Khārijite , Member of the earliest Islamic sect, which emerged in the mid-7th century during conflicts over the succession of the caliphate (see caliph). The Khārijites (“separatists”) took sides against ʿAlī, the Prophet’s son-in-law (whose followers later made up the Shīʿite branch of Islam), and led a series of uprisings, assassinating ʿAlī and harassing his rival Muʿāwiyah. They later caused further disruptions for the Umayyad caliphs. Their constant attacks on Muslim governments were based on their belief that the caliph should be chosen by the entire Muslim community. They called for a literal interpretation of the Qurʾān and were harsh and puritanical in the exercise of their religion. The movement’s ʿIbādiyyah subsect survived into the 20th century in North Africa, Oman, and Zanzibar.
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