Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (3/279)

The Prophet ﷺ also said, in the report transmitted by Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both): “I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and pay the zakah. When they do so, their blood and property are inviolable to me, and their reckoning is with Allah.”

Accordingly, our judgments rest upon outward indications. If someone declares that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishes the prayer, and pays the zakah, his life and property are protected and his account is with Allah, for we can only act on what is apparent.

Likewise, anyone who merely says “There is no deity but Allah” has his blood and wealth declared sacrosanct, exactly as the Prophet ﷺ stated.

The author then cites two remarkable hadiths, each containing an extraordinary incident.

The first is the narration of al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: “Messenger of Allah, suppose I encounter a man from the polytheists, fight him, and he strikes me with his sword, severing my hand. Then he seeks refuge behind a tree and says, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.’ May I kill him?”

The Prophet replied, “Do not kill him.” This, even though he was a disbeliever who had cut off the hand of a Muslim, fled behind a tree, and then proclaimed, “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.” Al-Miqdad repeated, “Shall I kill him?”

The Prophet answered, “Do not kill him, for if you do you will be as he was before he uttered that statement,” meaning that you would fall into disbelief.

Although you and I would assume that the man uttered the testimony of faith merely out of fear of death, the Prophet still said, “Do not kill him,” thereby safeguarding his life and property.

This hadith also demonstrates that whatever wealth the unbelievers destroy

وقال النبي ﵊ فيما رواه ابن عمر ﵄: ((أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمداً رسول الله، ويقيموا الصلاة، ويؤتوا الزكاة، فإذا فعلوا ذلك عصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم، وحسابهم على الله)) . وبذلك يكون العمل بالظواهر؛ فإذا شهد إنسان أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمداً رسول الله، وأقام الصلاة، وآتى الزكاة؛ عصم دمه وماله، وحسابه على الله؛ فليس لنا إلا الظاهر. وكذلك أيضا من قال لا إله إلا الله؛ حرم دمه وماله، هكذا قال النبي ﵊. ثم ذكر المؤلف حديثين عجيبين فيهما قصتان عجيبتان: الأول: حديث المقداد بن الأسود ﵁ قال: يا رسول الله، إن لقيت رجلاً من المشركين، فقاتلته، فضربني بالسيف حتى قطع يدي، ثم لاذ مني بشجرة، ثم قال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله. أفأقتله؟ قال: ((لا تقتله)) وهو مشرك قطع يد رجل مسلم، ولاذ بالشجرة، وقال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله. قال: أأقتله؟ قال ((لا تقتله)) ، فإن قتلته فأنت مثله قبل أن يقول هذه الكلمة، يعني تكون كافراً. مع العلم بأني أنا وأنتم، نظن أن هذا الرجل قال أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله خوفاً من القتل، ومع ذلك يقول: لا تقتله، فعصم دمه وماله. وفي هذا الحديث أيضاً الدليل على أن ما أتلفه الكفار من أموال