◈ Treatment of Prisoners Before Islam
Historical records clearly reveal the extreme cruelty and inhumanity with which prisoners were treated before the advent of Islam:
✔ Prisoners were thrown into dark wells and buried under stones.
✔ Their hands and feet were broken and dogs were unleashed upon them.
✔ Flesh was torn from their bodies, and they were beaten with red-hot iron rods.
✔ They were whipped with barbed lashes or trampled under horses and camels.
✔ Body parts of the slain were severed, and it was common to chew their livers as a sign of hatred and vengeance.
These brutal customs reflected the barbaric nature of pre-Islamic warfare.
◈ The Islamic Vision and Objective of Warfare
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ brought a revolutionary change in the philosophy of war. He lifted it from the primitive notion of revenge and bloodshed to a noble moral and civilizational purpose.
In pre-Islamic times, war was waged for tribal pride, power, and vengeance. The Prophet ﷺ introduced the concept of:
“Jihād fī sabīlillāh” — striving in the path of Allah,
i.e., war only for the sake of Allah, under divine principles and ethics.
◈ Kind Treatment of Prisoners During Prophetic Campaigns
After enduring 13 years of persecution by the Quraysh, the Muslims captured prisoners in the Battle of Badr. These prisoners were the same individuals who had driven the Prophet ﷺ and his companions out of Makkah.
Prophet’s ﷺ Command for Humane Treatment:
✔ The Prophet ﷺ instructed his companions to treat the prisoners well.
✔ The Anṣār cared for them with compassion — they fed them bread while eating dates themselves.
✔ According to Ṭabarī, Abū ʿAzīz (a prisoner) stated:
“They gave me bread and fed themselves only dates.”
Deliberation and Decision:
✔ During the consultation regarding the prisoners, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) proposed execution.
✔ Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) advised that ransom be taken and the prisoners released.
✔ The Prophet ﷺ accepted Abū Bakr’s opinion.
➤ Wealthy prisoners were ransomed.
➤ Educated prisoners were tasked with teaching children to read and write.
➤ Poor prisoners were released without condition.
◈ The Conquest of Makkah: A Day of Forgiveness
The Conquest of Makkah stands as a monumental day in human history. At a moment when the Quraysh feared retribution, the Prophet ﷺ declared:
“Go, for you are all free.”
This act of unparalleled forgiveness and mercy became a shining beacon of human dignity and Islamic values.
◈ A Comparison: Modern Warfare vs. Prophetic Ethics
✔ World War I & II claimed over 40 million lives.
✔ Post 9/11 invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.
✔ At Abu Ghraib prison, the world witnessed shocking acts of torture and humiliation.
✔ During the entire Prophetic era, total deaths in battles were 759, while 6564 prisoners were taken.
✔ Of these, 6348 prisoners were released unconditionally.
✔ Islam adopted a gradual strategy to abolish slavery and attached immense reward and virtue to freeing captives.
◈ The Greatness of Islamic Principles
Islamic warfare, unlike the cruel practices of the past or present, revived human values and bestowed dignity and mercy upon prisoners.
In the light of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, today’s prejudiced nations are reminded:
True peace, equality, and humanity lie within the ethical framework of Islam.
