Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 97
97 whenever he sent out a party to meet the enemy, would advise its commander, saying: “Go and fight in the way of Allah, in His Name and be not dishonest and break not the covenant with the enemy and mutilate not their dead and kill neither their children nor their women. ” ( S S S S a hih hih hih hih Muslim, Book of Jihad and Expeditions, Chapter: Ruler appointing leaders of expeditions and advising them of the Manners of War) Explanatory Notes The attitude of the companions and of the succeeding generations of Muslims in their wars has been manifestly governed by this blessed observation of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Islam took up the sword in answer to the cruelties perpetrated by the disbelievers and to their acts of aggression. But in the subsequent stages, Muslims deported themselves towards their unjust enemies so nobly that history fails to furnish an example comparable to the ethical excellence of their conduct. Among Arabs, the slaughter of women and children was a very common practice; in fact, since the establishment of Mosaic Law, it had become widespread in large parts of the world. Besides this, it was customary among Arabs to exult, in a barbarous fashion, in the mutilation of the dead enemy by cutting off their noses and other limbs. This evil custom was known as ‘Muthlah’. The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) forcefully forbade all these barbarities, enjoining decent treatment of the enemy instead and, by declaring dishonesty, treachery, and breach of agreement, totally unlawful acts, he laid in the world the foundations of a lofty code of social behaviour.