Moral Principles as the Basis of Islamic Culture — Page 15
the scene "of fighting is normally fot the purpose of humanitarian ministrations and activities. If, therefore, a woman is found among the killed in the field of battle, the moral responsibility for her death would lie upon the opposite side unless it could be, dearly shown that the woman had participated in actual fighting. The companions of the Prophet were so impressed by the Prophet's reaction to t!1is incident that on subsequent occasions they refra. ined from attacking women even when they actually took part in fighting. In the ·course of a battle a party of Muslim soldiers observed. that one of the enemy was taking advantage of the shelter afforded. by a rock to attack any of them that might pass within his range. One of them skirted round the rock and jumped upon the person who was intent upon attacking the Muslims on the nther side of the rock, but on discovering that the assailant was a woman in man's attire, he let her go and returned to his party explaining that he dared- not kill '1er as he knew that this would distress the Prophet. "If war ~s forced npon a Muslim State and at any stage in the course of war the enemy should propose a truce and wjsh to m~e peace, Islam directs that the Muslim billigercnt State should be eager to avail itself of the opportwiity to put an end to hostilities and shOttld not, for the purpose of pressing an advantage, decline a truce even if there should be reason to suppose that truce is being sought by the other side for some ulteri~r purpose. Thc'Quran says: "If th~ enem1 sho111J incline towards peace do tho11 incline towards it also 11nd p111 thy tr11s1 in God; He is tk Seeing, the Knof. lJing. If the enemy should design-treachery, God will s11ffice thee and safeguard thee for it is He who has~ on all occasions, been th-y succo11r. " (Ch. VIII, v. 61, 6:)_. Islam does not permit the takinJ. . , ,. f pnsoners of war save in con-- sequence and in the course of a regular declared war. The Quran utters a stern warning again~t attempts to kidnap pt'ople or to capture them as prisoner~ on superficial grounds, for instancf'. that they were engaged in. a border raid. Very of ten the object in such cases is to use these un- fortunate people as forced labourers ·and thus derive. advantage from their helplessness. The Quran says: "It ir not permiJSible. to take prisonen ex,·. . :pt in comeq11ence of a regular and declared war. Y 011 dest,. !' tht q11ick benefits of this life but God desires the lasting u•elfare ·l'-