EXPOSING THE KHAWĀRIJ INFILTRATION OF THE BLESSED MUHAMMADAN NATION: Followed by Fatḥ al-Bāri commentary on Saḥeeḥ al-Bukhāri by Imam Ahmad ibn Ali Ibn Hajar al-Asqallāni

“There will emerge in this ummah... a people: you will see your prayer as nothing compared to theirs [i.e. they willperform very long prayers]; they recite the Quran, but it does not descend below their throats – or their necks; they pass through this religion like an arrow passing through its target [i.e. they have no faith]..."
- the Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings), cited by Bukhari.
This important book by one of the UK's upcoming Islamic scholars seeks to carefully analyse and clarify the explosive and politically sensitive issue of who and what exactly are the Khawarij (Kharijites), both in history and the present day.
The Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace) issued severe and repeated warnings to the Companions about this particular troublesome sect, that he prophesised would arise from among the Islamic nation. Despite the severe warnings from the Prophet, many Muslims today are not aware of this dangerous sect and its deviant ideology, and many may even be following its teachings without realising.
In addition, considerable confusion has been spread in recent times by various religious and political factions accusing those who disagree with them of being 'Khawarij'. For example, the military junta in Egypt labels the Muslim Brotherhood as Khawarij, while different Salafi groups accuse each other of being Khawarij.
Shaykh Ridhwan seeks to objectively assess which of these accusations are correct and which are without basis, and to identify with precision who are Kharijites within the ummah today.
The conclusions reached by Shaykh Ridhwan are important for both scholars and educated Muslims alike, and pave the way for an enhanced understanding of the situation of the Muslim ummah today. Shaykh Ridhwan also helps to place in context the movement started by the 18th century Najdi preacher, Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab, and those groups influenced by his teachings up to the present day.
Shaykh Ridhwan gained traditional qualifications (ijaza/Alim degree) in Islamic studies, studying with some of the leading ulema in Syria and the UK/US, as well as academic degrees in Medicine and Anthropology. He has been researching and teaching in the field of Islamic history since 2014 at London College of Islamic Studies and various Islamic centres in the UK. His previous publications include A Story of Two Civilisations, a Brief History of Islam and the West.