(49) He said, “O Muhammad.” He addressed him by his personal name and did not say, “O Messenger of Allah.” He most likely did this—peace be upon him—so that the Companions would assume he was a desert Arab; Bedouins customarily call the Prophet by name, following their native habits. This increased the strangeness of the encounter and concealed his identity, so they would not recognise him. He then added, “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam,” that is, “Explain to me the meaning of Islam.” (50) The Prophet replied: “Islam is that you testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, give the zakat, fast Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to find a way to it.” In this answer the Prophet ﷺ listed the indispensable pillars of Islam: once these are fulfilled, a person’s Islam is realised, while anything beyond them is supplementary. He confined his reply to these pillars because a concise answer is easier for both learner and listener, and thus more accessible.