Ibn ʿAbbas’s Debates with the Khawaarij – A Masterclass in Daʿwah and Refuting Extremism
- Muiz As-Siddeeqi
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Ibn ʿAbbas’s Debates with the Khawaarij – A Masterclass in Daʿwah and Refuting Extremism
When the Khawaarij broke away from the Ummah during the time of ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه), it wasn't brute force that was used first—it was knowledge.
And the one sent to face them?
Not an army commander… but ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) — the Ocean of Knowledge and Interpreter of the Qur'an.
Ibn ʿAbbās went to them with:
Clear arguments from Qur'an and Sunnah
Calmness and gentleness
No mockery, no anger, no shouting
He said:
"I came to a people, the likes of whom I had never seen with regard to their exertion in worship. Their foreheads were wounded due to [constant] prostration, and their hands had become rough like camels’ feet. They wore recently washed, untidy shirts with very high, raised clothing, and had tired and worn-out faces [due to not caring for themselves]."
(Reported by al-Ṭabarī and others)
He mentioned their extreme outward religiosity not to praise them but to expose their deviance.
He didn’t start the debate by insulting them. He started with wisdom and knowledge.
The Khawaarij raised three objections against ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه):
Arbitration between men:
They said, "He allowed men to judge in the matter of Allah, while Allah says: 'The judgment is for none but Allah.'"
(Surah al-Anʿām 6:57, Surah Yūsuf 12:40, 67)
Not taking captives or war booty:
They argued that since ʿAlī fought at Ṣiffīn but did not take captives nor claim spoils, he must have treated the opposing army as neither true Muslims nor true disbelievers—thus, they accused him of inconsistency.
Removing the title of ‘Leader of the Believers’:
They criticized him for agreeing to drop his title (‘Amīr al-Mu’minīn) during arbitration, claiming that if he was not truly the leader of believers, he must be the leader of disbelievers.
Ibn ʿAbbās answered them with Qur'an and Sunnah:
Regarding arbitration, he pointed to Allah’s command for two just men to judge in disputes over hunting (Surah al-Mā'idah 5:95) and between husband and wife (Surah an-Nisā’ 4:35), proving that Allah Himself allowed human arbitration in certain matters.
Regarding captives and war booty, he asked whether they would have considered ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها)—the Mother of the Believers—as a captive. Doing so would be clear disbelief, since Allah declared the Prophet’s wives to be the mothers of the believers (Surah al-Aḥzāb 33:6).
Regarding the title, he reminded them that even the Prophet ﷺ at Hudaybiyyah agreed to erase “Messenger of Allah” from the treaty when Quraysh objected—yet this never negated his prophethood.
The result?
Thousands of Khawaarij returned to the truth.
Only a stubborn few remained—and they were fought afterward at Nahrawān.
Lessons from Ibn ʿAbbās's approach:
Refute deviance with evidence, not emotion
Be gentle first, unless rebellion continues
Correct misunderstandings, especially in matters of ʿAqeedah and governance
Always return to the understanding of the Salaf
Modern Khawaarij groups (ISIS, Qaeda, Takfīrists) still resemble those early extremists.
They worship, they quote Qur'an—but without correct understanding, they stray far from the path of the Prophet ﷺ.
O daʿee and seeker of truth:
Follow the way of Ibn ʿAbbās in dealing with extremism:
Clear knowledge
Calm daʿwah
Steadfastness upon the Sunnah
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