ISLAMIC WARFARE

With all kinds of fake bogus "Islamic" Jihadi terrorist groups appearing in these days, that give a tremendous bad name to the real Islam, the world is in dire need to know what Islam says about warfare!!!

First it has to be realized that many of those groups are created and sponsored by the enemies of Islam, and creating Islamophobia! Even if one doesn't believe this, then still one should not judge and discuss unless having researched the subject of Islamic Warfare from Islamic sources. (Not from lying hate-sites).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), issued strict orders to the commanders of Muslim armies not to kill women, children, old and infirm men, not to cut down fruit-bearing trees and crops, nor to slaughter animals whose flesh was not eaten.


Places of worship, not only mosques, but also churches, synagogues and cloisters were to be protected. Mutilate or disfigurement of the corpses of enemies was prohibited. The dwellings of unresisting citizens were to be left untouched so also the means of their sustenance.

 See more at: http://www.islamicity.com/Articles/articles.asp?ref=DW0408-2428#sthash.dMvsJAwb.dpuf

   - No one should be burned alive or tortured with fire.

   - Wounded soldiers who are neither unfit to fight, nor actually fighting, should not be attacked.

   - Prisoners of war should not be killed.

   - It is prohibited to kill anyone who is tied up or in captivity.

   - Residential areas should not be pillaged, plundered or destroyed, nor should the Muslims touch the           property of anyone except those who are fighting against them.

   - Muslims must not take anything from the general public of the conquered country without paying for it.

   - The corpses of the enemy must not be disgraced or mutilated.

   - Corpses of the enemy should be returned.

   - Treaties must not be broken.


the prophet Muhammad (saw) said about prisoners of war: “You are recommended to treat your captives kindly.”

Fighting should be directed only against fighting troops, and not to non- fighting personnel, and this is in compliance with the Quranic verse that reads:

    “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:190)


Abu-Bakr’s instructions to Usama’s Campaign on Syria:

“Do not betray or be treacherous or vindictive. Do not mutilate. Do not kill the children, the aged or the women. Do not cut or burn palm trees or fruitful trees. Don’t slay a sheep, a cow or camel except for your food. And you will come across people who confined themselves to worship in hermitages, leave them alone to what they devoted themselves for.”


Maintaining Justice and Avoidance of Blind Retaliation:

None can be more illustrative in this respect than the words of the Qur'an. Allah Almighty says:

    “O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” (Surah Al Ma’idah 5:8) 

Medical help was a right to all men in spite of religion or creed. That this was also extended to those amongst enemy. An example well known in the West is that of Saladin securing medical help to his opponent, Richard Lion Heart of England who was seriously ill during the Crusades. Saladin sent him his own doctor and personally supervised Richard’s treatment until he became well.

In quoting this particular example, one dare say that such an attitude was quite different to the behavior characterizing the invading crusaders. When the crusaders entered Jerusalem on July 15th 1099, they slaughtered seventy thousand Muslims including women, children and old men. They broke children’s skulls by knocking against the wall, threw babies from roof tops, roasted men over fire and cut up women’s bellies to see if they had swallowed gold.

This description was given by Gibbon, a Christian writer, and commented on by Ludbig Who wondered how come after those horrible atrocities they prayed at the burial place of Christ for blessing and forgiveness (Draper/History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Vol. 2, p. 77).


source: http://navedz.com/2009/04/15/war-ethics-in-islam-prisoners-of-war/

If we reviewed back Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) noble biography, we would figure out that he did not resort to the military option unless he exhausted all other peaceful means. The Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tribe of Quraysh had an aggressive assaulting stance against Islam. Quraysh chased Muslims out of their homeland and persecuted them for the mere fact of embracing Islam and believing in the Oneness of God; a fact which forced the Prophet to fight them back.

 Securing the freedom of disseminating the Islamic message as Islam is an international call which Muslims are asked to invite others to. Therefore it is incumbent upon Muslims to deliver the Prophet’s message to the world and then leave people free to choose what to believe. God says, “Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.” 2:193

http://islam.ru/en/content/story/war-islam-ethics-rules
One of the greatest miss-conceptions against the blessed prophet Muhammad is that he was a murderer and an evil man. Indeed nothing can be further than the truth, when one examines his life and the authentic sound hadiths, one will find out that the prophet Muhammad was a great merciful man who never harmed innocent people. 

http://muslim-responses.com/No_killing_women_and_children_/No_killing_women_children_

http://www.islam101.com/rights/hrM4.htm :
Conclusion:
This is a brief sketch of those rights which fourteen hundred years
ago Islam gave to man, to those who were at war with each other and to
the citizens of its state, which every believer regards as sacred as law.
On the one hand, it refreshes and strengthens our faith in Islam when
we realize that even in this modern age which makes such loud claims
of progress and enlightenment, the world has not been able to produce
juster and more equitable laws than those given 1400 years ago. On the
other hand it hurts one's feelings that Muslims are in possession of such
a splendid and comprehensive system of law and yet they look forward
for guidance to those leaders of the West who could not have dreamed
of attaining those heights of truth and justice which was achieved a long
time ago. Even more painful than this is the realization that throughout
the world the rulers who claim to be Muslims have made disobedience
to their God and the Prophet as the basis and foundation of their
government. May God have mercy on them and give them the true guidance.

How to treat Christians:
http://www.examiner.com/article/letter-to-all-christians-from-prophet-muhammad

The letter requires no explanation. We hope it provides credence and comfort that Prophet Muhammad (sa) truly celebrated his Christian friends. (The original letter is now in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul)

The Letter:
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.

No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."

English translation from 'Muslim History: 570 - 1950 C.E.' by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq, ZMD Corporation. P.O. Box 8231 - Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8231 - Copyright Akram Zahoor 2000. P. 167  

a contemporary quote, heard a lot nowadays is "religions are the cause of all the wars",
well; are they just repeating things without researching??
Let's have a look:
http://www.blogos.org/compellingtruth/does-religion-cause-war.html 

See also:
http://www.justaskislam.com/32/does-islam-say-kill-the-infidels/

In sha Allah/God willing, I hope to write a blog over warfare as mentioned in AlQur'an, to show that it is defensive of character.

SEE ALSO FOR ADDITIONAL INFO:
http://angeliqueadrianus.blogspot.com/2014/12/no-compulsion-and-violent-killing-in.html