of Hajar, who were not People of the Scripture, as al-Bukhari relates. A further proof is the ḥadīth of Burayda ibn al-Ḥuṣayb, recorded by Muslim, that whenever the Prophet ﷺ appointed a commander over an army or a raiding party he would counsel him and those with him from among the Muslims to act with excellence. Among what he mentioned in that report was: he should first invite them to Islam; if they refuse, then demand the jizya; if they still refuse, then fight them. The sound position is that this ruling applies across the board. For that reason, when ʿAlī asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Shall I fight them until they become like us?” he did not answer, “Yes, fight them until they are like us.” Instead, he directed him to do only what he had been commanded and to proceed calmly until he reached their vicinity.

His words “alā rislik” (“proceed calmly”) mean: do not hurry lest you weary yourself, the army, and those with you; rather, move deliberately until you camp near them—that is, until you draw alongside them.

The Prophet ﷺ then said: “Next, call them to Islam and inform them of the rights of Allah that are due therein.” Thus he ﷺ charged him with two matters:

1. The call to Islam: he should simply say to them, “Embrace Islam,” if they already understand what Islam is, and that will suffice. If they do not, he must clarify that Islam is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to give the zakāt, to fast during Ramaḍān, and to perform pilgrimage to the House.

2. He added: “and inform them of the obligations that Allah, Exalted is He, has imposed upon them with respect to it.”