The earliest religious sect of Islam.
The Kharijites were originally supporters of the fourth caliph, Ali b. Abi Talib. However, his submission to an arbitration in 657 when confronted with the refusal of the governor of Syria, Muawiya, to pledge him allegience was considered proof of his forfeiture of the caliphate. They subsequently withdrew to Nahrawan, east of the Tigris, thus earning the name khariji, one who goes out. The Kharijites became increasing fanatical: they equally condemned both Uthman, the third caliph, and Ali, and branded all those who disagreed infidels and thus worthy of execution. The terror they caused in the local populations forced Ali to take action: in 657, the Kharijites were decimated at Nahrawan. However, sporadic uprisings continued and Ali himself was killed by a Kharijite in 661. Kharijite uprisings continued under the Umayyads in Iraq, Iran, and Arabia; under the Abbasids, Kharijism was suppressed in Iraq but continued to play an important political role in eastern Arabia, North Africa, and eastern Africa. Kharijism survives today in these areas.
Kharijism's uncompromising character led to the development of several sub-sects, both moderate and extreme. However, several doctrines are common to all Kharijite sects. First, any religiously irreproachable believer may be elected to the office of caliph, regardless of his lineage; a caliph may be deposed if his actions do not conform to the Qur'an. Thus, besides their own leaders, Kharijites consider only the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, to be legitimate. Second, faith is justified only with both correct belief and right action. A believer who commits a mortal sin is considered to be an apostate; it goes without saying that all non-Kharijites are infidels. Third, it follows that all believers, Arab and non-Arab, are considered equal; this tolerant aspect of their doctrine certainly helped the Kharijites to gain supporters from among the Persian and Berber converts.