Political Violence in the Literature of the Kharijites During the Umayyad Period

Abstract

The Umayyad era (661-750 AD) witnessed a noticeable escalation in

the phenomenon of violence; as ideological and political conflicts played a role in shaping the general landscape of the Islamic state, and the large number of parties and divisions into groups and factions played a major role in the increase in the phenomenon of violence in this era. The Khawarij party was one of the most prominent groups that practiced violence during this period. This party was one of the most extremist and strict parties in its ideas, which led to bloody confrontations with the Umayyad state, which in turn relied on military repression to confront the revolutions, while opposition groups, such as the Khawarij, resorted to armed violence to overthrow the ruling regime. Violence among the Khawarij took many forms, including the shedding of blood, excommunicating all those who opposed them, waging many wars, rejecting arbitration, and striving to establish a (just state) according to their belief.