9 Rules of War in Islam
Throughout human history, warfare
and conflict have been associated with tyranny, destruction, and bloodshed.
These realities persisted until the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), who transformed the very concept of war by presenting a unique model
of ethics grounded in mercy, justice, and humanity. His approach established
principles that made combat an exception and peace the rule.
The Prophet’s Rules of War
Those who reflect upon the
Prophet’s battles (peace be upon him) realize that his military campaigns were never driven by expansionist ambition but by the
necessity of protecting faith, defending the oppressed, and ensuring the
freedom to convey Islam’s message—when others sought to suppress it. Even then,
he (peace be upon him) placed strict moral and legal limits on warfare. These
principles include the following:
1.
War in Islam: A Necessity, Not a Goal
Islam does not prescribe war as
an initial option but restricts it to defensive necessity. Allah Says, {Fight in the cause of Allah ˹only˺ against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the
limits. Allah does not like transgressors.} [Al-Baqarah 2:190]
In Sahih Muslim, it is
narrated from Buraydah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Fight in the Name of Allah and in Allah's curse. Fight
those who disbelieve in Allah and fight, do not be treacherous, nor mutilate,
nor kill a child, nor kill the people at the hermitage.” (Imam Ahmad) (1)
2.
The Prohibition of Killing Non-Combatants
Among the Prophet’s (peace be
upon him) most emphasized commandments in warfare was the prohibition of killing innocent people. He (peace be
upon him) said: “Do not kill a decrepit old man,
or a young infant, or a woman.” (Sunan
Abu Dawud)
Such moral codes were unknown to
the world until the Geneva Conventions of 1949, while the Prophet (peace be
upon him) had already established them in the 7th century CE.
At-Tabari narrates that Abu Bakr
Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed the armies of the Levants
following the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Do not kill a
woman, a child, or an elderly man.”
3.
Fulfillment of Covenants
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was among the most faithful in fulfilling his promises, even with
non-Muslims. He abhorred treachery, even towards his enemies. Allah Says, {And those who keep the pledges they make; and who are
patient in times of suffering, adversity, and in ˹the heat of˺ battle. It is they who are true ˹in faith˺, and it is they who are mindful ˹of Allah˺.} [Al-Baqarah 2:177]
And the Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: “Place trust in him who trusts you,
but do not cheat him who cheats you.” (Sunan At-Tirmidhi)
A powerful example of his loyalty even
toward disbelievers is his faithfulness to Abul Bukhturi Ibn Hisham, who had
defended the Prophet (peace be upon him) and opposed Quraysh’s boycott. During
the Battle of Badr, the Prophet (peace be upon him) remembered his favor and
said, as reported by Ibn `Abbas: “I have come to
know that some men from Banu Hashim and others were brought out to war against
their will and have no desire to fight us. Therefore, if anyone encounters any
man from Banu Hashim, do not kill him. Whoever meets Abul Bukhturi Ibn Hisham
should not kill him. Whoever meets Al-`Abbas Ibn `Abdul Muttalib should not
kill him, for he was compelled to fight us.”
(2)
4.
Prohibition of Mutilating the Dead
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to
everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter,
slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let
the slaughtered animal die comfortably.”
(Sahih Muslim) Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade the
mutilation of corpses.
`Abdallah Ibn Yazid
said that the Prophet forbade spoliation and mutilation. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Spoliation refers to
taking what does not belong to a person openly, and mutilation means disfiguring
the killed by cutting off some of his limbs.
And `Imran Ibnl Husayn said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to
exhort us to give alms (sadaqah) and forbid us to mutilate (a slain).”
(Abu Dawud and others)
Even after the mutilation of
Hamzah Ibn `Abdul Muttalib’s (may Allah be pleased with him) body during the
Battle of Uhud, Muslims did not retaliate in kind. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) even warned: “The one who receives the
severest punishment on the day of resurrection will be a man who is killed by a
prophet, or who kills a prophet, a leader of misguidance, and one who mutilates
(the dead).” (Imam Ahmad)
5.
Respect for the Environment and Civilian Property
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
instructed: “Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees
and do not destroy an inhabited place.” (3)
And Allah, the Exalted, warned
against the aggression of disbelievers: {How ˹can they have a treaty˺? If they were to have the upper
hand over you, they would have no respect for kinship or treaty. They only
flatter you with their tongues, but their hearts are in denial, and most of
them are rebellious.} [At-Tawbah 9:8]
6.
The Prohibition of Killing the Elderly, Women, and Children
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
urged his commanders to fear Allah and uphold moral conduct during battle. Among his instructions was the prohibition of
killing children. Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: When God’s
Messenger appointed a commander over an army or a detachment he instructed him
to fear God himself and consider the welfare of the Muslims who were with him. And
he would say: “…And do not kill a child.’” (Sahih Muslim)
In another narration from Abu Dawud:
“Do not kill a decrepit old man, or a young
infant, or a woman.”
7.
The Prohibition of Killing Worshippers
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased
with him) reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent out his
armies, he would say: “Do not kill the people at
the hermitage.” He also said: “Fight
in the Name of Allah and in Allah's curse. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah
and fight, do not be treacherous, nor mutilate, nor kill a child, nor kill the
people at the hermitage.” (Imam Ahmad)
8. The Prohibition of Corruption on Earth (4)
The wars of Muslims were never
wars of destruction like those of modern times, where non-Muslim combatants
often annihilate all signs of life among their enemies. Muslims were keen to preserve civilization wherever they went, even in enemy lands.
This principle was clear in the
words of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he instructed
the armies heading toward the Levants: “Do not cause corruption in the
land.”
This phrase embodies
comprehensive righteousness. He also said: “Do not drown or burn bees, do
not slaughter livestock except for food, do not cut fruit-bearing trees, and do
not demolish places of worship.” (4)
9.
Caring for Prisoners of War
Among the signs of Islam’s mercy
and greatness is that it designates prisoners of war as recipients of charity and zakah. Caring for them is an act
of righteousness, since they are weak, separated from their families, and in
need of compassion. The Quran equates kindness to prisoners with kindness to
orphans and the needy. Allah Says, {And give
food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.} [Al-Insan
76:8]
You May Also Read:
- Fiqh al Jihad Book By Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi Laws of War and Combat in Islam (2-3)
- Dealing with POWs in the Islamic Jurisprudence
- Humanitarian Aspects of Islam
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References
(1) Tafsir Al-Quran
Al-Azhim by Imam Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir.
(2) At-Tabari, History of Nations and Kings (2/34); Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah
An-Nabawiyyah (3/177).
(3) Abu Bakr’s advice to the armies of the Levants — At-Tabari, History of
Nations and Kings.
(4) Akhlaqul Hurub Fi As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah (The Ethics of Wars in the
Prophetic Sunnah) by Dr. Ragheb As-Sirjani.
