obliged him to it \ Thefe were alfo called Mohakkemites, or Judi-
ciarians ; becaufe the reafon which they gave for their revolt was
that Alt had referred a matter concerning the religion of G o d to
the judgment of men, whereas the judgment, in fuch cafe, belonged
only unto G o d 2. The herefy of the Kharejites confided
ohiefly in two things, i. In that they affirmed a man might be
promoted to the dignity o f Imam, or prince, though he was not of
the tribe of Koraijh, nor even a freeman, provided he was ajuft and
pious perfon, and endued with the other requifite qualifications; and alfo
held, that if the Imam turned afide from the truth, he might be put
to death or depofed; and that there was no abfolute neceffity for any
Imam at all in the world. 2. In that they charged A ll with fin, for
having left an affair to the judgment of men, which ought to have
been determined by G o d alone; and went fo far as to declare him
guilty of infidelity, and to curfe him, on that account V In the
38th year o f the Hejra, which was the year following the revolt, all
thefe Kharejites who perfifted in their rebellion, to the number of
four thoufand, were cut to pieces by A ll, and as feveral hiftorians4
write, even to a man: but others fay nine of them efcaped, and
that two fled into Oman, two into Kerman, two into Sejejldn, two
into Mefopotamia, and one to T d Mawrün ; and that thefe propagated
their herefy in thofe places, the fame remaining there to this day s.
The principal feels of the Kharejites, befides the Mohakkemites above-
mentioned, are fix ; which, though they greatly differ among them-
felves in other matters, yet agree in thefe, viz. that they abfolutely
f f f l f Othman and Alt, preferring the doing of this to the greateft
obedience, and allowing marriages to be contraffed on no other terms;
that they account thofe who are guilty of grievous fins to be infidels;
and that they hold it neceffary to refill the Imam when he
tranfgreffes the law. One fedt of them deferves more particular notice,
v iz. ,
The JKaidians; fo called from al Waid, which fignifies' the threats
denounced by G o d againll the wicked. Thefe are the antagonifts
o f the Morgians, and affert that he who is guilty of a grievous fin
ought to be declared an infidel or apoftate, and will be eternally
punilhed in hell, though he were a true believer 6: which opinion of
theirs, as has been obferved, occafioned the firft rife of the. Mótdza-'
, S r i i «Ft m H H M ' V P- 6o> &c- 2 AI Shahreft. ubi fop. p. „ o . ■ g 1
T T M Abulfeda, al Jmretbi, Elmacinus, p. 40. ' At ShahrpMnv.&e Odtlift Hitt,
o f the Saracens, ubi fup. p. 63. « Abulfor. p. 169. AI Shahreft. apudEoc. Spec: p. 256. ''
lites.
lites. One jfaafar Ebn MobaJhJIoar, of the fedt of the Nodhamians,
was yet more fevere than the Wdidians, pronouncing him to be a reprobate
and an apoftate who fteals but a grain of corn *.
IV. The Shiites are the opponents of the. Khdrejites; their name
properly fignifies feSlaries or adherents in general, but is peculiarly
ufed to denote thofe of Alt Ebn Abi Tdleb-, who maintain him to be
I lawful Khalif and Imam, and that the fupream authority, both in
; fpirituals and temporals, of right belongs to his defeendants, not-
| withftanding they may be deprived of it by the injuftice of others,
or their own fear. They alfo teach, that the office of Imam is not
a common thing, depending on the will of the vulgar, fo that they
may fet up whom they pleafe ; but a fundamental affair of religion, and
an article which the prophet could not have negledted, or left to the
fancy of the common people 2: nay fome, thence called Imdmians, go
fo far as to affert, that religion confifts folely in the knowledge of the
true Imdm *. The principal fedts of the Shiites are five, which are
fub-divided into an almoft innumerable number; lb that fome under-
ftand Mohammed’s prophecy of. the feventy odd fedts, o f the Shiites
only. Their general opinions are, H That the peculiar defignation
of the Imdm, and the teftimonies of the Koran and Mohammed con-
cerning him, are neceffary points. 2. That the Imams ought neceffa-
rily to keep themfelves free from light fins as well as more grievous.
3. That every one ought publickly to declare who it is that he adheres
to, and from whom he feparates himfelf, by word, deed, and
engagement; and that herein there Ihould be no diffimulation. But
fin this laft point fome of the Zeidians, a fedt fo named from Zeid„
the fon of A li furnamed Zein al dbedtn, and great grandfon of Ali,
diffented from the reft of the Shiites +. As to other articles, wherein:
they agreed not, fome of them came pretty near to the notions of
the Motazalites, others to thofe of the Mojhabbehites, and others to
thofe of the Somites s. Among the latter of thefe Mohammed al
Baker, another fon of Zein al dbedin s, feems to claim a place : for
his opinion as to the will of G o d was, that G o d willeth fomething
us, and fomethingynwz us, and that what he willeth from us he
hath revealed to us ; for which reafon he thought it prepofterous that we:
fhould employ our thoughts about thofe things which G o d willeth.
ln us, and negledt thofe which he willeth from us: and as to G o d ’s
decree, ■ he held that the way lay in the middle, and that there- was--
^oc‘ p. 257. a Al Shahreft. ib. p. 261. Abulfar. p. 169. £ Al Shahreft. ib.,
P- 262. * Idem, ib. V, D’Herbel. Bibl, Orient. Art. Schiah. 5 V. Poc. ib.
neither
O f the
feól of the
Shiites.