The Kharijite Perspective on the Interpretation of Qur'anic Texts

الملخص

Abstract

With the cessation of the chain of prophets, humanity was plunged into widespread misguidance. Therefore, the Almighty Allah chose Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the trusted bearer of divine revelation, and revealed the enlightening book to him, so that through it, he could guide his followers toward paths of peace and salvation. The Muslims of that era, after being spiritually refined, comprehended the truth of the Qur'an and acted upon it. After them, their successors arose, who divided into various sects within the religion. Among them were those who became heedless of the Qur'an's guidance and strayed into misguidance, failing to follow the interpretive method of the righteous predecessors (Salaf al-Salih) in understanding its texts. One such group, the Kharijites, misinterpreted the Qur'anic texts, diverting their meanings from the intended purposes. Their approach to interpreting Qur'anic texts was characterized by rigidity, dominance of their ideology, and superficial understanding. Consequently, they endeavored to extract evidence from the Qur'an to justify their heretical views, interpreting its texts according to their desires. This article examines the Kharijite perspective on interpreting Qur'anic texts, drawing from commentaries and other sources, with the aim of addressing a contemporary phenomenon in which certain individuals, without deep reflection and without adhering to the principles of reconciling seemingly contradictory texts, interpret some Qur'anic verses in a manner similar to the Kharijites. Such interpretations are in conflict with Islamic law, and this study seeks to provide readers with the tools to avoid falling into the traps of these misleading interpretations.In the completion of this article, the library research method was employed.