have the priority, which God has granted them.93 They loved each other with the love of God, and helped each other to seek the pleasure of God and the reward of the day after. Whenever a group of them came out they left, for those of their supporters who remained behind, the established proof against their enemy with those of understanding and knowledge of the commands of God."94

Then, Ibn Dhakwan went on to explain the attitude of the Azraqites as follows:"...Then, after them revolted Nafi' b. al-'Azraq and his followers; they behaved for an indefinite time which God determined, like those who revolted before them. Then afterwards, hatred made them regard their people as identical with the idolaters, and they prohibited inheritance from them, and forbade marriage with them. Their predecessors, with whom they 'associated' themselves and in alliance with whom they believed, inherited from their relatives and married their women, but they (the Azariqah) today oppose their predecessors, and dissociate themselves from them. If their predecessors were wrong in what they did, they (the Azariqah) are wrong also in taking them as friends.

They also permitted taking their Muslim opponents captive, in enslaving their women, dividing their property as spoil, and killing them and their children though their ancestors did not permit any such thing."

"... They refused to give protection to those of their people who sought it from them, till they heard the words of God, although they regarded them as identical with the idolaters despite what God said to His Apostle, 'And if any of the idolaters seeks of thee protection, grant him protection till he hears the words of God, then do thou convey him to his place of security...'95"

They showed ingratitude to their kinsmen despite the fact that the Prophet showed mercy to a man from Aslam ... They renounced every Bedouin (A'rabiy) including him who believed in 'association' with them and believed in their virtue and he (the 'A'rabi) asked God grant him what He has granted them in the way of jihad against His enemies, although God said, "And some of the Bedouins believe in God and the last day, and take what they expend for offerings bringing them near to God, and the prayers of the Messenger. Surely they are an offering for them, and God will admit them in His mercy: God is all forgiving, All compassionate."96 They regarded their fellows who stayed behind at home as infidels permitting their blood to be shed and their property to be seized. They forbade taking them as 'awliya' or asking forgiveness for them. At the same time they claimed 'Walaya' with those who used to love and ask forgiveness for their fellow-Muslims who stayed at home and forbade their blood to be shed, or their property to be seized, and held it lawful to inherit from them and ask forgiveness for them."97