In the history of Islam, the first armed conflict between the Muslims and non-believers of Makkah (Mecca) was the Battle of Badr. In this battle, there were 313 Muslim fighters and more than 1000 enemy warriors. The Muslims won this battle and captured 70 enemy combatants as prisoners of war. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) instructed his companions to keep them in safe places in Madinah (Medina), and to observe good treatment towards them. The companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) followed the instructions, kept them in their homes, and treated them very well. Some prisoners who had lost their battle dress while fighting were given clothes to wear. They were given better food than the food that the Muslims ate themselves.

Those prisoners who accepted Islam were released immediately. Others were required to arrange for ransom to be paid by Makkans. The literate prisoners, who could not pay the ransom, were given the option to teach ten Muslim children to read and write and thus earn their freedom. In addition, some prisoners were granted freedom without any ransom. Among them was Abu-al-A’as, the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet (sa). He was asked to let his wife Hazrat Zainab (ra), daughter of the Holy Prophet (sa), migrate to Madīnah, and he agreed. Some of the prisoners were exchanged with Muslim captives in Makkah. Among them was Hazrat Sa’d bin Na’man (ra), who was imprisoned by the Makkan leader Abu Sufyan. A son of Abu Sufyan, A’mru, was among the prisoners of war, and he was released in exchange for Hazrat Sa’d bin Na’man’s (ra) freedom.

In the Holy Quran, among the characteristics of the virtuous, it is stated:

“And they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphans and the prisoners” (1).

The Holy Quran’s instructions about war and the prisoners of war are as follows:

“And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind them fast the fetters – then afterward either release them as a favor or by taking ransom – until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance. And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah – He will never render their works vain (2).”

The footnotes on the above verse of the Holy Quran state: “Prisoners are to be taken from the enemy only after regular and pitched battle has been fought, and the enemy is decidedly and positively beaten. Thus regular war is declared to be the only reason for taking prisoners; for no other reason free men can be deprived of their liberty. When war is over, the prisoners should be released, either as an act of favor, or on taking ransom from them or by negotiating mutual exchange. They should not be held permanently in captivity or treated as slaves (3).”

Sir William Muir, in his book Life of Mahomet, writes an interesting note on prisoners of war in Islam:

“In pursuance of Mahomet’s commands, the citizens of Medina, and such of the Refugees as already had houses of their own, received the prisoners and treated them with much consideration. ‘Blessings be on the men of Medina!’ said one of these prisoners in later days: ‘they made us ride, while they themselves walked: they gave us wheaten bread to eat when there was little of it, contenting themselves with dates.’ It is not surprising that when, sometime afterwards, their friends came to ransom them, several of the prisoners who had been thus received declared themselves adherents of Islam; and to such the Prophet granted liberty without ransom. It was long before the Coreish (tribe of Quraish) could reconcile themselves to the humiliation of visiting Medina to arrange for the liberation of their relatives. Their kindly treatment was thus prolonged, and left a favourable impression on the minds even of those who did not at once go over to Islam. Eventually the army of Bedr was enriched by the large payments made for the prisoners; for some paying a thousand, and others as much as four thousand dirhems. Such as had nothing to give were liberated which shows how far Mecca was in advance of Medina in learning. To each prisoner were allotted ten boys, who were to be taught the art of writing; and their tuition, when completed, was accepted as full ransom” (4).

In his Urdu book Seerat Khatamun-Nabien, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Aḥmad (ra) summarizes the Quranic instructions concerning the prisoners of war:

§ Emphatic command was that no prisoners should be taken unless there is a regular battle in action. It is not that you see the enemies and find them weak; you start catching prisoners (5).

§ Command was that once the prisoners are captured, later on, according to the circumstances they should be released as an act of benevolence; but if it is necessary to keep them imprisoned, they can be kept as prisoners as long the war is going on, or the burdens caused by the war are not removed. After that no prisoners of war be kept (6).

§ The commandment was to treat the prisoners with extreme kindness and affection. Thus the Companions gave preference to the comfort of the prisoners over their own repose. The Holy Prophet (sa) had also instructed that among the prisoners, close relatives should not be separated from each other.

§ As far as obtaining ransom, it was not persisted to get it only in the form of money. That’s why some of the prisoners got their freedom by teaching Muslim children reading and writing. At times the non-believing prisoners were exchanged with Muslim prisoners.

Sometimes, an objection is raised that a few prisoners of war were ordered to be killed. But the historical fact is that they were killed because of their earlier crimes committed before the war that demanded death sentences. For example, Uqbah ibn Mu’ay was sentenced to death when he was caught at the Battle of Badr because of his bloody crimes against Muslims in Mecca. Another man by the name of Abu ‘Azzah al-Juma was also captured at the Battle of Badr and set free on the condition that he would never fight against Muslims. But he broke his promise and took part in the Battle of Uhud. Once he was caught there, he was executed. A Muslim by the name of Abdullah bin Khatal had killed a slave and defected to the enemy. He was executed when he was captured at the conquest of Mecca. As mentioned above, these individuals faced the death penalty because of their earlier crimes committed before the war that demanded death sentences.

References:

1. The Holy Qur’an 76:9

2. The Holy Quran 47:5

3. The Holy Quran: Footnotes on Verse 47:5, p. 1452. Edited by Malik Ghulam Farid.

4. Life of Mahomet by Sir William Muir LLD. Pp.242-243. London, Smith, Elder, & Co., Waterloo Place 1878

5. The Holy Quran 8:68

6. The Holy Quran 47:5