that he called the People of the Book to believe in him; that he ruled as unbelievers those among them who refused to believe; that he commanded they be fought until they embraced Islam or paid the jizyah with their own hands while humbled; that he fought them himself and through his military detachments; that he imposed the jizyah on them, killed their fighting men, captured their children, and seized their wealth. He laid siege to Banū Qaynuqāʿ and then expelled them to Adhraʿāt; he laid siege to Banū al-Naḍīr and then drove them to Khaybar, upon which Allah revealed Sūrat al-Hashr. He then besieged Banū Qurayẓah when they violated the treaty, executed their men, took their women captive, and confiscated their property—Allah has mentioned this in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb. He fought the people of Khaybar until he conquered it, killed such of their men as were killed, took such of their women and children captive as were taken, and distributed their land among the believers—Allah has alluded to this in Sūrat al-Fatḥ. He levied the jizyah on the Christians, and concerning them Allah revealed Sūrat Āl ʿImrān. He campaigned against the Christians in the year of Tabūk, during which Sūrat al-Barāʾah was revealed. In the majority of the Medinan chapters—such as al-Baqarah, Āl ʿImrān, al-Nisāʾ, al-Māʾidah, and many others—there is so much material addressing and inviting the People of the Book that recounting it all would exceed the scope of this discussion.
His successors after him—Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and the Emigrants and Helpers who accompanied them, who are known to have been the most devoted followers of his way, the most obedient to his commands, and the most faithful to his covenant—waged war against the Byzantines just as they did against the Persians. They fought the People of the Book just as they fought the Magians: they engaged those who fought them and imposed the jizyah on those who rendered it with their own hands while humbled.
Among the rigorously authentic reports from him is his saying ﷺ: “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, no Jew or Christian of this ummah hears of me and then fails to believe in me but that he shall enter the Fire.” Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said, “Its confirmation is in the Book of Allah, exalted be He: ‘Whoever disbelieves in it among the factions—the Fire will be his appointed place’ ⦗1⦘.” The meaning of this hadith is mass-transmitted from him and is known beyond doubt.
If this is the case, it necessarily follows that he ﷺ is a messenger to every group, for he affirms that he is Allah’s Messenger to the People of the Book and to others besides them; a Messenger of Allah does not lie, nor does he fight people