toward the believers, firm against the disbelievers, striving in the cause of Allah and fearing no one’s blame. That is Allah’s bounty, which He grants to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, undertook numerous military expeditions, in nine of which fighting took place, including Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Khaybar, and Hunayn.

The Muslims were defeated at Uhud; at Hunayn they fled and then rallied. Allah granted them victory at Badr when they were weak, and they were besieged at the Trench until Allah repelled those enemies from them. Throughout these engagements, the believers—the people of the Suffa and others—were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. They never fought alongside the disbelievers. Those among the misguided and the hypocrites who entertain and voice this notion fall into two groups:

(One group consists of hypocrites, even though they outwardly profess Islam and some of them practise asceticism and worship. They imagine that there is a path to Allah other than believing in the Messenger and following him, and that some of Allah’s close servants have no need to follow the Messenger, just as al-Khidr had no need to follow Moses. Among them are those who consider their shaykh, scholar, or king superior to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, either absolutely or in certain attributes of perfection. These people are hypocrites and disbelievers who must be put to death after the proof has been established against them.

For Allah Most High sent Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to all humans and jinn, including their ascetics and kings. Moses, peace be upon him, however, was sent only to