29. ISIS’ Medieval Forerunner
The decades after the death of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad saw bitter succession disputes, during which a radical fundamentalist faction of early dissenters known as the Khawarij (Outsiders) emerged. They formulated an ideological concept of Takfir, whereby Muslims who disagreed with them were deemed apostates and kafirs (infidels), and were thus no longer covered by the prohibition against killing fellow Muslims. Today, Takfir furnishes modern terrorists such as the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and ISIS, with the key theological justification for their depredations.
It all began with a dispute that erupted after Muhammad’s death. Some believed that leadership of the Muslim community should be confined to Muhammad’s family and bloodline. Others thought leadership should be open to whomever the Muslim community chose. The former, a minority, coalesced around Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law Ali, and became known as the Shia, or faction, of Ali. The latter, the majority, became known as the Sunnis.
