behind the leader of the messengers and the master of Adam’s children, all of you; come to success by following the one in whose following lies true happiness, and to prosperity by joining the ranks of his supporters. He then gave the adhān, pronounced the iqāmah, withdrew, and said, “I will not leave you like orphans; I shall return and pray behind this imām. This is my covenant with you: if you uphold it, sovereignty will remain yours until the end of days.” (1)

May Allah bless that radiant herald who proclaimed his brother’s mission—upon them both be the finest prayers and peace (2)—and bless the brother who affirmed him, who cleared him of the slander, falsehood, and fabricated words that his wrath-incurring enemies hurled against him and his mother, just as he declared his Lord, Creator, and Sender exalted above what the Trinitarians, worshippers of the cross, attribute to Him of deficiency, imperfection, and blame.

To proceed:

Indeed, Allah—exalted be His praise, sanctified be His Names, blessed be His Name, lofty is His majesty, and there is no deity besides Him—has made Islam a safeguard for whoever seeks refuge (3) in it and a shield for whoever clings to it with firmest resolve. It is His sacred sanctuary: whoever enters it is secure; His impregnable fortress: whoever takes shelter within it is among the victorious; whereas whoever remains outside it is among the doomed. He refuses to accept from anyone any religion other than it—even if one were to exhaust all his effort and strength in pursuing another path (4)—and He caused it to triumph over every religion until it enveloped the horizons of East and West, traveled across the lands as the sun travels, and reached every place touched by night and day.