Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (SAW), whenever He faced the enemy, before combating them, would say: Oh Allah! Indeed we are your servants and they are your servants; our forelocks and their forelocks [i.e. control over us and them] are in your hand; oh Allah! Subdue them and grant us victory over them. From this it is evident that every warrior ought to emulate the Messenger of Allah (SAW) in issuing the call to people [du’a] at the time of fighting. And whenever the Muslims faced the Idolaters, if it was a group which had not been made aware of Islam, they were not to fight them until giving the du’a to them. If they had already been made aware of Islam, but did not know that we take jizya from them, then we were not to fight them until giving the du’a to them regarding giving jizya; this is what the Messenger of Allah (SAW) ordered the commanders of the army, and was the last thing by which fighting could be halted.