Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, "I am commanded to fight with men till they testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God's messenger, observe the prayer and pay the zakat. When they do that they will keep their lives and their property safe from me, except for what is due to Islam; and their reckoning will be at God’s hands.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but Muslim did not mention, "except for what is due to Islam”.)
The Command to Fight Until Shahadah is Established
This hadith establishes the fundamental Islamic principle that fighting is ordained not for worldly gain but to remove obstacles preventing people from accepting Islam's truth. The Prophet's mission was to deliver the message, and combat becomes necessary only when polytheists actively prevent its propagation or persecute believers.
The Four Pillars of Protection
The hadith specifies four conditions for protection of life and property: Testimony of Faith (Shahadah), establishment of prayer (Salah), payment of alms (Zakat), and fulfillment of Islam's other obligations. These represent the minimum requirements for one to be considered within the Muslim community's protection.
The phrase "except for what is due to Islam" refers to obligations like qisas (retribution), hudud (prescribed punishments), and financial duties that remain applicable even after embracing Islam. This demonstrates Islam's comprehensive justice system.
Spiritual vs. Worldly Authority
The concluding statement "their reckoning will be at God's hands" delineates the limits of temporal authority. While Islamic governance ensures outward compliance with Shariah, ultimate judgment of inner faith and intentions belongs solely to Allah. This protects against the religious persecution common in other traditions.
Contextual Understanding
Scholars emphasize this ruling applied specifically to Arab polytheists during the revelation period. People of other faiths (Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians) were granted protection through jizyah (poll tax) without requiring conversion, as established in other authentic texts.