Embrace Islam or Else: Prophet Muhammad’s Ultimatums to Foreign Kings
M. A. Khan
Muhammad used to send threatening letters to foreign kings to embrace Islam, warning that should they reject his invitation — they would be attacked and their kingdoms snatched away. He matched his words with actions.Recently, reader Muslim and Proud commented on verse 9:29:
(9:29) “Fight with those from among the people of the Book, who do not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day; who do not make unlawful that which Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful, and do not adopt the Right way as their way. Fight with them until they pay Jizyah with their own hands and are humbled.”
Pay attention to the last sentence. Fight them UNTIL they pay Jizyah. Islamic law is clear on Jizyah. If it is not paid ONLY THEN does a Muslim have the right to fight the people of the book.
He suggests that this verse talks about fighting the People of the Book – namely Jews and Christians – of an Islamic state or under Muslim control, if they refuse to pay jizya. When non-Muslims are already under Islamic rule, Muslims don’t have to fight them if they refuse to pay jizya. They will be punished by the state.
So, I responded that this verse means: “In the case, people of the book refuse to accept invitation to Islam, fighting should be initiated to occupy their lands and force them to pay jizya.”
When he rejected my interpretation, I added: “We have lots of reference of Muhammad sending letters to Christian kings around Arabia, including emperor Heraclius of Byzantium – demanding that those kings embrace Islam. If they didn’t, Muhammad waged Jihad expeditions against them.”
Suggesting that I was lying about Muhammad, Muslim and Proud wrote: “Please provide just 3 references, where it is categorically ‘demanded’ that they “embrace Islam or face the consequences of war.”
And when I couldn’t reply quickly enough, he wrote: “Did you manage to find the 3 references Mr Khan? Considering you have “lots” of them, it should not take so long to share them? Maybe you were just being a complete a******e (asshole) and you don’t actually have any reference? I’m waiting in any case.”
Here, I’m presenting Muhammad’s threatening letters to foreign kings and emperors.
Let me first cite what Allah says about inviting Kuffars to Islam. I repeat that Quran 9:29 clearly says that, after receiving invitation to Islam, if the people of the book do not embrace Islam and follow the Islamic way, they must be fought and humbled, and willingly pay jizya. Similarly, elsewhere Allah says (Quran 59.3-4):
And had it not been that Allah had decreed banishment for them, He would certainly have punished them in this world: And in the Hereafter they shall (certainly) have the Punishment of the Fire. Read the rest on:
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