There are many sects which have deviated from the teachings of the religion of Islam, as in the Qur'an and Sunnah, claiming to be religious sects. Consequently, they are all misguided due to their heretical beliefs and Muslims must be aware of their misguidance so as to be careful and not to fall in the same errors. Allah's aid is sought.The major sects among others are as follows;
1. THE RAAFIDITES (SHI'AH)
The Raafidites are those who went to extremes regarding the Prophet’s household. They declare the other Companions apostates or corrupt. They have many subsects. Among them are extremists who claim divinity for ‘Alee and others less than that. Their innovation first appeared during the Caliphate of ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, when ‘Abdullaah ibn Saba said to him: “You are God,” and ‘Alee ordered that they be excuted by being burned to death. However, their leader, ‘Abdullaah ibn Saba fled to al-Madaa’in.
Their position regarding Allaah’s divine attributes is varied. Some of them are anthropomorphists, others deny the attributes, while others are moderate. They were named Raafidites (rejectors) because they rejected Zayd ibn ‘Alee, the son of al-Husayn ibn ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, when they asked him about Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar and he prayed for Allaah’s mercy for them instead of cursing them as they wanted and expected. They rejected him as Imaam and distanced themselves from him. They named themselves Shi’ites, claiming that they were followers and supporters of the Prohet’s Household, and defenders of their right to leadership (Imaamate). (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, pp. 161-2)
2. THE JAHMITES
The Jahmites are named after Jahm ibn Safwaan who was executed by Saalim ibn Ahwaz in 121AH. They are not a group or sect per se but the label was traditionally given to all who followed Jahm’s views.
Their position regarding Allaah’s attributes was that of absolute denial as held by the Mu‘tazilites, regarding Qadar was that of Jabriyyah or fatalism, regarding eemaan was that of the Murji’ites, that it was only in the heart and that deeds were not a part of it. (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, p. 162)
3. THE KAARIJITES
The Khaarijites (Ar. Khawaarij, meaning “seceders”) were the first sect to appear among Muslims. The Khaarijite division occurred during the Battle of Siffeen (657CE) when Mu‘aawiyah presented a proposal to ‘Alee for the settlement of their differences concerning the punishment of the murderers of Caliph ‘Uthmaan, which had provoked civil war. Mu‘aawiyah suggested that the problem be referred to two arbitrators who would pronounce judgement according to the Qur’aan. The majority of ‘Alee’s army readily adopted this proposal. However, one group, mainly from the tribe of Tameem, vigorously protested against the setting up of a human tribunal above divine judgment on the battlefield. They split off from ‘Alee’s army, while loudly protesting that “judgement belongs to Allaah alone (laa hukma illaa lillaah)” and withdrew to a village not far from Kufah called Harooraa. There they elected as their chief an obscure soldier called ‘Abdullaah ibn Wahb ar-Raasibee and took the name Haaroorites or Muhakkimites. Their numbers increased due to successive defections. When the arbitration ended unfavourably, a large group of ‘Alee’s partisans defected and left Koofah to join Ibn Wahb’s camp along
the Nahrawaan canal. And it is in reference to this defection that the name Khawaarij or Khaarijites was given.
The fanaticism of the Khaarijites immediately manifested itself in a series of extremist proclamations and terrorist actions. They proclaimed the annulment of ‘Alee’s caliphate, condemned Caliph ‘Uthmaan’s conduct and branded ‘Alee and Mu‘aawiyah disbelievers along with anyone who did not accept their point of view. They committed many vicious acts of murder that included women and children. As their numbers grew their corruption spread. Eventually Caliph ‘Alee was forced to neutralize their threat by
attacking their camp. Ibn Wahb and most of his followers were killed in the Battle of Nahrawaan, July 658. However, the rebellion was far from being suppressed. It continued as a series of local uprisings in the following years. ‘Alee himself was assassinated in 661 by the Khaarijite, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Muljam, whose wife had lost most of her family members at Nahrawaan. (Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, pp. 246-8.)
The Khaarijite's Beliefs: The Khaarijites held that major sins make the sinner an apostate. Their extreme wing, the Azraqites held that anyone who became a disbeliever in this way could never re-enter the faith and should
be killed for his apostasy along with his wives and children. All non Khaarijite Muslims were regarded as apostates. On the basis of this they developed the principle of isti‘raad (religious murder), which was
applied from the beginning of the movement’s appearance, even before it had been formulated in theory. This ferocious principle formed a strange contrast with the spirit of tolerance shown by the Khaarijites to
non-Muslims. They also held that it was a religious duty to revolt against an Imaam who has sinned. (Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, p. 248, The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, pp. 222-3, Maqaalaat al- Islaameeyeen, vol. 1, pp. 167-8, al-Milal wan-Nihal, p. 106-110, and Wastiyyah Ahlis-Sunnah bayna al- Firaq, pp. 291-2.)
4. THE QADIRITES
The Qadarites denied destiny and declared human will free and human action independent of Allaah’s will and power. The first to make this claim openly was Ma‘bad al-Juhanee who did so towards the end of the era of the Companions. He learned it from a Magian in Basra. This sect consists of two main branches. There is one extreme branch, which denies Allaah’s knowledge, will and power, and His creation of human actions. This branch has virtually died out over the centuries. The other less extreme branches believe in Allaah’s prior knowledge of human actions but deny that human actions occur according to His will, by His power and due to His creation. This philosophical school of thought settled on the latter position. (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, p. 162)
5. THE MURJ'ITES
The Murji’ites are those who do not consider deeds to be a part of eemaan (faith). In their view, eemaan consists of acceptance in the heart alone. Consequently, according to them, a corrupt and sinful person’s
faith is complete, regardless of the sins he commits and the righteous deeds he abandons. Furthermore, if he is judged a disbeliever for abandoning some religious rules, it is due to the lack of conviction in his
heart and not because of his abandonment of a deed. This is the school of thought of the Jahmites, and it is on the other end of the creedal spectrum from the Khaarijites. (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, pp. 162-3.)
Murji’ism comes from the term Irjaa found in verse 106 of Soorah at-Tawbah (9):136
“Others are made to wait for Allaah’s decree, as to whether He will punish them or forgive them, and Allaah is All-Knowing All-Wise.”
The Murji’ites appeared in reaction to the Khaarijites, who denied the possibility of forgiveness for major sins. The main thesis of the Murji’ites was the ineffaceable character of faith, in opposition to the Khaarijites. Their second thesis was, where there is faith, sins will do no harm. On account of the latter doctrine they were called the adherents of the promise (ahlul-wa‘d), in contra-distinction to the Mu‘tazilites who were called the adherents of the threat (ahlul-wa‘eed). [Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, p. 412; The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, pp. 288-9]
6. THE MU'TAZILITES
The Mu‘tazilites are followers of Waasil ibn ‘Ataa who excluded himself from the circle of al-Hasan al-Basree and asserted that sinners are in limbo between belief and disbelief and that they will remain forever in the hellfire. ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd followed him in this belief. They denied the divine attributes like the Jahmites, and denied Allaah’s Qadar relative to human actions like the Qadarites, and they claimed that one who does major sins will be eternally in hell. (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, p. 163.)
7. THE KARRAMITES
The Karraamites leaned towards anthropomorphism and Murjiite thought. Muhammad ibn Karraam’s main theological doctrine, which led to his sect’s inclusion among the mushabbihah (anthropormophites), was that Allaah was a “substance (jawhar ),” for which some of his followers substituted “body (jism),” though without human body parts, and in contact with the Throne, which is located in space. His followers maintained that Allaah was speaking before He spoke, and could be worshipped before there were any worshippers. Ibn Karraam held that Allaah has power, but not over the world and the objects in it, which were created not by His will, but by the word kun (be).
His other doctrine was that eemaan is constituted by a single utterance of the two declarations of faith, and involves neither conviction (tasdeeq) nor works. This view, though similar to the chief thesis of the Murji’ites, is said to have been held by no one before him. (Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, pp. 223-4.)
8. THE SAALIMITES
The Saalimites are named after an individual by the name of Ibn Saalim and they are anthropomorphists.
9. THE ASH'ARITES
The Ash‘arites who were followers of Abul-Hasan ‘Alee ibn Ismaa‘eel al-Ash‘aree (873- 935). He was born and raised in Basra, where he espoused Mu‘tazilite thought as a student of al- Jubbaa’ee, until he reached the age of forty and he publically announced his repentance from it and explained its falsehood. Then he adhered firmly to the way of the People of the Sunnah. As for those who name themselves after him, they continue following a particular sect, which only recognizes seven divine attributes that, according to them, the human intellect indicates. They interpret the remaining attributes as manifestations of the seven mentioned in the following line of poetry.
"Living, knowing, able and speech He has *** Will and likewise hearing and sight"
They also have many other innovative statements regarding the meaning of speech, ability, etc. (Sharh Lum‘atul-I‘tiqaad, p. 163.)10. THE MAATUREEDITES
The Maatureedites named after Aboo Mansoor Muhammad (d. 944), a scholastic theologian born in Samarkand, who, together with the Ash‘arites and others were the founders of scholastic theology (‘Ilm al-Kalaam.) Little is known about the man himself as his school became established as the result of the writings of his disciples, in particular an-Nasafee. The doctrinal differences between the Maatureedite and Ash‘arite schools are traditionally listed as thirteen, of which seven are semantic. The most important difference is that al-Maatureedee held that the just are saved on account of their justice, whereas the Ash‘arites held that Allaah’s will is unfathomable; He may send the just to Hell. (The Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, p. 262.)
We ask Allaah to protect us from innovation and turmoil and bewitchment, and to keep us alive following Islaam and the Sunnah, and that He make us among those who follow the Messenger of Allaah (r) in this life and gather us in his group after death, by His mercy and grace. Aameen.
(Dua by Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book "Radiance of Faith" point 95)
Extracted from; A Commentary on Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee’s "Radiance of Faith" by Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (may Allah preserve upon goodness)
Abdulahmid Azeez
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