The New World Order of Islam — Page 71
New World Order 71 and seek to continue a prisoner in bondage on the pretext that he is deficient in intelligence. But the Islamic law provides that a prisoner is always at liberty to apply to a magistrate for a settlement of instalments in case instalments are refused by his captor, or in case the settlement offered is unfair. If, in spite of all these facilities, a prisoner of war fails to take advantage of them, it can only mean that he prefers the condition in which he is to the condition to which he might be restored in case he is set at liberty. The truth is that many of those who were prisoners in the custody of the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa did prefer to continue in that state rather than seek to revert to their original condition of nominal liberty. They were treated by their captors as equal members of their own families and found themselves very much better off than they had been as free men. The Companions provided food and clothing for them as they provided for themselves, set them no tasks beyond their strength, did not ask them to do anything in which they were not prepared to participate themselves; subjected them to no ill- treatment and were very ready to liberate them on payment of ransom in a lump sum or by instalments. It is true that these prisoners were technically held in bondage but often the light of Islam penetrated into their hearts, and they, had no desire to revert to their original condition. This is well illustrated by the case