mentioned in His words:

“Of these, four are sacred.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 36]

Whoever says otherwise has committed an error well known to the scholars, as explained at length in the appropriate place.

When Allah commanded that the People of the Book be fought until they paid the jizyah with willing submission, being humbled, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took jizyah from the Magians. The Muslims unanimously agreed that it should be taken from the People of the Book and the Magians.

The scholars differed concerning the remaining disbelievers, holding three views:

One view is that, thereafter, all of them are to be fought until they pay the jizyah with willing submission, being humbled, unless they embrace Islam. This is Mālik’s view.

Another view excludes the Arab polytheists from this provision. This is the view of Abū Hanīfah and of Ahmad according to one of the two reports from him.

A third view restricts this provision to the People of the Book and those with a possible claim to scripture. This is the view of al-Shāfi‘ī and of Ahmad according to another report from him.

The first and second views agree in substance, for the verse concerning jizyah was not revealed until after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had finished fighting the Arab polytheists. His last campaign against the Arabs was the campaign of al-Tā’if, which followed Hunayn; Hunayn, in turn, followed the conquest of Mecca. All of this occurred in the year 8. In the ninth year, he campaigned against the Christians during the expedition to Tabūk. In that year, Surah “Barā’ah” was revealed, in which he was commanded \ to fight them until they paid the jizyah with willing submission, being humbled.

“Whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appointed a commander over an army or a raiding party, he instructed him to fight them until they paid the jizyah with willing submission, being humbled,” as reported by Muslim