THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS

In one hadith the Prophet used the terms mercy and war together and commanded:

“I am the Prophet of Mercy; I am the Prophet of War”

The fact that Prophet Muhammad used these two terms together is an indication that any war that he would embark on would be of a merciful nature.

The Prophet attached new meanings to war, as he did with many other concepts. He proved that wars could be held without people being killed, without destroying fertile lands or scorching the earth. The mercy he showed to the enemy side and the limited casualties among the enemy in the aftermath of the war are unparalleled. The fact that the people who fought against him accepted Islam immediately after the war and the fact that the soldiers struggling against him later became members of his army was one of his greatest victories.

During the ten years that Prophet Muhammad headed up the state, he participated in more than twenty battles; the total number of casualties on the enemy side in these battles was approximately 250 with the number of casualties in the Islamic army being around 150.