The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 71
II - Brief Note on Islāmic Equality 71 the turban of ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra upon his head by his own hands and ordered Bilāl ra to entrust a flag to him. Then, the Holy Prophet sa appointed an army of companions under the command of Ḥaḍrat ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra and said to them: خُذْه ُ یَابْن َ عَوْف ٍ اُغْزُوْا جَمِیْعًا فِی ْ سَبِیْل ِ اللّٰه ِ فَقَاتِلُوْا مَن ْ كَفَر َ بِاللّٰه ِ وَلَا تَغُلُّوْا وَلَا تَغْدِرُوْا ْ وَلَا تُمَثِّلُوْا وَلَا تَقْتُلُوْا وَلِیْدًا. فَھٰذَا عَھْد ُ اللّٰه ِ وَسِیْرَة ُ نَبِیِّه ٖ فِیْكُم “O Ibni ‘Auf, take this flag, and all of you set out for Jihād in the way of Allāh; And fight with the infidels, but look hither, do not act dishonestly, do not break oaths, do not mutilate the dead of the enemy, nor kill any children. This is the commandment of God and the Sunnat of His Prophet. ” 1 In this narration, perhaps the narrator has erroneously omitted the mention of women. Otherwise at another place it is expounded that when the Holy Prophet sa dispatched an army, he would also emphasise not to kill women, the elderly and such people whose lives were dedicated to the service of religion. 2 After this, the Holy Prophet sa instructed Ḥaḍrat ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra to leave for Dūmatul-Jandal and attempt to resolve the matter peacefully. For if the people restrained their hands from war and confrontation, then that would be the best case scenario. Furthermore, the Holy Prophet sa instructed ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin ‘Auf ra that in this case, it would be appropriate for him to marry the daughter of the chieftain of the people. 3 After this, the Holy Prophet sa bid farewell to this Sariyyah and ‘Abdur- 1 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 884, Ghazwatu ‘Abdir- Raḥmān-ibni ‘Aufin Ilā Dūmatil-Jandal , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 * Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihādi Was-Siyar, Bābu Ta’mīril-Imāmil-Umarā’a ‘Alal-Bu‘ūthi, Ḥadīth No. 4522 * Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Mālik bin Anas, Kitābul-Jihād, An-Nahyu ‘An Qatlin-Nisā’i Waṣ-Ṣibyan. . . , Ḥadīth No. 982 * Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Fī Du‘ā’il-Mushrikīn, Ḥadīth No. 2614 * 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 (Note: These have been referenced in Sīrat Khātamun-Nabiyyīn sa , Volume 2) 3 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 294, Sariyyatu ‘Abdir-Raḥmān-ibni ‘Aufin Ilā Dūmatil-Jandal, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)