TREATMENT OF PRISONERS

Prophet Muhammad treated prisoners well. Except for those who were violently opposed to Islam or those who had tortured Muslims in the past, nearly all prisoners benefited from the mercy and forgiveness of Prophet Muhammad.

“Before Islam, there was no particular or definite manner of treatment for prisoners of war in the Arabian Peninsula. They were sometimes killed; sometimes were enslaved (especially women and children); sometimes they were freed for a ransom or for nothing; some were exchanged with prisoners of war held by the other side.” (Hamidullah, Wars of the Holy Prophet, 66).

The Holy Prophet acted with mercy towards prisoners of war, particularly in the Battle of Badr.” To ensure that the prisoners were kept in custody safely, the Prophet placed them among his troops and told his troops to treat them well. This order was carried out accordingly. They were given clothes. They were given the same food as the Muslims. Some Muslims gave them their bread rations and only ate dates. Their sole purpose was to obey the order given.” (Hamidullah, Wars of the Holy Prophet, 65-66).

Prophet Muhammad’s treatment of prisoners of war can be discussed under the following headings:

Release in exchange for Ransom

This practice occurred in the Battle of Badr. The idolaters left the battleground having had seventy soldiers killed and seventy taken prisoner; this was the first victory for the Muslims. The prisoners of war were taken to Medina and they were treated well. Prophet Muhammad ordered: “Treat the prisoners well.” The wealthy prisoners were released in exchange for ransom. Prisoners who were not well off were released for no payment. Prisoners who were educated were released on the condition that they taught Muslim children how to read and write.

Mutual Exchanges

The Prophet would sometimes release prisoners of war in exchange for the release of his own people who were being held by the idolaters.

Release in Exchange for Nothing

The most striking and often-practiced treatment of prisoners of war in the period of Prophet Muhammad was the release of prisoners in exchange for nothing. This treatment was practiced in the Battle of Muraysi, the Conquest of Mecca and the Battle of Hunayn. Nearly all the prisoners of war who were released became Muslim over time.

Killing Prisoners

There is one account of prisoners being killed during a battle in the Prophet’s lifetime. This happened in the aftermath of the Battle of Badr. Among the captured prisoners in the Battle of Badr, Nadr ibn Haris and Ukba ibn Abu Muayt were killed. The reason for this is the fact that they had severely tortured Muslims during the Meccan period. These people paid the price for what they had done before.