The Fitnah of Takfeer

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu

Due to lack of knowledge among some Muslims, when driven by extreme emotions they declare Takfeer on other Muslims .This has led to Disunity,Hatred and Bloodshed among the Muslim Ummah.

Definition of Kufr:
Linguistically, the term kufr means, “covering and shielding.” If an object covers something, then that object kafarahu (covered and shielded it).

kafir is called a kafir because he covered and shielded the favor of Allaah (subhannahu wa ta’ala). Therefore, the kafir did not recognize the favor of Allaah upon him and did not give thanks to Allaah. Rather, he denied the favor of Allaah.

Ahlus-Sunnah (adherents to the Sunnah) is on the medium course, with respect to all fundamental matters in Islaam. They are between the two extremes, the excessive ones who exceeded the limits and the negligent ones. Allaah described this in Noble Qur’an (in the translation of the meaning):

«Thus, we have made you a just nation»Surah al-Baqarah (2:143)
Similarly, regarding the matter of takfeer, Ahlus-Sunnah is on a medium course between extremism and negligence.
The kafir is of two types. The first type is al-kafir al-aslee (the orginal kafir). This includes all of those who are not Muslims including the Christians and the Jews. Anyone who doubts the kufr of al-kafir al-aslee is himself a kafir. The second type is the apostate who was born to two Muslim parents, who in the stage of adulthood rejected Islaam, either by speech or by action.

1.Certan beliefs which are not the criteria of faith but are beliefs in general are taken by some Muslims as the essential beliefs which Allah (swt) and His Prophet (sal’lal lahoo alaihi wasallam) had not given as the criteria.Henceforth if others reject these beliefs then such Muslims declare Takfeer on them.

2.People introduced cracks within the plain and simple creed of Islam, and by means of inference and interpretation they created from them such branches and details as were mutually contradictory, and which were not explained in the Quran and Sunnah, and made them criteria for faith.Henceforth if others reject these beliefs then such Muslims declare Takfeer on them and it goes vice versa as well i.e the rightly guided ones declare Takfeer on these deviant and miguided ones.

Allah (swt) in His clear Book had drawn a plain line of distinction between kufr and Islam, and has not given anyone the right to have discretion to declare anything he wants as kufr and anything he wants as Islam.

As to the question of a person being in fact a believer or not, it is not the task of any human being to decide it. This matter is directly to do with Allah (swt), and it is He Who shall decide it on the day of Judgment. As for people, if they have to decide anything it is only this: Which person, according to the distinctive signs of the followers of Islam, as laid down by Allah and His Messenger (sal’lal lahoo alaihi wasallam), is within the borders of Islam, and which person has gone outside them. For this purpose, the things which have been taught to us as the foundations of Islam are the following:

Islam is that thou bear witness that there is none to be worshipped except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and that thou should keep up prayer, and pay the Zakaat, and fast in Ramadaan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House of God if thou art able to do it." (Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmizi, Nasa'i)

4:136.O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger,and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him).Any who denieth Allah,His angels,His Books,His Messengers,and the Day of Judgment,hath gone far,far astray.

Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz). [Qur'an 54/49] *Note:Believing in Destiny.

These are the marks of the borders of Islam. As to those who are within these borders, we are commanded to treat them as Muslims. No one has the right to expel them from the community. As to those who have gone outside these borders, we must deal with them as required by Islamic teachings. In neither case are we empowered to judge what is in the heart. Our work is to look at the outward only, and what of us, even the Messenger of Allah in this matter looked only at the outward.

Takfir and calling others wrong-doers is not merely the violation of the rights of an individual, rather it is also a crime against society. It is an act of injustice against the entire Islamic society, and it does immense harm to the Muslims as a community. The reason for this can be understood easily with a little thought.

The fundamental difference between the Islamic society and non-Islamic societies is that the latter are based on the ties of color, race, language and country, and in contrast to these the Islamic society is based only on the bond of religion. In non-Islamic societies, differences of belief and thought do not introduce any obstacle because such differences do not remove people from the bonds which are based on uniformity of race or country or language or color. Views may be as far apart as heaven and earth, but neither the relationship of blood, nor the ties of country, nor the link of language, nor the unity of color are cut off. Therefore, differences of belief pose no danger to non-Islamic societies.

However, in Islam the factor which unites persons of different races, colors, languages and countries into one nation is nothing else but unity of belief. Here belief is all in all; race, color, language and country do not matter. Therefore, the man who cuts the bond of faith really cuts that rope of God which binds together all those who worship one God, who accept one Messenger and who believe in one Book. In Islam, to call a person or a group as kafir does not only mean that his faith and integrity are attacked, but it also means that all the ties of brotherhood, love, association, dealings and mutual co-operation between the Islamic society and one or more of its members are cut off; and one or more limbs of the body of the Muslim community are severed and discarded.

If this act were in accordance with the command of Allah and the Messenger (sal’lal lahoo alihi wasallam), then it is undoubtedly right. In that case, it is true service of Islam to sever the diseased limb and cast it away. If, however, that limb was not diseased according to the Divine law, and is cut off entirely unjustly, then it would be an even greater injustice to the body from which it was cut off than to the limb itself.

This is precisely the reason why Allah (swt) and His Messenger (sal’lal lahoo alihi wasallam) have given strict instructions to honor the bond of faith. Allah says:

"If a person, to show that he is a Muslim, presents salaam to you, do not just say to him, without investigations, Thou art not a believer." (The Holy Quran, 4:94)

Bukhaari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 568: (Also reported by Muslim and other Hadith Books)
Narrated Usama bin Zaid:
Allah's Apostle sent us towards Al-Huruqa, and in the morning we attacked them and defeated them. I and an Ansari man followed a man from among them and when we took him over, he said, "La ilaha illal-Lah." On hearing that, the Ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing him with my spear. When we returned, the Prophet came to know about that and he said, "O Usama! Did you kill him after he had said "La ilaha ilal-Lah?" I said, "But he said so only to save himself." The Prophet kept on repeating that so often that I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day.

In some Hadiths, these words are also reported:
The Holy Prophet said:
"Did you open his heart and look inside it?"

Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i
Al-Miqdad said: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, suppose I and one of the idolaters battled and he cut off my hand, then I was positioned to strike him and he said: La ilaha illallah! Do I kill him or spare him?" He said: "Spare him." I said: "Even if he cut off my hand?" He said: "Even so." I asked him again two or three times whereupon he said: "If you kill him after he says La ilaha illallah then you are like him before he said it, and he is like you before you killed him."

In another hadith it says that the Holy Prophet (sal’lal lahoo alihi wasallam) said:
"If a man (in a battle) is attacking a kafir with a spear, and it has reached his throat, and at that moment he says 'There is no god but Allah', the Muslim must immediately withdraw his spear."
Another hadith records that
" … to abuse a Muslim is an act of wrong-doing, and to fight a Muslim is an act of kufr."

All these instructions were given because the strength and unity of the Muslims are based on the bond of faith and nothing else. If Muslims do not honor this bond, and they keep on cutting it on small things, the community will become disintegrated, and it will have no collective strength left to proclaim the word of God to the followers of falsehood and to invite them to good.

Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 122:
Narrated Jarir:
The Prophet said to me during Hajjat-al-Wida': Let the people keep quiet and listen. Then he said (addressing the people), "Do not (become infidels) revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks (cutting the throats) of one another (killing each other)."

Imam Abu al-Qasim ibn `Asakir narrates in Tabyin Kadhib al-Muftari (p. 373-) with his chains:

We were sitting in a circle in al-Kufa when a man among us said: "We were sitting with Abu Hurayra whereupon a young man passed by. A man sitting with us said: 'This is a Kafir from among the people of the Fire.' Abu Hurayra rose and went to speak with the young man, asking him: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Son-and-so, son of So-and-so.' Abu Hurayra said: 'Allah have mercy on your father!' The young man was looking around, so he asked him: 'What are you looking for?' He replied: 'I have not prayed yet.' Abu Hurayra said: 'So you pray?' The young man replied: 'Subhan Allah!' Abu Hurayra: 'And you say Subhan Allah?' He said: 'La Ilaha illAllah!!' Abu Hurayra: 'And you say La Ilaha illAllah?' The young man said: 'I would prefer not to leave Salat even if I were given all there is on the face of the earth.' Abu Hurayra said: 'Allah have mercy on you. Allah have mercy on you. Allah have mercy on you.' Then he came back to his seat in the circle and said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Whoever bears testimony against a Muslim of which the latter is not deserving, let him prepare for his seat in the Fire."'"

A man said to Ibn `Umar: "I have a neighbor who bears witness against me that I commit shirk." He replied: "Say: 'La Ilaha illAllah,' you will make him a liar."

I was sitting in Ibn `Umar's house when a man came and said: "O Ibn `Umar! There are groups of people bearing witness against us and attributing to us kufr and shirk." Ibn `Umar replied: "Woe to you! Did you not say: 'La Ilaha IllAllah'?!" Whereupon the entire household began to say La Ilaha IllAllah until the house was shaking.

We came to see Jabir ibn `Abd Allah who lived in Makkah and resided with the Banu Fihr. A man asked him: "Did you [the Companions] use to call anyone from the People of the Qibla [i.e. Muslims], 'Mushrik'?" He replied: "I seek refuge in Allah." The man continued: "Did you call anyone from them 'Kafir'?" He said: "No."

Imam Shafi'i (Rehmatullah) and Imam Ahmad (Rehmatullah) in their Musnads and Imam Malik (Rehmatullah) in the Mu'atta have recorded the report that once a man from among the Ansar was talking confidentially with the Holy Prophet. Suddenly the Holy Prophet (sal’lal lahoo alaihi wasallam) said loudly [about someone]:
"Does he not bear witness that there is no god but Allah?"
The Ansari said:
"Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah, but his testimony cannot be trusted."
The Holy Prophet (sal’lal lahoo alaihi wasallam) said:
"Does he not accept that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?"
He again replied:
"Yes, he professes it but his profession cannot be trusted."
The Holy Prophet said:
"Does he not pray?"
He again said:
"Yes he does, but his prayer cannot be trusted."
The Holy Prophet said:
"God has forbidden me to kill such people."

Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 73:
Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak:
(who was one of the companions who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet underneath the tree (Al-Hudaibiya)) Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam (i.e. if somebody swears by saying that he is a non-Muslim e.g., a Jew or a Christian, etc.) in case he is telling a lie, he is really so if his oath is false, and a person is not bound to fulfill a vow about a thing which he does not possess. And if somebody commits suicide with anything in this world, he will be tortured with that very thing on the Day of Resurrection; And if somebody curses a believer, then his sin will be as if he murdered him; And whoever accuses a believer of Kufr (disbelief), then it is as if he killed him."

Bukhaari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 125d:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "If a man says to his brother, O Kafir (disbeliever)!' Then surely one of them is such (i.e., a Kifir)."

Maw’ta Imam Malik, Book 56, Number 56.1.1:
Malik related to me from Abdullah ibn Dinar from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If a man says to his muslim brother, 'O kafir!' it is true about one of them."

Important Matters Regarding Takfeer:
First, before takfeer can be established, all conditions must be fulfilled and all impediments removed. From the conditions of making takfeer are: knowledge, choice, intent, deliberate action or saying of kufr, and its acceptance. This implies determining whether the person knows his action is kufr, and he has chosen it, without being compelled. Moreover, it must be shown that the person was deliberate in his action and is content with it. From the impediments of takfeer are: affirmation of an error, ignorance, compulsion, and misinterpretation. Ahlus-Sunnah checks into both the impediments and conditions before imputing kufr on a specific person.
The second important matter is that imputing kufr on someone is an extremely dangerous matter. No one should indulge in takfeer, except those who are firmly established in knowledge and fulfill certain criterion. This arises from the fact that takfeer is the right of Allaah and His Messenger ( :sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Therefore, it can only be established by those who are the inheritors of the Prophets, the ulama (scholars) who make clear the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger; they are the only ones qualified.
Anyone else who involves himself in takfeer is on a dark path of transgression and claims for himself a special right with Allaah. Hence, it is not permissible to make takfeer on anyone expect the one whom Allaah and His Messenger declared to be as such. Due to the seriousness of takfeer and its limits as established by Allaah and His Messenger,

Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullah, stated::
"That is why the people of knowledge and Sunnah did not resort to making takfeer on those who opposed them, even if the opponent makes takfeer on them. This is because the matter of kufr is a legal right established by shariah, and therefore, the person can not punish by the like, just like if someone who belies you and makes lies against you, you can not spread lies about him, or if someone fornicates with members of your family, you can not fornicate with members of his family. This is because fornication and lying are haraam (unlawful) being Allaah's right. Similarly, takfeer is a right that belongs to Allaah. Hence we do not impute kufr except on whom Allaah and His Messenger declared as such." [Ar-Rad 'Alal Bakari, v. 3, p. 381].

The danger involved with takfeer is not limited to the transgression against the right of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’ala). The person who imputes kufr on the others also risks falling into that which he accused his brother with. This is in line with the hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallaam)

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 34 Narrated byAbuMalik
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: He who professed that there is no god but Allah and made a denial of everything which the people worship besides Allah, his property and blood became inviolable, and their affairs rest with Allah.

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 32 Narrated byJabir ibn Abdullah
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: I have been commanded that I should fight against people till they declare that there is no god but Allah, and when they profess it that there is no god but Allah, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah, and then he (the Prophet) recited (this verse of the Qur'an): 'Thou art not over them a warden: 56(1xxxviii.22).

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 71:
Narrated Abu Dhar:
That he heard the Prophet saying, "If somebody accuses another of Fusuq (by calling him 'Fasiq' i.e. a wicked person) or accuses him of Kufr, such an accusation will revert to him (i.e. the accuser) if his companion (the accused) is innocent." ( Sahih Bukhari)

Sahih Muslim Book 001, Number 0116:
It is reported on the authority of Ibn 'Umar that the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) observed: When a man calls his brother an unbeliever, it returns (at least) to one of them.

An important matter is that takfeer causes hate amongst people, especially amongst those who are referred to as kafir since no one likes to be labeled as a kafir. In fact, this can lead to fights and bloodshed, which will inflict evil on the individuals involved and the society at large.

"And it is not the right of anyone to impute kufr on anyone of the Muslims even if he errs and does wrong until evidence is established upon him and the matter is made clear to him. And the one whose Islaam is affirmed with certainty then it ceases not to exist with him due to doubt. Rather his (state) of Islaam comes to an end only after the establishment of the proof and the elimination of the unclarity." [Majmoo' al-Fataawa, v. 12, p. 501 by Ibn Taymiah]

Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen, r.a., was asked, "The conditions for the judgement of takfeer of a Muslim? And the judgement upon the one who did any action that is mukaffir (i.e. expels from the religion) but only in jest (not seriously)?"

The sheikh replied by saying, "For the judgement of the takfeer of a Muslim, there are two conditions:

· The first, that the evidence that this matter is something that expels from the religion is established.

· The second, the application of the ruling upon the one who does that, in that he has knowledge of it and that he intends it (aaliman bidhaalik qaasidan lahu).

Thus, if he is ignorant, he does not become a disbeliever, due to His saying, "And whoever contends with the Messenger after the guidance has been made clear to him, and he follows a path other than the path of the believers, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Jahannam, an evil refuge" (4:115) and His saying, "And Allaah is not one to misguide a people after He has guided them, until He explains to them that which they should avoid." (9:115), and His saying, "And We never punish until we have sent a Messenger." (17.15).

However, when this person is neglectful in abandoning learning and attaining clarity, he is not to be excused. Such as when it reaches him that this action of his is kufr, and then he does not verify it (that it is as such), and nor does he investigate, then in this situation, he is not to be excused.

And if he did not intend (ghayr qaasid) the action (i.e. wilfully, knowingly, deliberately), then he does not become a disbeliever. He does not become a disbeliever. Such as for example, when he is compelled to kufr while his heart is secure with Iman (faith), such as when his thinking becomes confused, so he does not know what he is saying, due to extreme joy and what is like that. Or such as the man with the camel who lost it, then he sat under the tree, waiting for death, and then he finds it tied to the tree, and so he takes it, then he said, "O Allah, you are my servant and I am your lord", so he erred due to extreme joy.

However, the one who did something that expels from the religion, only in jest (maazihan), then he becomes a disbeliever, because he intended that [action or statement] (qasada dhaalik), as has been textually stated by the people of knowledge."

A Ruler Impious or pious must be obeyed as long as he does not commit open Kufr.Its Kufr which takes a person out of fold of Islam and Takfeer is declared on that which is established openly.

Afflictions and the End of the World Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 88 :: Hadith 178 Narrated Junada bin Abi Umaiya: We entered upon 'Ubada bin As-Samit while he was sick. We said, "May Allah make you healthy. Will you tell us a Hadith you heard from the Prophet and by which Allah may make you benefit?" He said, "The Prophet called us and we gave him the Pledge of allegiance for Islam, and among the conditions on which he took the Pledge from us, was that we were to listen and obey (the orders) both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired, and at our difficult time and at our ease and to be obedient to the ruler and give him his right even if he did not give us our right, and not to fight against him unless we noticed him having open Kufr (disbelief) for which we would have a proof with us from Allah."

Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad) Dawud :: Book 14 : Hadith 2527 Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2527 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.

Views of Ahlus-Sunnah and the Different Sects Regarding Takfeer:
The people are divided into three categories regarding takfeer. The first category is al-Khawaarij. They impute kufr on the Muslim due to major sins; with some have gone to the extent to impute kufr on the Muslim due to minor sins. Similarly, they impute kufr on any Muslim who does not believe the same as them. As such, they have made the blood and wealth of most Muslims permissible. This group has an extension in our time and exists in many parts of the Muslim world.
The second group is al-Murji’ah. They claim that eeman (faith) is not affected by any sinful act, even if the Muslim commits a major sin. They say all Muslims are believers, and nothing affects faith. Although the beliefs of al-Murji’ah comprise different positions, this is an overall summary of their views.

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 105 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Abbas
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: There are two sections of my Ummah where those who belong to them will have no share of Islam: Murji'ah and the Qadariyyah.Transmitted by Tirmidhi and he declared it to be a Hasan Sahih gharib hadith.*Note:Qadariyyah are those who rejected destiny.

Ahlus-Sunnah are on a medium course between the two extremes. They don’t rush to impute kufr on the Muslim while not refraining from imputing kufr on him if the person commits that which Allaah and/or His Messenger declared to be kufr. However, they note, “The Muslim who may say or do that which is considered kufr should not have kufr imputed on him specifically until the evidence is established on him, with all the conditions of imputing kufr fulfilled and all the impediments removed.”Ofcourse Qadianis ,Submitters,Nation of Islam NOI are Kafir as they do not believe Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam as last Messenger.Below two hadith are about such kafir's/Non-Muslims.

Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim) Dawud :: Book 37 : Hadith 4319 Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty Dajjals (fraudulents), everyone presuming himself that he is an apostle of Allah.

Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim) Dawud :: Book 37 : Hadith 4320 Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty liar Dajjals (fraudulents) lying on Allah and His Apostle.

Only Murjiah and Qadarriyah are considered non-Muslims.1 Khawarijites,2 Graveworshippers and 3 Excessive praising of Ali r.a. None amongst the three entails Takfeer.To verify this claim read the following details .

49:9 If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel make ye peace between them: but if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses until it complies with the command of Allah; but if it complies then make peace between them with justice and be fair: for Allah loves those who are fair (and just).
10 The believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers: And fear Allah that ye may receive Mercy.

Hadith regarding Khawrijites:They will kill the Muslims and leave the Idolators.Hence its allowed to kill them if they initiate fights as they are transgressors.

Hence, Bukhari and Muslim agree on the report that:
Bukhaari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 527:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
When 'Ali was in Yemen, he sent some gold in its ore to the Prophet. The Prophet distributed it among Al-Aqra' bin Habis Al-Hanzali who belonged to Bani Mujashi, 'Uyaina bin Badr Al-Fazari, 'Alqama bin 'Ulatha Al-'Amiri, who belonged to the Bani Kilab tribe and Zaid AI-Khail At-Ta'i who belonged to Bani Nabhan. So the Quraish and the Ansar became angry and said, "He gives to the chiefs of Najd and leaves us!" The Prophet said, "I just wanted to attract and unite their hearts (make them firm in Islam)." Then there came a man with sunken eyes, bulging forehead, thick beard, fat raised cheeks, and clean-shaven head, and said, "O Muhammad! Be afraid of Allah! " The Prophet said, "Who would obey Allah if I disobeyed Him? (Allah). He trusts me over the people of the earth, but you do not trust me?" A man from the people (present then), who, I think, was Khalid bin Al-Walid, asked for permission to kill him, but the Prophet prevented him. When the man went away, the Prophet said, "Out of the offspring of this man, there will be people who will recite the Quran but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out through the game, and they will kill the Muslims and leave the idolators. Should I live till they appear, I would kill them as the Killing of the nation of 'Ad."

*Note:Khawrijites were allowed to live in Ali r.a Khilafah but they were forbidden to propagate their deviant Aqeedah.As long as they obeyed the laws they were allowed to live in Khilafah.This proofs deviants and misguided ones were allowed to live nor was Takfeer declared on them legitimatizing their killing.

They call to book of Allah but have nothing to do with it.Hence fight against them as they are not allowed to call/preach.

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4747 Narrated byAbuSa'id al-Khudri ; Anas ibn Malik
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Soon there will appear disagreement and dissension in my people; there will be people who will be good in speech and bad in work. They recite the Qur'an, but it does not pass their collar-bones. They will swerve from the religion as an animal goes through the animal shot at. They will not return to it till the arrow comes back to its notch. They are worst of the people and animals. Happy is the one who kills them and they kill him. They call to the book of Allah, but they have nothing to do with it. He who fights against them will be nearer to Allah than them (the rest of the people). The people asked: What is their sign? He replied: They shave the head.

In, Sahih Muslim, it is reported (with some additional conversation) as:Sahih Muslim, Book 005, Number 2319:
Abu Said al-Khudri reported: 'Ali b. Abu Talib sent to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) from Yemen some gold alloyed with clay in a leather bag dyed in the leaves of Mimosa flava. He distributed it among four men. 'Uyaina b. Hisna, Aqra' b. Habis and Zaid al-Khail, and the fourth one was either Alqama b. 'Ulatha or 'Amir b. Tufail. A person from among his (Prophet's) Companions said: We had a better claim to this (wealth) than these (persons). This (remark) reached the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) upon which he said: Will you not trust me, whereas I am a trustee of Him Who is in the heaven? The news come to me from the heaven morning and evening. Then there stood up a person with deep snnken eyes, prominent cheek bones, and elevated forehead, thick beard, shaven head, tucked up loin cloth, and he said: Messenger of Allah, fear Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Woe to thee. do I not deserve most to fear Allah amongst the people of the earth? That man then returned.
Khalid b. Walid then said: Messenger of Allah, should I not strike his neck?
Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Perhaps he may be observing the prayer.
Khalid said: How many observers of prayer are there who profess with their tongue what is not in their heart?
Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have not been commanded to pierce through the hearts of people, nor to split their bellies (insides).
He again looked at him and he was going back. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: There would arise a people from the progeny of this (man) who would recite the Qur'an glibly, but it would not go beyond their throats; they would (hurriedly) pass through (the teachings of their) religion just as the arrow passes through the prey. I conceive that he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them as were killed the (people of) Thamud.

The Book of Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat)
Muslim :: Book 5 : Hadith 2326
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would be two groups in my Ummah, and there would emerge another group (seceding itself from both of them), and the party nearer to the truth among the two would kill them (the group of the Khwarij).

*Note:Major sign of Khawarijites which has continued since the aprising of initial Khawarijites is that they reject Capital Punishments.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.426 Narrated byAisha
Um Salama told Allah's Apostle about a church which she had seen in Ethiopia and which was called Mariya. She told him about the pictures which she had seen in it. Allah's Apostle said, "If any righteous pious man dies amongst them, they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it; they are the worst creatures in the sight of Allah."

*Note:Some people directly call the dead to help them and this is called graveworship.

Excessive praising of Ali [R.A]
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 6093 Narrated byAli ibn AbuTalib
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him, "You have a resemblance to Jesus whom the Jews hated so much that they slandered his mother and whom the Christians loved so much that they placed him in a position not rightly his." Ali afterwards said, "Two people will perish on my account, one who loves me so excessively that he praises me for what I do not possess, and one who hates me so much that he will be impelled by his hatred to slander me."
Ahmad transmitted it.
*Note:Those who hated Ali r.a were Khawarijites.

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 6248 Narrated byJabir ibn Abdullah
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and be on your guard against petty-mindedness for petty-mindedness destroyed those who were before you, as it incited them to shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them.

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 6251 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Prophet) said: The poor of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 6219 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Don't nurse grudge and don't bid him out for raising the price and don't nurse aversion or enmity and don't enter into a transaction when the others have entered into that transaction and be as fellow-brothers and servants of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honour.

Solution:
The solution to this problem is to spread the knowledge of the righteous predecessors, alilm ash-shari’ saheeh (the correct knowledge of Islaam). This comes from the knowledge taught by the reliable scholars who do not practise ignorance.

On the other hand, Muslim societies and governments should take the corrective approach of adhering to the shar'eeah. Once this is done for the sake of Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta’ala), then the promise of Allaah to bestow strength and steadfastness upon the ummah will surely be manifested.

If there is anything we need to emphasize every now and then, whether regarding this matter or the understanding of Islaam as a whole, it is that people should be very serious about knowing Islaam from its two sources, the Qur’an and the way of the Rasool Allaah (Messenger of Allaah) in accordance with the understanding of the companions. This is the criteria of safety; this is the path that every Muslim should give his utmost effort to learn; this is the true safeguard mechanism for the individual and thus for the family and the society at large.

May Allaah the most High guide us and our Muslim youth to be on the path of righteousness and wisdom, and may Allaah, the Most High, safe guide this ummah from the fitnah of takfeer.

Points Taken from Article on Fitna of Takfeer by Maududi and Saleh As-Saleh.
9/5/1427 AH
June 6, 2006
Transcribed from the site www.understand-islam.net
by Br. Abu Abdullah al-Amreeki.