The Prophet's written charge to Amr ibn Hazm on sending him to Yemen

A letter the Prophet wrote to Amr ibn Hazm when he sent him to Yemen, setting out his charge and the instructions he was to follow. See the sending of Amr ibn Hazm. ¹

It opens with the basmala, then states: this is a declaration from God and His Messenger, and it cites the verse al-Ma'ida 1 on fulfilling contracts. Then: a charge from Muhammad the Prophet, Messenger of God, to Amr ibn Hazm when he sent him to Yemen. ¹ He orders him to fear God in all his affairs, to act with the truth as God commanded him, to bring good news to people and command them to it, to teach people the Qur'an and give them understanding of it, and to forbid people from touching the Qur'an unless they are in a state of purity. He is to tell people what is theirs and what is due from them, to be gentle with people in matters of truth and firm with them against injustice, for God dislikes injustice and forbids it. He cites the verse Hud 18, and he is to give people good news of Paradise and its deeds, warn them of the Fire and its deeds, and win people over until they understand the religion. ^{1 2}

He orders him to teach people the rites and the sunna and the obligations of the pilgrimage; the greater pilgrimage is the hajj, and the lesser is the umra. ² He forbids anyone to pray in a single small garment, unless it is a garment whose two ends are wrapped over the shoulders, and forbids anyone to sit wrapped in a single garment with the private parts exposed, or to tie up the hair of the head at the back. ² When there is unrest among people, he forbids calling to tribes and clans; their call should be to God alone, and whoever calls to tribes and clans is to be struck with the sword until their call is to God alone. ² He orders complete ablution: the face and hands up to the elbows, the feet up to the ankles, and wiping the head; and the prayer at its time, with full bowing, prostration and humility: the dawn prayer is performed in the early dark, the midday prayer is delayed when the sun declines, the afternoon prayer is performed while the sun is still in the sky, the sunset prayer is performed when night comes and is not delayed until the stars appear, and the night prayer at the start of the night. He also orders going to the Friday prayer when called to it, and washing before going to it. ² The editors confirm that the word "prostration" is missing in one of the copies. ²

He orders him to take the fifth of the spoils that belongs to God, and the alms due from the believers on produce: a tenth of what is watered by springs or rain, and half a tenth of what is watered by bucket. For every ten camels there are two sheep, for every twenty there are four sheep; for every forty cattle there is one cow, and for every thirty a yearling bull; for every forty free-grazing sheep there is one sheep. This is God's obligation on the believers for alms, and whoever gives more has done better. ² Whoever among Jews or Christians embraces Islam sincerely, and follows the religion of Islam, is among the believers, with the same rights and duties as they have; whoever keeps to his Christianity or Judaism is not turned from it. Every adult, male or female, free or slave, owes a full dinar, or its equivalent in cloth, as tribute. Whoever pays it has the protection of God and His Messenger; whoever refuses is an enemy of God, His Messenger and all the believers. ^{2 3}

Ibn Ishaq gives the whole text of the charge over two pages. The museum records its content in its own words. The camel rates in it are worded differently from those in the letter of Himyar (two sheep for every ten camels and four for every twenty). ^{2 4} Ibn Hajar reports that his son Muhammad transmitted from him a book containing the obligations, the alms and the blood-money, which Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i and others recorded. ⁵