for this group by their opponents as a reference to the first work of a well-known Tradition of the Prophet which describes a group of people which will emerge from the Muslim community, "From the descendants of this man there will arise (sayakhruju) people who fluently read the Book of Allah, but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will pass through religion as an arrow passes through a hunted animal. Methinks, said the narrator, he added: If I find them, I shall kill them, as Thamud were killed"66.

This political situation gave rise to several questions on which conflicting opinions appeared. Among these questions was the attitude of the Muslims towards tyranny or unjust rulers, i.e. those rulers who do not follow the shari'ah. Kharijites in general held that their opponents were polytheists (mushrikun), then they differed regarding the principle of religious dissimulation (taqiyah). The Azariqah, followers of Nafii b. al-Azraq held that khuruj or hijrah to their camp is an obligatory duty, and regarded the home of their opponents as dar al-harb, the land of war.

On the other hand, Ibadhis refused to regard the people of the Qiblah (Muslims) as polytheists, they called them (muwahhidun) 'monotheists', or 'infidels-ingrate', kuffar alni'mah, and held it lawful to live among them on terms of mutual tolerance67. This doctrine was clearly expressed by Abdullah b. Ibad, and for it he was opposed by the Kharijite leaders68. Abdullah b. Ibad declared Nafii al-Azraq a polytheist (mushrik) for killing Muslim women and children and for taking their property as spoils69. Jabir b. Zaid also adopted the same attitude as Abdullah b. Ibad, and used to argue with the Kharijites and refute their views concerning their attitude towards their Muslim opponents70. It is reported that Jabir b. Zaid was informed that Zaid b. al-A'sham, who was believed to be a good Muslim, regarded the Muslim opponents as polytheists. Jabir sent for him and asked his opinion on the sacrificial animals (hady) sacrificed by the Muslim opponents. His reply was, I kill them and cut their livers and humps, they have no sacrifices (la hadya lahum)." The sense of this curt statement is that Zaid b. al-A'sham refused to regard sacrificial animals dedicated by the Muslim opponents of the Khawarij as consecrated (to Allah), since he considered these men to be polytheists, and in consequence he regarded them as lawful to be slaughtered should they fall into his possession, freely, since they were not, in his eyes, Allah's consecrated property. The livers and humps are the choice parts of camel meat. So Jabir renounced him71.

During their history, Ibadhis never broke this principle; they never killed women or children of their opponents or killed the injured or followed a routed enemy of them, nor did they take their property for spoils72. One of the well known examples of this attitude is to be found in the celebrated action of Abu