The Khawarij Mindset and Pakistan’s Martyrs

A Lesson from History and the War Against Terrorism

Islamic history contains events whose lessons remain relevant centuries later. The martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) is one of them. It was not only the assassination of a great Companion and Caliph; it also demonstrated how religious slogans, outward piety and extremist thinking can combine to turn a person against his own community.

Hazrat Ali (RA) was attacked in the mosque of Kufa in 40 AH by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam and later died from his injuries. Historical accounts associate Ibn Muljam with the Khawarij. Their well-known slogan was “La hukma illa lillah” — “There is no judgment except that of Allah.”

The sovereignty of Allah is, of course, a fundamental Islamic principle. The danger emerged when a religious principle was interpreted in an extremist manner and used to justify rebellion, takfir and violence against other Muslims.

This is one of history’s most important lessons:

A religious slogan by itself does not make an action religious. The nature of the action, its consequences and the sanctity of human life must also be considered.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned Muslims about people whose outward worship and recitation of the Qur’an would be impressive, while the true understanding of religion would not penetrate their hearts and conduct. Such warnings remain important for Muslims seeking to understand the dangers of religious extremism.

Pakistan has fought a long and difficult battle against terrorism. During this struggle, the Pakistan Army, police, Frontier Corps, Rangers and other law-enforcement institutions have made enormous sacrifices. Thousands of Pakistani civilians have also lost their lives to terrorism.

These are not merely numbers. Behind every martyr is a family: a mother who lost her son, a father who lost his child, a wife who lost her husband, and children who lost their father.

The most dangerous weapon of terrorism is not always a rifle, an explosive or a suicide vest. Its most dangerous weapon is an extremist ideology that convinces a person that killing another human being can become a religious duty.

When an armed group declares Muslims to be unbelievers simply because they disagree with its ideology, rejects the state through violence and targets innocent people in the name of religion, the problem is no longer merely a security issue. It becomes an assault on the moral, social and religious foundations of society.

This is where the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) connects with the challenges facing Pakistan today.

The Khawarij had religious slogans. They had religious language and outward forms of worship. But when religious thinking was combined with extremism, the result ultimately led to bloodshed among Muslims.

Today, when a terrorist uses sacred religious language to justify the killing of a soldier, police officer, worshipper, teacher, student or ordinary citizen, society must judge the reality of his actions rather than the slogans he uses.

A soldier standing at a security post is not merely protecting a border or a building. He is protecting millions of citizens who want to live peacefully in their homes. He is protecting the worshipper entering a mosque, the child going to school, the worker earning a livelihood and the ordinary citizen travelling on the road.

The terrorist, by contrast, seeks to spread fear, destroy public confidence and weaken the authority of law.

That is why the distinction must remain clear:

The soldier is a protector; the terrorist is a killer.

The soldier risks his own life to protect others, while the terrorist takes the lives of others to impose his ideology.

This difference is fundamental.

The sacrifices of Pakistan’s martyrs also remind us that the fight against terrorism cannot be won through military action alone. The ideological dimension must also be addressed. Mosques, religious scholars, educational institutions, families, media and civil society all have a role in protecting young people from extremist propaganda.

Takfir, sectarian hatred and the killing of innocent people cannot be made acceptable by attaching religious language to them. Differences should be addressed through knowledge, dialogue, courts and law—not through guns and explosives.

Pakistan’s military martyrs have demonstrated through their sacrifices that national security comes at a tremendous human cost. When a soldier stands between a terrorist and the civilian population, he is not simply defending himself. He is accepting responsibility for protecting an entire society.

Remembering the martyrs should therefore go beyond ceremonies and slogans. The real tribute to their sacrifice is to build a society in which the rule of law is respected, citizens are protected, religion is not exploited to spread hatred, and disagreement is never turned into a justification for murder.

The martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) also teaches us that extremism does not begin when a weapon is picked up. It can begin much earlier—with a mindset in which a person considers himself the sole owner of truth and everyone who disagrees with him an enemy.

Pakistan therefore has to confront not only the weapons of terrorists but also the ideology that attempts to provide those weapons with religious justification.

Pakistan’s martyrs are national protectors. Their sacrifices are not the property of one institution; they are an inheritance of the entire nation.

The blood of a martyr does not call us toward hatred. It calls us toward unity, peace, law and national responsibility.

From the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) to the struggle against terrorism in modern Pakistan, the historical lesson remains clear: killing innocent people in the name of religion is not service to Islam; it is a misuse of Islam’s sacred name.

And those who give their lives protecting Pakistan’s citizens, soldiers, police officers, worshippers and communities deserve to be remembered with honour and respect.

Pakistan’s peace is a trust entrusted to us by its martyrs.

BLOG The Khawarij Mindset and Pakistan’s Martyrs

A Lesson from History and the War Against Terrorism

Written by Rana Farooq Ashraf

Islamic history contains events whose lessons remain relevant centuries later. The martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) is one of them. It was not only the assassination of a great Companion and Caliph; it also demonstrated how religious slogans, outward piety and extremist thinking can combine to turn a person against his own community.

Hazrat Ali (RA) was attacked in the mosque of Kufa in 40 AH by Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam and later died from his injuries. Historical accounts associate Ibn Muljam with the Khawarij. Their well-known slogan was “La hukma illa lillah” — “There is no judgment except that of Allah.”

The sovereignty of Allah is, of course, a fundamental Islamic principle. The danger emerged when a religious principle was interpreted in an extremist manner and used to justify rebellion, takfir and violence against other Muslims.

This is one of history’s most important lessons:

A religious slogan by itself does not make an action religious. The nature of the action, its consequences and the sanctity of human life must also be considered.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned Muslims about people whose outward worship and recitation of the Qur’an would be impressive, while the true understanding of religion would not penetrate their hearts and conduct. Such warnings remain important for Muslims seeking to understand the dangers of religious extremism.

Pakistan has fought a long and difficult battle against terrorism. During this struggle, the Pakistan Army, police, Frontier Corps, Rangers and other law-enforcement institutions have made enormous sacrifices. Thousands of Pakistani civilians have also lost their lives to terrorism.

These are not merely numbers. Behind every martyr is a family: a mother who lost her son, a father who lost his child, a wife who lost her husband, and children who lost their father.

The most dangerous weapon of terrorism is not always a rifle, an explosive or a suicide vest. Its most dangerous weapon is an extremist ideology that convinces a person that killing another human being can become a religious duty.

When an armed group declares Muslims to be unbelievers simply because they disagree with its ideology, rejects the state through violence and targets innocent people in the name of religion, the problem is no longer merely a security issue. It becomes an assault on the moral, social and religious foundations of society.

This is where the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) connects with the challenges facing Pakistan today.

The Khawarij had religious slogans. They had religious language and outward forms of worship. But when religious thinking was combined with extremism, the result ultimately led to bloodshed among Muslims.

Today, when a terrorist uses sacred religious language to justify the killing of a soldier, police officer, worshipper, teacher, student or ordinary citizen, society must judge the reality of his actions rather than the slogans he uses.

A soldier standing at a security post is not merely protecting a border or a building. He is protecting millions of citizens who want to live peacefully in their homes. He is protecting the worshipper entering a mosque, the child going to school, the worker earning a livelihood and the ordinary citizen travelling on the road.

The terrorist, by contrast, seeks to spread fear, destroy public confidence and weaken the authority of law.

That is why the distinction must remain clear:

The soldier is a protector; the terrorist is a killer.

The soldier risks his own life to protect others, while the terrorist takes the lives of others to impose his ideology.

This difference is fundamental.

The sacrifices of Pakistan’s martyrs also remind us that the fight against terrorism cannot be won through military action alone. The ideological dimension must also be addressed. Mosques, religious scholars, educational institutions, families, media and civil society all have a role in protecting young people from extremist propaganda.

Takfir, sectarian hatred and the killing of innocent people cannot be made acceptable by attaching religious language to them. Differences should be addressed through knowledge, dialogue, courts and law—not through guns and explosives.

Pakistan’s military martyrs have demonstrated through their sacrifices that national security comes at a tremendous human cost. When a soldier stands between a terrorist and the civilian population, he is not simply defending himself. He is accepting responsibility for protecting an entire society.

Remembering the martyrs should therefore go beyond ceremonies and slogans. The real tribute to their sacrifice is to build a society in which the rule of law is respected, citizens are protected, religion is not exploited to spread hatred, and disagreement is never turned into a justification for murder.

The martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) also teaches us that extremism does not begin when a weapon is picked up. It can begin much earlier—with a mindset in which a person considers himself the sole owner of truth and everyone who disagrees with him an enemy.

Pakistan therefore has to confront not only the weapons of terrorists but also the ideology that attempts to provide those weapons with religious justification.

Pakistan’s martyrs are national protectors. Their sacrifices are not the property of one institution; they are an inheritance of the entire nation.

The blood of a martyr does not call us toward hatred. It calls us toward unity, peace, law and national responsibility.

From the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) to the struggle against terrorism in modern Pakistan, the historical lesson remains clear: killing innocent people in the name of religion is not service to Islam; it is a misuse of Islam’s sacred name.

And those who give their lives protecting Pakistan’s citizens, soldiers, police officers, worshippers and communities deserve to be remembered with honour and respect.

Pakistan’s peace is a trust entrusted to us by its martyrs.