Let Malik be a pagan deserved the murder...

Let Malik be a pagan deserved the murder; it is not our concern to blame Malik what he deserved and what he was deprived of as long as the prestige of Khalid is protected and he guarded from censure! Omar Bin Khattab wanted to punish Khalid for murdering Malik and debauchery with the wife of the murdered. But Abu Baker refrained from doing so. The excuse he put forward was this: "Khalid endeavored but erred." The error of the endeavorers should be respected?

This is from the early pages of a long record of Abu Baker. He openly violated the law of Islam. Mutam'mam, brother of Malik, upbraided Abu Baker in these lines: "You called him to God; Then killed him for what? Had he called you by any odd? Have never used a cheating rod." Abu Baker only lied in reply: "I did not call him nor did I kill him." The history extenuates Malik. But some of the writers of this time insist upon his pagan hood because of their insistence to defend Khalid.

Well, who are the 'People of Rejection' other than those? Those who refused the 'ZAKAT!' Who are they? Their names? Names of their tribes? I wish one had pointed them to me. I delved in history. The history gathers, groups, gleans, and sifts; but no name comes out other than the already mentioned ones.

There is a well-known saying of Abu Baker: "If I am restricted by tying my knees; yet, I shall fight them for it."2 He uttered these words to a delegation of Taliha (who had claimed the prophet hood) to announce their compromise which was that they eschew the ZAKAT but perform the prayers. Accordingly it could be supposed that there might have had been other several unknown groups too who did not undergo the yoke of ZAKAT while they did perform the prayers.

It is just disobedience; and not pagan hood or disowning God. Had it been so they would have not prayed either? When they prayed; they have worshipped God. So how can they be termed as pagans? There is no proof to indicate their disowning the ZAKAT as obligation. As such they can not be said to have rejected the essentialities of religion and, therefore, can not be classified as pagans.

The thing that is known about them (if ever they existed other than those who had claimed prophet hood) was their unwillingness to pay the ZAKAT.