what he denied. As for the unbeliever who disbelieved by denying the religion in its origin, if he testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and restricts himself to that, there are two narrations [in our school]. The first is that he is ruled to be a Muslim, because it is narrated that a Jew said: "I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," then he died, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Pray for your companion." And because he does not acknowledge the message of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) except that he is simultaneously acknowledging the One who sent him and His oneness, for he has confirmed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in what he brought, and he has brought [the message of] His oneness. The second [narration] is that if he was an acknowledger of monotheism, like the Jews, he is ruled to be a Muslim, because the oneness of Allah is established in his case, and he has added to it the acknowledgement of the message of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), thus his Islam is complete. But if he was not a monotheist, like the Christians, the Magians, and the polytheists, he is not ruled to be a Muslim until he testifies that there is no god but Allah. Most of the reports support this, and it is the correct view, because for one who denies two things, his denial does not cease except by his acknowledgement of both together. If he says: "I testify that the Prophet is the Messenger of Allah," we do not rule him to be a Muslim, because it is possible he intends someone other than our Prophet. If he says: "I am a believer" or "I am a Muslim," the Judge said: He is ruled to be a Muslim by this, even if he does not utter the two testimonies, because they are names for a known, defined thing, which is the two testimonies; so when he informs about himself with what includes the two testimonies, he is informing of them. Al-Miqdad narrated that he said: "O Messenger of Allah, [tell me, if] I meet a man of the unbelievers and he fights me, and he strikes one of my hands with a sword and severs it, then he seeks refuge from me behind a tree and says: 'I have submitted (aslamtu).' Shall I kill him, O Messenger of Allah, after he has said it?" He said: "Do not kill him; for if you kill him, he is in your position before you killed him, and you are in his position before he said the word which he said." And from Imran
(7) Extracted by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of If a Child Becomes a Muslim and Dies, Is the Funeral Prayer Performed for Him?, from the Book of Funerals. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/118. And Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Visiting the Dhimmi, from the Book of Funerals. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/164. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 3/260, 280. And al-Bayhaqi, in: The Chapter on the Muslim Visiting the Non-Muslim... from the Book of Funerals. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 3/383. (8) In the original: "shahida" (he testified). (9) In B and M: "jahada" (he denied). (10) In the original: "inni" (I). (11) In the original there is an addition: "laka" (for you).
