208 — Muʿādh, may Allah be pleased with him, related: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me and said, ‘You are going to a people who are from the People of the Book. Call them to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. If they accept that, then inform them that Allah has made five prayers obligatory for them each day and night. If they comply, tell them that Allah has ordained a charity to be taken from their wealthy and distributed to their poor. Should they obey you in that, then beware of taking the choicest of their possessions, and fear the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.’ ” Agreed upon.

Explanation
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—quotes the hadith of Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me to Yemen.” This dispatch took place in Rabīʿ of the tenth year after the Hijrah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, sent him to Yemen, whose inhabitants were People of the Scripture, and told him, “You are going to a people from the People of the Book.” He informed him of their condition so that he would be prepared, for anyone who debates the People of the Book must possess arguments that are stronger and more numerous than those he uses with a polytheist; the polytheist is ignorant, whereas the recipient of revelation has knowledge. He also acquainted him with their situation so that Muʿādh would accord them their proper status and argue with them in the fairest manner.

The Prophet then directed him to the very first matter he should invite them to: monotheism and acknowledgment of the Prophetic mission. He said, “Call them to testify that there is no deity but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah”—that is, that they bear witness there is no deity rightfully worshipped except Allah, exalted is He.