8th Hadith - Sanctity of a Muslim (Bukhari: 25)

الحديث الثامن

 عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُوْلُ اللهِ، وَيُقِيْمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكاَةَ، فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ عَصَمُوا  مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَـهُمْ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّ الإِسْلاَمِ وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالىَ

[رواه البخاري ومسلم ]

8th Hadith Translation

On the authority of Abdullah-Ibn-Umar (R.A.): The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said,

"I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and until they establish the Salah and pay the Zakat. And if they do that then they will have gained protection from me for their lives and property, unless [they commit acts that are punishable] in Islam, and their reckoning will be with Allah." 

(Bukhari: 25)

Brief Narration

There are different opinions by Scholars about the word "People" used in this Hadith. Some says that it refers to the Arab polytheists, other opinion is that it refers to all people except “Ahl-e-Kitab” (people of the book i-e true Islamic believers) and the third opinion interprets the hadith as saying that people have to accept the domination or supremacy of Islam (that Islam is the dominant religion). This objective is to be achieved by whatever means, whether it is through fighting or through peaceful agreements.

Islam is the only true religion. It is the truth; it is the path of Allah. Since the earth was created, evil has always been fighting against truth. The truth has to be protected and it needs power to protect it. This is the main philosophy of Jihad in Islam i-e establish and maintain justice and truth.

(Reference: Commentary of Forty Hadiths of An-Nawawi by Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi)