Ibn Hajar says when the Prophet ﷺ said “I was commanded,” it means Allah gave him this command. This is because the Prophet only acts on Allah’s instructions.
The main pillars mentioned are:
- Declaring belief in one God (Allah ﷻ)
- Performing salah regularly
Paying Charity (zakah)
Important Interpretations of this are that salah and zakah are specifically mentioned because they are fundamental acts of worship – prayer being physical worship and charity being financial worship.
- “Establishing prayer” means performing it regularly and properly, not just occasionally.
There’s an important distinction between fighting and killing: Scholars explain that fighting doesn’t automatically mean killing and fighting is a two-way conflict, while killing is one-sided.
When someone follows these pillars, their life and property become protected under Sharia. People are judged by their visible actions, not their hidden intentions. Their inner beliefs are a matter between them and Allah.
Those who follow the principles of Islam but may have some incorrect practices are still considered Muslims.
Non-Muslims who have peace treaties or pay jizyah are not fought against and this shows that the main objective is to peacefully coexist and spread the message of Islam through various means, not just through conflict.
An Nawawi quotes Al-Khattabī on the Arabs who disbelieved after the Prophet ﷺ’s death and Abū Bakr’s leadership. The apostates fell into two main categories:
The first category completely renounced Islam. This included followers of false prophets Musaylamah and Al-Aswad al-‘Ansi, who denied The Prophet’s prophethood. Abū Bakr fought them until their leaders were killed and forces defeated.
The second category denied good deeds of action entirely, reverting to their jahiliyyah ways. Only three masajid remained active: in Makkah, Madinah and Juwatha.
The faithful in Juwatha persisted until Muslims subdued Yamāmah.
A third group accepted prayer but rejected zakat payment to the state. Though technically rebels, they were grouped with apostates due to supporting them.
Some tribes, like Yarbu, collected zakat but were prevented from sending it by leaders like Malik ibn Nuwayrah.
This led to debate between Umar رضي الله عنه and Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه. Umar quoted the Prophet’s hadith about protection through faith, while Abū Bakr argued zakat was inseparable from other duties. Umar eventually accepted this view.
Some Shia claimed Abu Bakr wrongly enslaved Muslims who withheld zakat, citing Qur’an 9:103 as applying only to the Prophet.
This claim was baseless, as the apostates had truly rejected faith.
The Quran is directed at three different groups: General to all believers, some are specific to the Prophet ﷺ and relate specifically to his role, actions, or unique responsibilities, and others may address the Prophet ﷺ but applying to the ummah aswell.
Today, denying zakat makes one a disbeliever, unlike in early Islam when some had valid excuses due to recent conversion and evolving rules.
It is not possible that the Prophet entertained even the slightest doubt concerning what was revealed to him.
As for the cleansing, purification and prayer by the ruler to ones who pay zakat and charity, it is perfectly possible that anyone may attain to this grade through obedience of Allah and His Messenger. Every reward promised for a good deed during the Prophet’s own lifetime remains valid and continues uninterrupted. It is recommended that the ruler and the zakat collector should pray to the zakat payer that Allah may grant him growth and blessing of his money and property. It is hoped that Allah will answer such prayer.
Shayk Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله says: The statement of the Prophet (ﷺ ): “I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no diety worthy of worship except Allah ﷺ and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, applies only to those at war with Muslims, not those with treaties.
Prior to Surah At-Tawbah treaties with disbelievers did not require jizyah. After its revelation, treaties required either submission or jizyah payment, as commanded by Allah: When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then let them go their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Surah al-Tawbah: 5).
The People of the Book, though considered superior to polytheists, were required to pay jizyah. This requirement extended to polytheists as well after Surah Tawbah
This distinction of the People of the Book shows that treaties with polytheists must include submission or jizyah, unlike earlier agreements such as the Treaty of Hudaybiyah.
According to Buraydah’s hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed military leaders to: “Fight in the name of Allah, in the path of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Fight, but do not steal from the war booty, do not betray, do not mutilate, and do not kill children. If you meet your enemy from the polytheists, invite them to three options.”
Accept any option they choose and cease fighting.
- First, invite them to Islam.
- Second, if they accept Islam, ask them to migrate to the land of emigrants, gaining equal rights and duties. If they refuse to migrate, they become like Bedouin Muslims, receiving war spoils only when fighting alongside Muslims.
- Third, if they reject Islam, request jizyah. Fight only if they refuse all options.
Translation: The statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and give zakah,” means fighting those who are at war with the Muslims, as Allah has permitted fighting them.
It does not mean fighting those who have treaties, as Allah has commanded fulfilling their treaties. Before the revelation of Surah al-Tawbah (Bara’ah), the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make treaties with disbelievers without requiring them to pay jizyah.
However, when Surah al-Tawbah was revealed and Allah commanded the annulment of open-ended treaties, the Prophet was no longer allowed to make treaties with them as he used to. Instead, he was commanded to fight all disbelievers, as Allah said: “When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then let them go their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Surah al-Tawbah: 5).
The religion of the People of the Book is better than the religion of the polytheists, yet they were commanded to be fought until they paid the jizyah while being humbled. If treaties without jizyah were no longer valid for the People of the Book after the revelation of Surah al-Tawbah, then it is even more fitting that treaties without submission or jizyah are not valid for the polytheists. It has been said that mentioning the People of the Book specifically in this context serves as a stronger indication that treaties with the polytheists without submission or jizyah are not acceptable. This was different before the revelation of Surah al-Tawbah, such as during the Treaty of Hudaybiyah and similar agreements
It has also been authentically reported in a hadith narrated by Buraydah that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) appointed a leader over an army or expedition, he would advise him specifically to fear Allah and to treat the Muslims with goodness.
He would say: “Fight in the name of Allah, in the path of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Fight, but do not steal from the war booty, do not betray, do not mutilate, and do not kill children. If you meet your enemy from the polytheists, invite them to three options.”
So whichever of these options they agree to, accept it from them and cease hostilities. Invite them to Islam, and if they accept, then agree with them and stop fighting them. Then call them to move from their homeland to the land of the emigrants (al-muhajirin). Inform them that if they do so, they will have the same rights and duties as the emigrants.
But if they refuse to move, tell them they will be like the Bedouin Muslims, subject to the same rulings from Allah as other believers, but they will not receive a share of the war booty or spoils unless they fight alongside the Muslims.
If they refuse this, then demand the jizyah. If they agree, accept it and refrain from further fighting. If they refuse, seek Allah’s help and fight them. If you lay siege to a fortress and they ask you to grant them the protection of Allah and His Prophet, do not give them the guarantee of Allah or His Prophet. Instead, grant them your own protection and that of your companions.
It is less serious for you to violate your own protection than to violate the protection of Allah and His Prophet. If you besiege a fortress and they ask to surrender under Allah’s judgment, do not agree to judge them by Allah’s decree. Instead, let them surrender under your own judgment, for you do not know whether you will correctly apply Allah’s decree regarding them or not.
Majmu Fatawa By Ibn Taymiyyah (19/20-22)
Ibn Rajab says that: Imam Muslim also narrated this from Jābir with the same wording as Abū Hurayrah, adding: “Then he recited, So remind, you are only a reminder; you are not over them as a controller” [Surah al-Ghāshiyah: 21].
The statement about protecting blood and wealth shows that the Prophet (ﷺ) accepted reverts through the two testimonies of faith alone. He would accept anyone who proclaimed Islam, without requiring immediate commitment to prayer or zakah. He even rebuked Usāmah ibn Zayd for killing someone who had said Lā ilāha illā Allāh
The Prophet ﷺ accepted people into Islam even with conditions – some stipulated they would not pay zakah, while others agreed to only pray certain prayers. As narrated from Jābir, when Thaqif made conditions about charity and fighting, the Prophet said: They will soon give charity and fight.
Imām Ahmad concluded that Islam is valid even with invalid conditions, though full compliance would eventually be required. He quoted examples like Hakim Ibn Hizam’s conditional pledge about prostration.
While some narrations suggest the Prophet required commitment to prayer and zakah for conversion, these are either weak or indicate these were subsequent obligations. When sending Muʿadh to Yemen, he instructed him to first call people to the testimonies, then teach about prayer and zakah afterward.
The core principle is that the testimonies alone protect one’s life and property. Additional obligations would follow, but were not prerequisites for entering Islam.
Some misunderstood this to mean non-Muslims must fulfill all obligations before being protected, but this contradicts what the Prophet ﷺ meant.
Translation: Imam Muslim also narrated this from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace be upon him), in the same wording as Abū Hurayrah’s first narration. He added at the end: “Then he recited, So remind, you are only a reminder; you are not over them as a controller” [Sūrat al-Ghashiyah: 21].
The statement “they have protected their blood and wealth from me” shows that at the time of this statement, he was commanded to fight and to kill those who rejected Islam. All of this occurred after the Prophet migrated to Madinah. It is well known that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would accept anyone who came to him desiring to enter Islam with the two testimonies of faith alone. By doing so, their blood was protected, and they were considered Muslim. He even rebuked Usāmah ibn Zayd for killing someone who had said La ilaha illa Allah when the sword was raised against him, and the Prophet strongly disapproved of this.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not require someone wanting to become Muslim to commit to prayer and zakah immediately. It was reported that he accepted Islam from people who conditioned that they would not pay zakah.
In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, it is narrated from Jabir that Thaqif made a condition with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) not to give charity (zakah) and not to fight, and the Prophet said: They will soon give charity and fight. It is also reported that a man from the tribe of Layth came to the Prophet, accepted Islam on the condition that he would only pray two prayers, and the Prophet accepted that from him.
Imam Ahmad relied on these narrations and stated that Islam is valid even if it is conditional on something invalid, but the person must eventually follow all of the teachings of Islam. He also quoted that Hakim ibn Hizām said: I pledged allegiance to the Prophet on the condition that I would only bow and not prostrate. Ahmad interpreted this to mean that he agreed to prostrate without bowing.
Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi recorded, through a very weak chain, from Anas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not accept anyone’s conversion to Islam unless they agreed to establish prayer and give zakah. These two acts were obligatory upon anyone who affirmed the Prophet and Islam, as stated in the verse: So if you do not do so, and Allah has forgiven you, establish prayer and give zakah [Sūrat al-Mujadilah: 13].
However, this narration is not established. Even if it were authentic, it would mean that anyone who entered Islam was eventually required to uphold prayer and zakah. This is true since the Prophet instructed Mu’adh, when sending him to Yemen, to first call the people to the two testimonies of faith. If they accepted, he was then to teach them about prayer and zakah. Thus, whoever became Muslim was subsequently commanded to perform prayer and pay zakah.
When asked about Islam, the Prophet would mention the other pillars of Islam along with the two testimonies, as he did when Jibril asked him about Islam, or when the desert Arab approached him disheveled and asked about Islam. Based on these points, it becomes clear that all the narrations on this topic are consistent and accurate. The two testimonies alone protect a person’s blood and wealth, making them Muslim.
If a person who entered Islam performed prayer, gave zakah, and followed the teachings of Islam, they would have the same rights and responsibilities as other Muslims. If they neglected some of these duties and belonged to a group with collective strength, they could be fought.
Some people misunderstood the hadith, thinking it meant a disbeliever must perform all these actions-testifying, praying, and paying zakah-before fighting them is permissible. They used this as evidence that non-Muslims are obligated to follow Islamic practices, but this view is not accurate. The Prophet’s practice in dealing with non-Muslims shows the opposite.
Jaami’ Al Uloom Wal Hikam Fi Sharh 50 Hadith By Ibn Rajab Pg 227-230
