It’s narrated that once, while the Prophet ﷺ was distributing charity or spoils among the people, a man said to him,

“Be just, O Muhammad, and fear Allah!”

The Prophet ﷺ replied,

“Woe to you! Who would be just if I am not just? You would be lost and ruined if I were unjust.”

Then one of the companions — usually said to be Khalid ibn al-Walid or Umar ibn al-Khattab — asked permission to strike the man down, but the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Leave him, for he will have followers who will go to extremes in religion, until they leave it as an arrow passes through the target.”

This story is found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and it describes the beginning of the Khawarij, a group that later appeared known for their harshness and excess in religion.

When the Prophet ﷺ said “as an arrow passes through the target,” he meant that such people would go through Islam quickly without it remaining in their hearts — like an arrow that passes straight through an animal without leaving any trace of blood or flesh on it. In other words, they would appear outwardly religious but would miss the true spirit of faith, mercy, and understanding.