—in accordance with the laws of Islam, for the people of his land were Christians who would not allow him to manifest those laws publicly. It has even been said that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—performed the funeral prayer for him when he died for precisely this reason: there was no one there who could pray over him in a large, open congregation in the way Muslims customarily pray over their dead.

Because of this, he was counted among the People of the Scripture despite his faith in the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—much like someone who believes in the Prophet while living in enemy territory, yet is unable to emigrate to the land of Islam or to observe the outward prescriptions of Islamic law. Such a person does whatever he is able and is excused from what lies beyond his capacity, just as the Exalted One says:

“If he belongs to a people at enmity with you and he is a believer, then the expiation is to free a believing slave” (Al-Nisāʾ 4:92).

Thus a man may outwardly appear to be one of the unbelievers while inwardly remaining a believer, as was the case with the believer from Pharaoh’s household. Allah, Exalted is He, also says: