ISLAM SPREADS IN ARABIA
The Letter of Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote the following letter to the Banū Ḥadath: “Whoever from the Ḥadath tribe of the Lahm becomes Muslim, performs the prayer, gives the zakat (zakāt, obligatory almsgiving), pays the share of Allah and His Messenger from the spoils, and separates himself from the polytheists (mushrikūn, those who commit shirk—associating partners with God), is under the protection of Allah and the protection of Allah’s Messenger Muḥammad. Whoever turns back from his religion will be deprived of the protection of Allah and the protection of Allah’s Messenger Muḥammad. As for the one for whom a Muslim will testify that he is a Muslim, he too is under the protection of Muḥammad, is safe and secure, and is among the Muslims. The letter was written by ʿAbdullāh b. Zayd.” [267]