The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never fought any people until he had first invited them (to Islam)
Narrator in the source: Ibn ‘Abbās
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never fought any people until he had first invited them (to Islam).- Grade in the source
- Authentic
- Reported by
- Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Bayhaqi
- Source entry
- HadeethEnc · 65884 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: مَا قَاتَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَوْمًا قَطُّ حَتَّى يَدْعُوَهُمْ.Understand this hadith
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) never began fighting any people until he had first invited them to Islam; if they did not respond to his call, then he fought them.
Lessons from the hadith
- The requirement to invite people to Islam before engaging in combat, if Islam has not yet reached them.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) would invite people to Islam; if they refused, he would offer them the option of paying Jizyah (protection tax); if they refused that, he would fight them—as reported in other Hadīths.
- The wisdom behind Jihad is to bring people into Islam, not out of desire for their lives, wealth, or lands.
References (original Arabic)
مسند أحمد (4/ 16) (2105). السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (9/ 181) (18232). تحفة الأحوذي (5/ 130).