inside, and we entered. They had asked to repent of their past conduct, and the emir asked me what I required of them. I replied:

“That they follow the Book and the Sunnah. For example, no one should believe that he is not obliged to follow them, that anyone may depart from their rulings, or anything of that kind; nor should he believe that it is permissible to follow a path contrary to any of their rulings, or hold similar views constituting departures from the Book and the Sunnah that entail disbelief. Departures may also warrant execution without constituting disbelief, or warrant fighting a group that refuses compliance without warranting the execution of an individual under one’s control.”

They said, “We are committed to the Book and the Sunnah. Do you object to anything about us besides the collars? We will take them off.”

I replied, “The collars and other such things are not the particular point at issue. The purpose is for all Muslims to obey Allah and His Messenger, may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace.”

The emir said, “What, then, does the Book and the Sunnah require of them?”

I replied, “The rulings of the Book and the Sunnah are too numerous to mention in this gathering. What is required, however, is that they make a general commitment to abide by them, and whoever departs from them is to be beheaded”—he repeated this and gestured towards the square.

The intention was that this should be a general ruling applying to everyone. This was a widely known public gathering that had attracted considerable attention, so it would become firmly established among the soldiers, administrative officials, scholars, devout worshippers, these men, and those in authority that whoever departed from the Book and the Sunnah would be beheaded.