So Who are the Khawaarij Today?

And we say “rahimahullaah,” because we hope that he may have repented before he died. However, it was narrated about Hassan al–Banna after what happened in his final days when he was arrested by the Egyptian government amongst the ranks of Ikhwanul Muslimeen because of demonstrations on the streets of Egypt and blowing up some places with bombs and fighting the police on the streets and so on, that he said, ‘I wish we continued upon worshipping Allaah and reciting adhkaar.’ He never said here Tawheed [singling out Allaah] or anything relating to Tawheed [the call of which he was known for dismissing, as you’ll soon read in sha` Allaah]. So we hope that he may have repented to Allaah – between him and Allaah – to the true religion [meaning correct Islam].

He never called the people to Tawheed, he never showed them Tawheed versus shirk, or Sunnah versus bid’ah. Rather, when asked about Tawheed, or the Names and Attributes of Allaah, or those calling upon the people in the graves, he and Ikhwanul Muslimeen would not say anything but general talk without explanation or delving into details. Even in his memoirs, he stated that calling upon those in the graves did not have anything to do with ‘aqeedah. [Calling upon those in the graves is, of course, Major Shirk! Aoodhoobillaah!] And his followers followed him in this same path.

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul–Wahhab al–Banna (hafidhahullaah) recounted his own experiences as a child and later as a young adult with this group – Ikhwanul Muslimeen – which carries the ideology of the Khawaarij:

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We were young at the time, so we said what the people were saying. And Al–Hamdulillaah, Allaah guided us to the true manhaj (methodology) and correct ‘aqidah (creed), via our (righteous) scholars. And we learned the truth of the matter. …Hassan al–Banna [the founder of this deviant group] called the people to his ‘aqidah, and part of his ‘aqeedah was to be in different parties – against the rulers – and to refute the actions of the rulers that they saw as against the religion. And they used to spread this in the society among the people. But we still believe they [Ikhwanul Muslimeen] were not disbelievers. And the same goes for the [Muslim] rulers, whom we do not declare to be disbelievers.

Here’s what our Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul–Wahhab al–Banna (hafidhahullaah) said about the encounters between Hassan al–Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] and righteous Salafi scholar Muhammad Hammid al–Fiqhee (rahimahullaah):

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Hassan al–Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] visited Shaikh Muhammad Hammid al-Fiqhee (rahimahullaah) in his Jam’eeyah, and told him: ‘The Muslims are lost!’ (meaning they’re broken apart in division and groups) and have no strength whatsoever, and they’re not living the life of Islam.’

So the Shaikh Muhammad Hammid al-Fiqhee asked him, ‘What is the exit (solution)?’

So Hassan al-Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] said, ‘Call them to Islam.’

Shaikh Muhammad al-Fiqhee said, ‘Which Islam?’ Hassan al-Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] said, ‘General Islam that is befitting for the laymen of the Muslims.’

So Shaikh Muhammad al-Fiqhee refused and said, ‘Rather, we call them to Tawheed and Manhaj.’ [Which is a more specific call to the correct Islam – prioritizing Tawheed and the Sunnah – that all the Messengers (‘alaihimu salaam) called to; and is also a focus on eeman and not numbers at the expense of eeman; in addition to the forbidding of shirk and bid’ah, and not ignoring them for the sake of superficial numbers.]

Hassan al-Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] said, ‘They will divide when we mention Tawheed.’

Shaikh Muhammad al-Fiqhee said, quoting the ayah: Not upon you (Muhammad ) is their guidance (Al-Baqarah 2:272)

And every time Hassan al-Banna [the founder of Ikhwanul Muslimeen] visited the Shaikh Muhammad al-Fiqhee, the Shaikh al-Fiqhee repeated his call to Tawheed and to understand the religion with the understanding of the Salaf-us-saleh (righteous pre
decessors). And the Shaikh al-Fiqhee kept rejecting Hassan al-Banna’s invitations [to join his deviant group Ikhwanul Muslimeen], and the Shaikh al-Fiqhee kept on telling him, ‘this is the way of the Messengers, and I am steadfast upon this.’ So they ended up going in different ways.

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) shared some of his extremely disturbing experiences with Ikhwanul Muslimeen and harrowing accounts of their deviance, and thirst for Muslim blood, and making takfeer without due right:

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As a young man, I would go with some of the youth of Ikhwanul Muslimeen, those who lived around me. They used to call me to sit with them and to be part of their group (then he became more acquainted with more of their groups). They used to call me to be part of their group, but Allaah had given me the success at the time to know what Tawheed is, via my brother Shaikh Muhammad al-Banna (rahimahullaah), who was the one who called me to attend the classes and khutbas of Shaikh al-Fiqhi. So Allaah opened my heart to this correct ‘aqeedah and I say ‘Al-Hamdulillaah for the correct ‘aqeedah and manhaj.’

They used to call me to outings and picnics ‘where we can get some fresh air and … in the gardens.’ And I used to call them to Tawheed through our discussions whenever an opportunity was available, and they always objected to my speech regarding ‘Aqeedah. They always objected to my speech regarding ‘Aqeedah. And they always would say ‘our ‘Shaikh’ Hassan al-Banna did not say so.’ Because they used to hold the words of Hassan al-Banna as ‘Holy Words,’ and would never see him as making a mistake. Not just with Hassan al-Banna but also with all the leaders of Ikhwanul Muslimeen, believing that if they agreed with one another – even if it has some negation to Islam – it would strengthen the brotherhood and keep the unity of the group. If a person made a mistake in his statement or khutbah, opposing the truth, they would not correct him or review with him his mistake – ‘to preserve the unity’ as they were claiming.

I do not mean their leaders were calling to kufr, but they were calling to the ‘aqeedah of the Khawaarij. They definitely are a misguided group, but they’re not disbelievers.

And those times, we would hear via the news that the Egyptian government had found out via the police force and investigating forces that Ikhwanul Muslimeen had hiding places full of weapons and bombs, but the general Egyptian public used to say, ‘this is just false claims of the Egyptian government and is not true.’ But I myself – with the bounty of Allaah – was called one day by some of the youth of Ikhwanul Muslimeen to one of their meetings on the day of Jumu’ah before salatul Jumu’ah. So they would plan how they would go against the government and their policies with the English (British) who at the time were occupying Egypt. So I went with them to one of the houses of the men of Ikhwanul Muslimeen, and they were talking about how they were going against the head of the Egyptian government Sidqi Basha, and how they were going to make demonstrations and slogans against the government.

So I advised them as best as I can against such actions and, on my way out of that room, I saw two or three men helping one another in carrying a big box. And when they took it off their shoulders, I saw the box was full of guns or pistols. So I started thinking seriously about this group, and about the statements of most of the general public that what was in the newspaper and media accusing the Ikhwanul Muslimeen movement of owning weapons or ammunition, and I saw this to be the truth that no one knew except a few from the ranks of Ikhwanul Muslimeen.

And before all of this, they were training the youth in the arts of fighting on how to be combatants to get ready for ‘the main battle,’ as they were claiming, through physical excercises and teaching them how to carry weapons and use them in secret places or secret ways.

I didn’t go to those [secret] places. When I was in Cairo University, some of the Ikhwanul Muslimeen called us to one of these events. And those holding such excercises were telling the people: ‘we must learn how to fight the British and force them to leave Egypt.’ The Ikhwanul Muslimeen ranks of file were many and plenty at Cairo University and they were calling the youth to military excercises to come and train with military excercises. One day, we went and did some excercises with them, knowing that these excercises were known to the Egyptian government and they weren’t a secret. Then one or two of their ranks, who had knowledge of explosives, came and blew one or two bombs in front of the crowd, bombs called “Sawtiya” (meaning the ones that make a lot of noise but no damage). And they commanded us to land on our stomachs, like they do in the military and so on.

And that excercise was attended by Hassan al-Hudaybi, who later became the leader of Ikhwanul Muslimeen after [founder] Hassan al-Banna died.

And from these incidents that took place after what I’ve learned – Al-Hamdulillaah – regarding the correct, authentic religion and the clarification, and what the religion says about the different groups that go against the people of the Sunnah and from them the groups of al-Khawaarij and other than them.

After what happened in Egypt that some of the rank and file of the Ikhwanul Muslimeen killed the president of an Egyptian Court because he ruled imprisonment for some of the youth, so they blew up part of that court with bombs or explosives. Then one incident after another, they also killed the president of the police force of the city of Cairo. Then they killed the Prime Minister of Egypt Ahmad Maher Basha, and after him they killed the successive Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nakrashi basha. Then they killed other then them from the presidents of the government, and the higher ranks of the Egyptian court. And all of this has been documented, and no man can be mistaken about it, and no man after all of this can have good thoughts about Ikhwanul Muslimeen.

Especially [disturbing is] that some of the youth of Ikhwanul Muslimeen when they meet me, they would show happiness for the killing of the Prime Minister or other than him of the rulers whom they considered to be ‘kufaar.’

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) then explained how Allaah exposed the reality of Ikhwanul Muslimeen to the public:

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Besides all of this, the news that I am saying now was not known in detail at the time, except for recent days or maybe recent years. And books have been written by some of the members of Ikhwanul Muslimeen, those who have broken away from the sect. In addition to what has been written in Egyptian newspapers and what the police force and general security forces have found out regarding Ikhwanul Muslimeen and the weapons and ammunition that they would hide in different apartments around Cairo and other than Cairo. Also more destruction was committed by Ikhwanul Muslimeen that was discovered by the police force in Egypt.

In addition, there was an apartment in Cairo called “Shubra” that was full of ammunitions and weapons. So when the police tried to [raid the apartment] and the general security forces tried to enter the apartment and chase by force the members of Ikhwanul Muslimeen – wal Hamdulillaah – and the members were chased out, then some of the members of Ikhwanul Muslimeen started shooting the police force on the street from different wi
ndows in the building, and it turned into a fight back-and-forth with weapons, and so on, with many victims.

Then the news came after that – and before that, too – that Ikhwanul Muslimeen were upon the way of the Khawaarij. It became obvious. And they were instigating the masses to go against the government and against the ruler, and fight the government with weapons and the like.

And from (them) were those who called themselves “Qa’diyah” (the sitters), and al-Qa’dah, by the way, refers to the fact that they are sitting down. They bunker down (for the lack of a better word). They would not fight; rather they would train others to fight and supply them with weapons and ammunition to fight on their behalf. So they gather between instigating the people to fight against the rulers and giving them the weapons to do so, and killing whoever stands in their way from the police force and general security forces.

I’d like to remind you that [these accounts] of Ikhwanul Muslimeen came from the mouths and books and writings of some members of Ikhwanul Muslimeen who broke away from them and exposed their secrets [by the permission and bounty of Allaah].

And lastly, not too long ago, the Shaikh Mahmoud Lutfi’amir (hafidhahullaah) – the Salafi da’ee in the city of Damanhur in Egypt has written two books about Ikhwanul Muslimeen and about their secret structure that has been exposed, and has been mentioned in detail by those who broke away from them.

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) gave an up-to-date on Ikhwanul Muslimeen in Egypt:

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The Egyptian government stopped all Ikhwanul Muslimeen activities – wal-Hamdulillaah – all over the Arab Republic of Egypt. And after all these incidents, today Ikhwanul Muslimeen is still trying – in secret and hiding – to shake down the Egyptian government…This is the reality of Ikhwanul Muslimeen. Allaah decreed it, and He does what He wills.

Here are additional excerpts from the detailed lesson that the Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) gave:

Among those affected by the calls of Ikhwanul Muslimeen:

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Muhammad Adh-Dhawaahiri and Ayman Adh-Dhawaahiri, and Usamah bin Laden. Shaikh Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) called them “Khawaarij.” And Mulla ‘Umar (was also affected by the call of Ikhwanul Muslimeen).

About Sunnah and bid’ah, which the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) spoke about in every khutbah, Ikhwanul Muslimeen say:

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There’s no need to mention any of this.

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) reflected upon the injury and harm that the deviance of Ikhwanul Muslimeen (and the rest of the Khawaarij) has caused:

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And I feel sorry in my heart as a result of the actions of Ikhwanul Muslimeen – as you’ve seen from the news and incidents that took place – that a part of the Muslims in Egypt and other lands have deviated from the correct and authentic ‘aqeedah (belief), and have fallen into the corrupt ‘aqeedah of the Khawaarij, and became – audhoobillaah – a bad reputation for all of us together as Muslims. There’s no person in Europe and the rest of the world except that he would say, ‘The Muslims are people of fighting and terrorism.’

This also has brought negative attention to the call [itself] to the correct manhaj and the callers to Tawheed, who became lumped along with the (deviated) Muslims. And this is because of the ignorance of some of the people or (maybe due to) some purpose that they have on their own to shake down the Muslims and push the rest of the people away from the correct religion.

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) reminded us to reflect upon the evil result of the ‘aqeedah of Ikhwanul Muslimeen (and the rest of the Khawaarij), and be grateful to Allaah that He saved us from it:

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This corrupt ‘aqeedah of the Khawaarij has affected all Muslim lands. It is sufficient for the Muslims to hear what the Khawaarij have done, and how they have affected the Muslim society as a whole, that would lead you to hate all of their actions, and it would lead you to declare your innocence from such false ideologies, especially the ideology of the Khawaarij. Also, this should lead us to prostrate to Allaah, and praise Him for guiding us to the Qur`an and Sunnah upon the Understanding of the Salaf-us-saleh, and for being saved from (the ideology of the Khawaarij), such that whoever follows it would be led to the hellfire. Audhoobillaah!

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) warned us from falling for the tricks of those who defend Ikhwanul Muslimeen:

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And don’t believe anybody who defends them (Ikhwanul Muslimeen), saying, ‘these brothers are good brothers. They have love for Islam; they have honor for Islam’…These are nothing but empty slogans. And if (they truly have love for Islam), this is not the way to express it. But rather, the way to do it is for the Muslims to be gathered together upon the [Prophet’s] ‘aqidah and manhaj under the banner of the people of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, upon the Qur`an and Sunnah upon the understanding of the Salaf-us-saleh…

Allaah said: Allaah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah). (An-Nur, ayah 55)

Shaikh Hassan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab al-Banna (hafidhahullaah) advised:

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If you come across these people, advise them. If they reject, leave them; don’t argue with them. …And don’t praise them… And (remember) all of this has taken place by the Qadr of Allaah.

The shaikh also reminded us of this hadeeth:

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Hudhaifah Bin al Yamaan (radiallaahu ‘anhu) said: People used to ask the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) about the good times, but I used to ask him about bad times lest they overtake me.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then Allaah brought us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one?

He said: Yes.

I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time?

He said: Yes, but therein will be a hidden evil.

I asked: What will be the evil hidden therein?

He said: (That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and seek guidance other than mine. You will know (their) good po
ints as well as (their) bad points.

I asked: Will there be a bad time after this good one?

He said: Yes. (A time will come) when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whosoever responds to their call they will throw them into the fire.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, describe them for us.

He said: All right. They will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language.

I said: Messenger of Allaah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time?

He said: You should stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader.

I said: If they have no (such thing as the) main body and have no leader?

He said: Separate yourself from all these factions, though you may have to eat the roots of trees (in a jungle) until death comes to you and you are in this state.

(Collected by Bukhari and Muslim. The wording of the above is that of Imaam Muslim)

The shaikh said about this hadeeth:

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This does not mean that a person isolates himself – audhoobillaah. He should still make his salat in Jama’ah and fulfill the rights to Allaah. But if the situation becomes dire – worst-case scenario – he can go to the desert and stay safe from everybody’s harm. That also does not mean that a person leaves the land of the Muslims.

Source: a Masjid Rahmah CD, courtesy of Masjid As-Sahaabah (Columbus, OH)

All Praise is for Allaah, Who guided us to the path of our Prophet Muhammad (salallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and saved us from the path of the one (Dhul-Khwaisrah at-Tameemi) who rebelled against the Prophet.