Classical Sources Proving the Continuity of Muhammad’s War Doctrine

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1. Reliance of the Traveller (‘Umdat al-Salik)

Legal Manual of the Shafi‘i School, certified by Al-Azhar University.

On Offensive Jihad:

“Jihad is a communal obligation (fard kifaya)... to make war upon non-Muslims...”
(Reliance, o9.1–o9.9)

On Apostasy:

“When a person who has reached puberty and is sane voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed.”
(Reliance, o8.1)

On Dhimmis:

Non-Muslims must be humiliated, pay jizya, and are forbidden to publicly practice religion.
(Reliance, o11.1–11.11)

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2. Malik’s Muwatta

Imam Malik (d. 795), founder of the Maliki madhhab, codified Medina’s practices—many directly linked to Muhammad’s actions.

On War Booty:

“Captured women may be taken as concubines.”
(Muwatta, Book 21, Hadith 3)

On Jizya and Dhimmitude:

“Umar imposed a tax on the people of the Book... humiliation upon them.”
(Muwatta, Book 17, Hadith 4)

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3. Al-Shafi‘i’s Risala

Foundational text for the Shafi‘i legal school, one of the most influential Sunni traditions.

On the Prophet’s Legal Authority:

“Everything the Prophet ordered is obligatory... his commands are law.”
(Risala, §289–291)

On Fighting Non-Muslims:

“Fight those who do not believe in Allah... until they pay the jizya.”
Based on Qur’an 9:29 and Hadith traditions integrated into Shafi‘i legal reasoning.

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4. Al-Mawardi’s Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya (The Ordinances of Government)

Written under the Abbasids, this manual outlines ideal Islamic governance.

On Caliphal Duties:

“The Imam must prepare armies... and wage jihad against those who resist Islam.”
(Al-Ahkam, Chapter on Jihad)

On the Dhimmi System:

Dhimmis must be “subdued” and treated with “contempt” to preserve Islamic supremacy.
(Al-Ahkam, Chapter on Non-Muslims)

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5. Ottoman Legal Codices (Kanun and Sharia Integration)

On Slavery and Devshirme:

• The Devshirme system (enslavement and Islamization of Christian boys) was sanctioned as a form of jihad and enforced by Sharia courts.

• Legal defense of the practice found in Ottoman fatwas by scholars like Ebu's-su'ud Efendi.

On Governance:

• The Kanun (civil law) was always subordinate to Sharia. Ottoman Grand Muftis issued binding fatwas ensuring all state actions aligned with Hanafi jurisprudence.

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6. Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328) – The Salafi bridge between medieval and modern jihad

On Apostasy:

“There is no dispute among scholars that apostates must be killed.”
(Majmu’ al-Fatawa, Vol. 28, p. 534)

On Jihad Against the World:

“The purpose of jihad is not only to repel aggression... but to establish Islam everywhere.”
(Majmu’ al-Fatawa, Vol. 28, p. 417)

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📚 Conclusion: The Legal Chain is Unbroken

This appendix reveals that:

• Muhammad’s war doctrine was not abandoned—it was engraved into law.

• Each Islamic empire took his blueprint and embedded it deeper into institutional and religious life.

• No major classical jurist or legal tradition ever repudiated offensive jihad, death for apostasy, or the subjugation of non-Muslims. Instead, they canonized it.

Islamic apologists claim the Prophet’s legacy was “misunderstood.” The reality is that it was understood too well—by those who built an empire on his words.