Origins of name: Arabic word that means "to go out"
One of the smallest sects of Islam. Its followers, called Kharijites, believed in the teachings of Shiah Islam at one time but broke away in 657 to form their own group. Kharijites strictly follow their community's interpretation of the Quaran and Sunna. They are known for their egalitarian beliefs that all people are equal under the one God. When they first organized, they elected their leaders and made it known that even a slave could lead the faithful if he was the best Muslim. In Algeria, some Kharijite communities have both female and male religious leaders to serve the needs of the faithful, separately.