Brief Comparison Between Judaism and Islam in Terms of Rules of War
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This may shed some contextual explanation to what has been going on in #Palestine.
I chose 8 examples from each of the scriptures of the two religions.
Let the scriptures speak.
I will start with some verses from the old testament in which the Jews beleive (which they refer to as "Torah"):
(I chose the International Standard Version since it's widely spread and relatively easy to comprehend, even though the translation of the verses is almost identical to the other versions.)
1) “Now, go and attack Amalek. Completely destroy all that they have. Don’t spare them, but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, both ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”
[Book of 1 Samuel ch. 15:3]
2) “The LORD our God delivered him to us, so we attacked him, his son, and his whole army. We captured all his towns at that time. We utterly destroyed every town—the men, the women, and the children—leaving no survivors.”
[Deuteronomy ch. 2:33-34]
3) “You are not to leave even one person alive in the cities of these nations that the LORD, your God, is about to give you as an inheritance. You must completely destroy the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as the LORD your God commanded you.”
[Deuteronomy ch. 20: 16-17]
4) “They turned over everyone in the city for destruction and executed them, including both men and women, young and old, and oxen, sheep, and donkeys.”
[Book of Joshua ch. 6:21]
5) “The LORD told him, ‘Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who sighs and moans over all of the loathsome things that are happening in it.’ As I continued to listen, he also told the others, ‘Follow him through the city and start killing. Don’t spare anyone you see, and don’t show pity of any kind. You are to execute old men, young men, young women, little children, and women. But don’t touch anyone who has been marked.’”
[Ezekiel ch. 9:5-6]
6) “And they further agreed that whoever would refuse to seek the LORD God of Israel was to be executed, whether important or unimportant, man or woman.”
[Book of 2 Chronicles ch. 15:13]
7) "Daughter of Babylon! You devastator!
How blessed will be the one who pays you back for what you have done to us. How blessed will be the one who seizes your young children and pulverizes them against the cliff!”
[David ch. 137:8-9]
8) “Samaria will be held guilty, because she has rebelled against her God.
By the sword they will fall— with their infants dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women torn open.”
[Hosea ch. 13:16]
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Now Lets look into the Islamic rules to be followed during war through the Quran and authentic traditions of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace and blessings be upon him) with some scholarly quotes.
❶ Allah the Almighty says in the Quran
(translated as):
{Fight in the way of Allah those who fight Against you, but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.}
[ Sura Al-Baqarah 2:190]
-> When explaining what "don’t transgress" means in the above verse, the famous companion of the Messenger, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, said:
"It means: Do not kill women, children, old people, and whoever declares peace to you and abstains from fighting! If you do that, you have indeed transgressed out of bounds!”
[At-Tabari - "Jami'ul-Bayan.." ("Tafsiru'-Tabari") (3/563), Ibn Abi Hatim - "At-Tafsir" (1/325) No. 1721]
❷ Prophet Muhammed always advised his followers when sending them to battles:
"Do not Betray by breaking a covenant, do not distort a dead body, do not kill a child."
[Hadith narrated by Muslim and transmitted by Buraydah. Sahih Muslim - Number (1731)]
❸ Abdullah Ibn Umar, one of the companions of the prophet, narrated the following:
"A murdered woman was found during one of the messenger's campaigns. Thus, he condemned the killing of women and children."
[Narrated by Al-Bukhari - Number (3014) and Muslim - Number (1744)]
-> One of the eminent scholars of Islam, Ibn Abdi'l-Bar explaining this Hadith said:
"The scholars of Islam have agreed on the overall message of this hadith. And it is not permissible according to them all to kill the women and children of the fighting enemies."
[Ibn Adbi'l-bar - "At-Tamhid" (16/138)]
-> Similarly, Al-Imam An-Nawwi said:
"The scholars have all agreed upon implementing (the rules) of this hadith and that it is forbidden to kill women and children as long as they do not fight."
[An-Nawawi - "Sharhu Sahih Muslim" (12/48)]
❹ Anas Ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet said:
"Start your journey in the name of Allah, with the help of Allah, and on the path of the Messenger. And do not kill an old man, a baby, a (young) child or a woman! ...»
[Abu Dawud - Number (2614)]
❺ Also, in the report transmitted by Rabah Ibn Ar-Rabi', our Prophet said:
"…Don't kill children and hired workers!"
[Ahmed (Al-Musnad)- number (15992); Abu Dawud (2669)]
❻ Also, it is reported that the great Caliph Abu Bakr As-Sid-diq, the first leader of the Muslims after the Messenger's death, firmly advised Yazid Ibn Abi Sufyan while sending him on a campaign mission as follows:
"...I urge you upon ten things: Do not kill a woman, a child, or an old man. Do not cut down a fruitful tree. Don't destroy residential structures. Do not injure sheep, goats, and camels except to eat them properly. Do not burn date palm (in some records: beehive..). And don't drown it in water. And do not take the booty without proper distribution. And do not be afraid!”
[Al-Imam Malik - transmitted it from Yahya Ibn Sa'id in the "Al-Muwatta'" (1627)]
-> Al-Imam Al-Awza'i also said the following regarding this:
"Abu Bakr as-Sid-diq forbade Yezid to cut down a fruit-bearing tree and to demolish a residential building. And Muslims followed this (instruction) after him."
At-Tirmithy - Abwabu's-Siyer - next to No. 1552.]
❼ Also, pitying the captives and being righteous towards them is considered as one of the praised characteristics of the people of Paradise.
Allah says (translated to):
{And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.}
[Sura Al-Insaan 8]
-> Ibn Abbas says explaining this verse:
"Their captives were idol worshipers." (i.e. they were kind to their captives, though they were non-Muslims.)
[“Tafseer Ibni Kathir” (8/288)]
Ibn Kathir adds:
“This (interpretation) is evidenced by the fact that the messenger ordered his companions to take care of the captives after the Badr campaign. And they used to give them priority over themselves during meal."
❽ Abu Uzair Ibn Umayr testifies about a related matter he faced before accepting Islam:
"I was among those who were captives during the Battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah said: 'Be advised to do good to the captives!' I was with the Ansar troops. When they served breakfast and dinner, they ate dates and fed me bread, because of the messenger's advice."
[At-Tabarani reported it in two Mu'jams: See "Majma' Az-zawa'id" No. 10007. See also "Sirat Ibni Hisham" (1/645).]
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Ilyas Ahmed
Mon, Nov 13/2023
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