Page 368 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XX.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 329

They accuse both Sunnis and Shiahs of
error, in making certain texts of the Koran
apply only to the prophet’s descendants,

when, according to the interpretation of the
Khuwarijites, they have reference to the faith­

ful of every rank and station. Finally, they
deny that the authority of the four first Imams
is to be implicitly followed, as, in that case,

both All and Abfi Bekr were in error; the
one for permitting a decision to be made by

the Koran, the other for usurping an authority
which was hereditary in the Prophet’s family.

Their own Imfim they regard in two points
of view—as a temporal governor, and an abso­

lute indefeasibly appointed sovereign, whose
authority is of God.
As to the derivation of the name of Khuwa­

rijites, these writers assert that Muwa'iyah
having rebelliously opposed All, after some

contest, finding himself about to be worsted,
proposed a reference to the Koran. His ad­

versary consented ; but some of All’s followers
protested against this mode of procedure, urg­

ing that rebels and sinners against God were
not fit judges of the Imamship ; that if they
decided against him, his adherents must be