"THE PROPHET'S
s.a
PRECEPTS ABOUT
WAR
Muslim teaching, however, does not consist only of precepts laid down in the Qur’an. It also includes the precepts and example of the Prophet s.a
. What he did or what he taught in concrete situations is also an essential part of the Islamic teaching. We append here some sayings of the Prophet s.a on the subject of war and peace.
(i) Muslims are forbidden altogether to
mutilate the dead (Muslim).
(ii) Muslims are forbidden to resort to
cheating (Muslim).
(iii) Children are not to be killed, nor women
(Muslim). (iv) Priests and religious functionaries and
religious leaders are not to be interfered with
(Tahavi).
(v) The old and decrepit and women and
children are not to be killed. The possibility of
peace should always be kept in view (Abu
Dawud).
(vi) When Muslims enter enemy territory,
they should not strike terror into the general
population. They should permit no ill-
treatment of common folk (Muslim).
(vii) A Muslim army should not camp in a
place where it causes inconvenience to the
general public. When it marches it should take
care not to block the road nor cause
discomfort to other wayfarers.
(viii) No disfigurement of face is to be
permitted (Bukhari and Muslim).
(ix) The least possible losses should be
inflicted upon the enemy (Abu Dawud).
(x) When prisoners of war are put under
guard, those closely related should be placed
together (Abu Dawud).
(xi) Prisoners should live in comfort.
Muslims should care more for the comfort of
their prisoners than for their own (Tirmidhi).
(xii) Emissaries and delegates from other
countries should be held in great respect. Any
mistakes or discourtesies they commit should
be ignored (Abu Dawud, Kitab al jihad).
(xiii) If a Muslim commits the sin of ill-
treating a prisoner of war, atonement is to be
made by releasing the prisoner without ransom.
(xiv) When a Muslim takes charge of a
prisoner of war, the latter is to be fed and
clothed in the same way as the Muslim himself
(Bukhari).
The Holy Prophet s.a was so insistent on
these rules for a fighting army that he declared
that whoever did not observe these rules,
would fight not for God but for his own mean
self (Abu Dawud).
Abu Bakrra the First Khalifa of Islam,
supplemented these commands of the Prophet s.a
by some of his own. One of these commands appended here also constitutes
part of the Muslim teaching:
(xv) Public buildings and fruit-bearing trees
(and food crops) are not to be damaged
(Mu’atta).
From the sayings of the Prophet s.a and the commands of the First Khalifa of Islam it is
evident that Islam has instituted steps which have the effect of preventing or stopping a war or reducing its evil. As we have said before, the principles which Islam teaches are not pious
precepts only; they have their practical illustration in the example of the Prophet s.a and the early Khalifas of Islam. As all the world knows, the Prophet s.a not only taught these principles; he practised them and insisted on their observance. Turning to our own time we must say that no other teaching seems able to solve the problem of war and peace. The teaching of Moses a.s
is far from our conceptions of justice and fair-play. Nor is it possible to act upon that teaching today. The teaching of Jesus a.s is impracticable and has ever been so. Never in their history have Christians tried to put this teaching into practice. Only the teaching of Islam is practicable; one which has been both preached and practised by its exponents, and the practice of which can create and maintain peace in the world.
In our time, Mr. Gandhi apparently taught that even when war is forced on us we should not go to war. We should not fight. But this teaching has not been put into practice at any time in the history of the world. It has never been put in the crucible and tested. It is impossible, therefore, to say what value this teaching may have in terms of war and peace. Mr. Gandhi lived long enough to see the Indian Congress attain to political independence. Yet the Congress Government has not disbanded either the army or the other armed forces of India. It is only making plans for their
Indianization. It also has plans for the reinstatement of those Indian officers who constituted themselves into the Indian National Army (and who were dismissed by the British authorities) during the Japanese attack on Burma and India in the last stages of the recent World War. Mr. Gandhi has himself, on many occasions, raised his voice in extenuation of crimes of violence, and urged the release of those who committed such crimes. This shows at least that Mr. Gandhi's
teaching cannot be put into practice and that Mr. Gandhi knows it as well as all his followers. No practical example at least has been offered to show the world how non-violence can be applied when armed disputes arise between nation and nation and State and State, or how non-violence can prevent or stop a war. To preach a method of stopping wars, but never to be able to afford a practical illustration of that method indicates that the method is impracticable. It would, therefore,
seem that human experience and human wisdom point to only one method of preventing or stopping war; and that method was taught and practised by the Prophet s.a of Islam."
(Life of Muhammad a.s by Hazrat Mirza Bashir ud din Mahmood Ahmad page 182 to 186)
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