The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 85
II - Commencement of Jihād by the Sword & Fundamental Discussion on Jihād 85 they taught Muslims how to read and write. At times, prisoners of the disbelievers were released in exchange for Muslim prisoners. Even in the case of a monetary ransom, the practice of Mukātabat 1 was allowed. 33. Muslims were very strictly forbidden from plundering, pillaging and destruction. As such, this has already been discussed in some detail above. 34. It was ordered that even during the course of battle, if an enemy declared his acceptance of Islām, no harm was to be done him, irrespective of how severe an injury he may have inflicted upon the Muslims, because now there was no fear of danger from him. In this respect, the account of Usāmah bin Zaid ra has already been mentioned above. 35. It was very strictly ordered that treaties and agreements be adhered to. 2 In this regard, the Holy Prophet sa himself was particularly mindful. On the occasion of Badr, Ḥudhaifah bin Yamān ra migrated from Makkah and submitted to the Holy Prophet sa that, “When I was about to leave Makkah, on the suspicion that I was leaving to aid you, the Quraish made me agree that I would not fight on your behalf. ” Upon this, the Holy Prophet sa responded, “Then go, and fulfill your promise, the succour of God is sufficient for us. ” 3 This was the extreme caution of the Holy Prophet sa , even though as far as an edict is concerned, an agreement which is taken by compulsion is not legally binding. Furthermore, during his Khilāfat , Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra went so far as to declare that any Muslim who defrauds an enemy or does not fulfill his agreement would be executed. 4 36. The bodies of those Muslims who were martyred in the field of battle were not bathed nor shrouded. 1 An agreement between a slave and his master, where the slave offers to pay his own monetary value in order to be set free, by working the number of hours required to pay the settled amount. [Publishers] 2 * Al-Anfāl (8:73) * Banī Isrā’īl (17:35) * Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Jizyati Wal-Muwāda‘ati, Bābu Ithmi Man ‘Āhada Thumma Ghadara, Ḥadīth No. 3178 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān, Bābu Bayāni Khiṣālil-Munāfiq, Ḥadīth No. 210 3 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihād Was-Siyar, Bābul-Wafā’i Bil-‘Ahdi, Ḥadīth No. 4639 4 Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Malik bin Anas, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Mā Jā’a Fil-Wafā’i Bil-Amāni, Ḥadīth No. 984