their blood and their property, except as required by right.”) (1).

Allah Most High says:

“When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakat, then let them go their way.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 5]

(2 Thus, He commanded that they be allowed to go their way if they repented of polytheism, established prayer, and gave zakat 2) (2).

(3 [He likewise said this to Alī when he sent him to Khaybar] 3) (3).

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—likewise dealt with the disbelievers by sparing their blood when they repented of unbelief; he never mentioned the Imamate to them at all. Allah Most High then says:

“But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakat, then they are your brothers in religion.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 11]

Thus, He made them brothers in religion through repentance (4 and through establishing prayer and giving zakat, without mentioning the Imamate at all. It is established by mass transmission 4) (4) that (5), during the time of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—whenever the disbelievers embraced Islam, he applied the rulings of Islam to them and did not mention the Imamate to them—