يَخْرُجُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَيْسَ قِرَاءَتُكُمْ إِلَى قِرَاءَتِهِمْ بِشَىْءٍ وَلاَ صَلاَتُكُمْ إِلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ بِشَىْءٍ وَلاَ صِيَامُكُمْ إِلَى صِيَامِهِمْ بِشَىْءٍ يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ يَحْسِبُونَ أَنَّهُ لَهُمْ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ لاَ تُجَاوِزُ صَلاَتُهُمْ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ
. لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْجَيْشُ الَّذِينَ يُصِيبُونَهُمْ مَا قُضِيَ لَهُمْ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَتَّكَلُوا عَنِ الْعَمَلِ وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ فِيهِمْ رَجُلاً لَهُ عَضُدٌ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ ذِرَاعٌ عَلَى رَأْسِ عَضُدِهِ مِثْلُ حَلَمَةِ الثَّدْىِ عَلَيْهِ شَعَرَاتٌ بِيضٌ فَتَذْهَبُونَ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ وَأَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَتَتْرُكُونَ هَؤُلاَءِ يَخْلُفُونَكُمْ فِي ذَرَارِيِّكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونُوا هَؤُلاَءِ الْقَوْمَ فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ سَفَكُوا الدَّمَ الْحَرَامَ وَأَغَارُوا فِي سَرْحِ النَّاسِ فَسِيرُوا عَلَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ . قَالَ سَلَمَةُ بْنُ كُهَيْلٍ فَنَزَّلَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ مَنْزِلاً حَتَّى قَالَ مَرَرْنَا عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ فَلَمَّا الْتَقَيْنَا وَعَلَى الْخَوَارِجِ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ الرَّاسِبِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَلْقُوا الرِّمَاحَ وَسُلُّوا سُيُوفَكُمْ مِنْ جُفُونِهَا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُنَاشِدُوكُمْ كَمَا نَاشَدُوكُمْ يَوْمَ حَرُورَاءَ . فَرَجَعُوا فَوَحَّشُوا بِرِمَاحِهِمْ وَسَلُّوا السُّيُوفَ وَشَجَرَهُمُ النَّاسُ بِرِمَاحِهِمْ - قَالَ - وَقُتِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَمَا أُصِيبَ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلاَّ رَجُلاَنِ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ رضى الله عنه الْتَمِسُوا فِيهِمُ الْمُخْدَجَ . فَالْتَمَسُوهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوهُ فَقَامَ عَلِيٌّ - رضى الله عنه - بِنَفْسِهِ حَتَّى أَتَى نَاسًا قَدْ قُتِلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ قَالَ أَخِّرُوهُمْ . فَوَجَدُوهُ مِمَّا يَلِي الأَرْضَ فَكَبَّرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَبَلَّغَ رَسُولُهُ - قَالَ - فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ عَبِيدَةُ السَّلْمَانِيُّ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَسَمِعْتَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِي وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ . حَتَّى اسْتَحْلَفَهُ ثَلاَثًا وَهُوَ يَحْلِفُ لَهُ .
English translation
Zaid b. Wahb Juhani reported and he was among the squadron which was under the command of Ali (Allah be pleased with him) and which set out (to curb the activities) of the Khawarij. 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said:
O people, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There would arise from my Ummah a people who would recite the Qur'an, and your recital would seem insignificant as compared with their recital, your prayer as compared with their prayer, and your fast, as compared with their fast. They would recite the Qur'an thinking that it supports them, whereas it is an evidence against them. Their prayer does not get beyond their collar bone; they would swerve through Islam just as the arrow passes through the prey. If the squadron which is to encounter them were to know (what great boon) has been assured to them by their Messenger (ﷺ) they would completely rely upon this deed (alone and cease to do other good deeds), and their (that of the Khawarij) distinctive mark is that there would be (among them) a person whose wrist would be without the arm, and the end of his wrist would be fleshy like the nipple of the breast on which there would be white hair. You would be marching towards Muawiya and the people of Syria and you would leave them behind among your children and your property (to do harm). By Allah, I believe that these are the people (against whom you have been commanded to fight and get reward) for they have shed forbidden blood, and raided the animals of the people. So go forth in the name of Allah (to fight against them). Salama b. Kuhail mentioned that Zaid b. Wahb made me alight at every stage, till we crossed a bridge. 'Abdullah b. Wahb al-Rasibi was at the head of the Khawarij when we encountered them. He ('Abdullah) said to his army: Throw the spears and draw out your swords from their sheaths, for I fear that they would attack you as they attacked you on the day of Harura. They went back and threw their spears and drew out their swords, and people fought against them with spears and they were killed one after another. Only two persons were killed among the people (among the army led by 'Ali) on that day. 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said: Find out from among them (the dead bodies of the Khawarij) (the maimed). They searched but did not find him. 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) then himself stood up and (walked) till he came to the people who had been killed one after another. He ('Ali) said: Search them to the last, and then ('Ali's companions) found him (the dead body of the maimed) near the earth. He ('Ali) then pronounced Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) and then said, Allah told the Truth and His Messenger (ﷺ) conveyed it. Then there stood before him 'Abida Salmani who said: Commander of the Believers, by Allah, besides Whom there is no god but He, (tell me) whether you heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: Yes, by Allah, besides Whom there is no god but He. He asked him to take an oath thrice and he took the oath.