in this she followed the example of Juwayriyya, daughter of Abu Sufyan, at the battle of Yarmuk. In one battle between and the famous Umayyad general Hajjāj ibn-Yūsuf, he had to retreat.