Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 322
322 Prisoners taken in the course of regular warfare must not be ill-treated in any way, though proper precautions must be taken against their escape. Once the fighting is over, prisoners should be released either as a favour or in return for ransom (47:5). If they were not ransomed, they were still distributed among those who had taken part in the fighting, but they had to be treated by those to whom they were assigned as members of their own families. The Prophet’s directions were: “You must feed them as you feed yourselves, and clothe them as you clothe yourselves, and if you should set them a hard task, you must help them in it yourselves. ” If any person to whom a prisoner was assigned was guilty of ill- treating his captive, such conduct became the prisoner’s ransom and he was entitled to his freedom. The Prophet observed a Muslim who had raised his whip to strike a prisoner in his charge. The Prophet called out to him: “What are you about to do? Do you not know that God has more power over you than you have over this prisoner?” The man’s arm dropped immediately as he said: “Messenger of Allah, I set him free. ” The Prophet replied: “Thou dost well, or else Allah’s wrath would be upon thee. ” Any prisoner of war whose ransom remains unpaid is entitled to demand a written statement fixing his ransom. Once that is settled, the prisoner is free to employ himself as he chooses while making the