Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 4

4. (O believers!) When you meet the disbelievers in battle, strike their necks until, when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind them firmly (as captives). Then, afterwards, either show them favor or ransom them, until the war lays down its burdens [5]. That is the command. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken vengeance on them Himself [6], but (He has ordained this) to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah—He will never let their deeds go to waste.

[5] After the two preceding introductory verses, instructions regarding warfare are now being given to the Muslims, and from these it is understood that prior to the revelation of this Surah, Muslims had already been granted permission to fight, but so far no battle had actually taken place. The first verse revealed regarding the permission for Muslims to fight was verse 39 of Surah Al-Hajj, then in this regard are verses 190 to 193 of Surah Al-Baqarah. And these instructions are as follows:
1. When the battlefield arises, confront the disbelievers with full enthusiasm and courage of faith, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: O people! Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for well-being, but if you do encounter them, then remain steadfast, and know that Paradise is under the shade of swords. [بخاری۔ کتاب الجہاد۔ باب لاتتمنّوا لقاء العدو]
2.
General Instructions Regarding War:

Your real objective should be to break the military strength of the enemy and the backbone of disbelief. Therefore, focus as much as possible on killing the disbelievers. However, when the intensity of the battle subsides and the enemy lays down their arms, then at that time, take the remaining men as captives. Do not start taking captives before this.

3.
Instructions Regarding Prisoners of War:

For those prisoners who fall into your hands, one of two courses may be adopted: either release them as a favor, or take ransom for them. From this, it is understood that killing prisoners is not the general rule. However, killing is also not prohibited, from which it is understood that prisoners who are leaders of disbelief may also be killed. Their crime is not only that they participated in the battle, but they have many other serious crimes for which they deserve to be killed. Thus, after the conquest of Makkah, despite the general amnesty for prisoners, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered that four individuals be killed. After the Battle of Banu Qurayzah, when the besieged Jews accepted Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh as arbitrator and laid down their arms, Sayyiduna Sa'd ؓ ruled that their young men should be killed, their women and children should be made slaves, and their wealth should be distributed among the Mujahideen. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared Sayyiduna Sa'd's decision to be absolutely correct, saying that his decision was in accordance with the decision of the Lord of the heavens, and so they were killed. Their crime was not only that they were prisoners of war, but their real crimes were that they had repeatedly broken the terms of the treaty, and during the Battle of Ahzab, in the midst of battle, they joined forces with the enemy's allied armies and put the Muslims in extremely difficult circumstances.

Consultation Regarding the Prisoners of Badr and Ransom:

Regarding the prisoners of Badr, the Prophet ﷺ consulted the Companions. Sayyiduna Umar ؓ advised that since these prisoners were the chiefs of disbelief, it was necessary to kill them. However, the Prophet ﷺ, in accordance with the general rule of this verse and the opinion of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ؓ, decided to release them for ransom. Because of this, reproach descended upon the Muslims. Allah's will was in accordance with the decision of Sayyiduna Umar, because the prisoners of Badr were not merely prisoners of war, but the worst enemies of Islam and the Muslims, and were engaged in many hostile activities against the Muslims and the Prophet of Islam. From these clarifications, it is understood that the leader of the time has the right to make an exception to this general rule when the prisoners of war are involved in other crimes as well, and the leader should neither release them as a favor nor for ransom, but should have them killed, because the most important objective of fighting in the way of Allah is to break the backbone of disbelief.

Various Forms of Favor Upon Prisoners:

Then, there are several forms of releasing prisoners as a favor. For example, one is that no service is taken from them in any way, and if circumstances permit, they are released purely for the pleasure of Allah and to establish the moral superiority of Islam, as the Prophet ﷺ announced a general amnesty on the day of the conquest of Makkah, or after the Battle of Hunayn, after the distribution of prisoners of war, the Prophet ﷺ, at the request of the people of Hawazin, set them free. The second form is that their lives are spared by distributing them among the Muslims, and the Muslims are instructed to treat them in the best possible manner, as after the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet ﷺ first distributed such prisoners among the Muslims. In addition, on several other occasions, the Prophet ﷺ distributed prisoners of war among the Mujahideen. The third is that if they must be imprisoned, then they should be treated well, and this imprisonment should not be permanent or perpetual. The fourth is that they are taken as dhimmis by taking jizyah from them and are given the right to live freely in the Islamic state, as was done with the people of Najran.

Various Forms of Ransom:

There are also several forms of ransom. One is that they are released after taking monetary ransom, as was done with the prisoners of Badr, and this ransom is taken from each person according to his means. The second is that, instead of money, some other service is taken from the prisoners in exchange for their release, as on the occasion of the prisoners of Badr, those who did not have the means to pay ransom were required to teach ten Muslim children to read and write. The third is that prisoners of war are exchanged with the enemy. For this, it is not necessary that one disbeliever is released for one Muslim; rather, once the Prophet ﷺ released one disbeliever in exchange for two Muslims. These are the various forms included in this brief phrase of the verse. Out of all these forms, whichever is most suitable according to the circumstances and in the best interest of the Muslims and Islam, the leader of the time may adopt that form.

[6] That is, Allah could have sent a thunderbolt or an earthquake or unleashed a flood upon the followers of falsehood and the enemies of Islam and destroyed them, just as He had sent such punishments upon previous rebellious nations, and in this way, He could have taken retribution from them for you. But until the battle between truth and falsehood is established and the battlefield is heated, the test of the servants cannot take place, to see who is sincere to Islam and possesses the courage of faith, and also, how many among the disbelievers take heed from these warning actions and benefit from the respite that Allah has granted them.