Islam - Peaceful Religion — Page 11
Wars and principles and regulations When the Holy Prophet (sa) engaged in a battle, he used to firmly order that: z No woman be killed; z No children be killed; z The old not be impeded; z Nothing be said to the refugees, monks or hermits; z No person be set on fire; z No animal be killed; z No tree be cut down; z Unlike your enemy, no person’s nose or ear be cut off. Then having been victorious, he used to proclaim: z No injured be killed; z Do not pursue unnecessarily anyone who escapes. Then in connection with prisoners of war, he used to ask for their kind treatment. ‘Thus the prisoners taken after the Battle of Badr themselves admitted that: By God! The Muslims walked on foot while we were made to ride, they remained hungry themselves whilst they fed us, they remained thirsty while they gave us water. ’ (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Daud) Those who call Islam a belligerent, trigger happy and extremist religion should think whether a belligerent religion can give this kind of teaching. Do not toss the action of a few people and organisations into the lap of Islam and call it Islam. Today, in this age when man considers himself highly advanced and under-standing should ask himself whether these high values manifest themselves when bombs rain down from the skies, when missiles are fired on cities and dwellings. How much blood is shed of innocent lives in this indiscriminate bombardment which falls here and kills one here and another one there? In areas where there is anarchy, each day there are funerals of the old, women and children. Such news is not hidden from our eyes. P AGE 11 Islam Ð A Religion of Peace. . this commandment of war is for defensive war and to end evil and that is why it is stated that when they desist, then you are not to engage in battle with them because your true job is to establish peace. So even in the permission for war, we have been given a beautiful principle of defence and making peace. ’