The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 81
II - Commencement of Jihād by the Sword & Fundamental Discussion on Jihād 81 َ اِن َّ اللّٰه َ یُحِب ُّ الْمُحْسِنِیْن “O ye Muslims! go forth in the name of Allāh and perform Jihād with the intention of protecting religion. But beware! do not embezzle the wealth of spoils and do not deceive a people. Do not mutilate the enemy dead, do not kill women and children, 1 nor religious recluses; 2 and do not kill the elderly. Create peace in the land, and treat the people with benevolence, for surely, Allāh loves the benevolent. ” 3 It is narrated with respect to Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra that when he would dispatch an army, he would advise the commander: اَلَّذِیْن َ زَعَمُوْا اَنَّھُم ْ حَبَسُوْا اَنْفُسَھُم ْ لِلّٰه ِ فَذَرْھُم ْ وَمَا زَعَمُوْا اَنَّھُم ْ حَبَسُوْا ً اَنْفُسَھُم ْ لَه ٗ. . . . . وَلَا تَقْطَعَن َّ شَجَرا ً مُثْمِرا ً وَلَا تُخَرِّبَن َّ عَامِرا “Do not cause harm to those who consider themselves to be devoted to the cause of Allāh. Similarly, do not harm that which they consider to be sacred, do not cut down a fruitful tree and do not ruin an inhabited place. ” 4 It should be remembered that it was a custom in Arabia that at times, children, the elderly and women were killed. On some occasions, the hands, feet, nose and ears, etc. , would be mercilessly severed, which was known as Muthlah. 5 The wealth, property and village of the enemy would be utterly destroyed. Treaties and agreements were of no value whatsoever. The Holy Prophet sa brought an end to all these practices. Islām created a stark distinction in the practice of protecting religious peoples and 1 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihād Was-Siyar, Bābu Ta’mīril-Imāmil-Umarā’a ‘Alal-Bu‘ūth, Ḥadīth No. 4522 2 Sharḥu Ma‘ānil-Āthār, By Imām Abū Ja‘far Aḥmad bin Muḥammad Aṭ-Ṭaḥāwī, Volume 2, p. 126, Kitābus-Siyar, Bābush-Shaikhil-Kabīri Hal Yuqtalu Fī Dāril-Ḥarbi Am Lā, Ḥadīth No. 5067, Maktabah Raḥmāniyyah, Urdu Bazaar, Lahore 3 Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Fī Du‘ā’il-Mushrikīn, Ḥadīth No. 2614 4 Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Mālik bin Anas, Kitābul-Jihād, An-Nahyu ‘An Qatlin-Nisā’i Waṣ-Ṣibyān…. . , Ḥadīth No. 982 5 Mutilation of a dead body [Publishers]