would not desist until clear evidence came to them.”

And His words:

“Indeed, those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever. They are the worst of creation.”

And His words, exalted is He:

“And say to those who were given the Scripture and to those without scripture, ‘Have you submitted yourselves to Allah?’ If they submit, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message.”

Since Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was sent, everyone belongs either to those who were given the Scripture or to those without scripture. Every nation that is not among those who were given the Scripture belongs to those without scripture. These include the Arabs without scripture, the Khazars, the Slavs, the Indians, the black African peoples, and other nations possessing no scripture. All these are peoples without scripture, and the Messenger was sent to them just as he was sent to the Arabs without scripture.

His words, “And say to those who were given the Scripture”—addressing only those living in the Prophet’s time, after abrogation and alteration—show that whoever professes the religion of the Jews or Christians belongs to those who were given the Scripture. This expression is not restricted to those who adhered to it before abrogation and alteration, nor is there any distinction between their descendants and the descendants of others.

For if their descendants are among those who were given the Scripture after abrogation and alteration, then the same applies to others, when all of them are disbelievers. He has designated them as those who were given the Scripture in His words, “And say to those who were given the Scripture.” This address is directed only to those whom the Prophet’s message has reached, not to those who have died.

This shows that His words, “And the food of those who were given the Scripture,” encompass all these people. This is the position of the majority of the early and later generations, and the position of Mālik and Abū Hanīfah. It is also the position explicitly stated by Ahmad in most of his responses. His statements differed only concerning the Christians of Banū Taghlib. According to the later of the two reports from him, it is permissible to marry their women and eat the animals they slaughter, as is the position of the majority of the Companions.