until they say that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. If they say this, their lives and property are protected from me, except as required by its right.’

He then imposed the obligatory duties upon them, which proves what we have stated.”)

[Ibn Taymiyya’s commentary]

I say:

Many followers of the four imams make statements like this. Yet it is well known that the four imams themselves expressed neither this view nor that view. Rather, such statements were made by those among their followers who pursued the paths mentioned above.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not begin by calling anyone to inquiry, nor merely to establishing the existence of the Creator. Rather, the first thing to which he called them was the two testimonies of faith, and he instructed his Companions to do likewise.

Thus, in the hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon, he said to Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, when sending him to Yemen:

“You are going to a people of the Book. Let the first thing to which you call them be the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they obey you in this, inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers each day and night. If they comply with this, inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them charity to be taken from their rich and distributed among their poor.”