308 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADwould please me more than if al-Kha~ab, my father, were to do so. And that
would be only for the pleasure I would see your acceptance of Islam giving to the
Messenger of God.'
"He went on, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) asked the advice of Abii Bakr,
who replied, "They are of your fanlily, release them." He asked the advice of
Wmar, who said, "Kill them!" The hfessenger of God (SAAS) then asked ransom
for them and so God revealed, "It is not proper for a prophet to take captives before
he has caused slaughter in the land"'" (sdrat al-Anf~l; VIII, v.67).
Al-H&im then stated in his $ah& collection, "This hadiih has an authentic
chain of transmission, but the two authorities (al-Bukhxri and Muslim) did not
narrate it."
Al-Tirmidhi related, as did al-Nasz'i and Ihn Maja, from a hadith of Sufya
al-Thawri, from Hishzm b. Hassim, from Muhammad b. Sirin, from 'Ubayda,
from 'Ali, who said, "Gabriel came to the Prophet (SAAS) and said, 'Ask your
Companions to make a choice about the prisoners; if they want there to be ran-
som, so be it. If they want to kill them, so he it, provided that in a future year a
similar number be killed of them.'
"They commented, 'So it's to be ransom or some of us will he kied!'"
This is a very strange hadith. Some authorities relate it with an incomplete line
of authorities, from Whayda. But God knows best.
Ihn Ishaq stated, from Ibn Abii Najih, from cAta', from Ibn (Abbas, who said,
concerning the verse "were it not for a decree from God that came before, you
would have suffered mightily for what you took" (sdrat al-AnfZl; VIII, v.68).
"He is saying, 'Were it not for the fact that I do not punish those who disobey
me until I have approached them, I would have made you suffer mightily for
what you took."'
It is similarly related from Ibn Abii Najih, also from Mujzhid. Ibn Ishaq and
others chose it.
Al-Acmash stated, "He had previously made plain that he would not punish
anyone who had taken part in the battle of Badr." It is similarly related from Saw
b. Abii Waqqq, Sacid b. Jubayr and 'A!%' b. Abii Rabah.
Mujzhid and al-Thawri stated, "'were it not for a decree from God that had
come previously.' That is, in forgiving them."
Al-Walihi stated, from Ibn (Abbas, "It had previously been stated in the
Qur'an that the 'spoils and ransom for prisoners are permitted to you'. And this
is why God later stated, 'and so enjoy whatever you have taken as booty, well and
legally'" (sdrat al-Anf~l; VIII, v.69).
It was related similarly from Abii Hurayra, Ibn Masciid, Sacid b. Jubayr, 'A@',
al-Hasan, Qatada and al-Acmash, and Ibn Jarir selected it.
This last statement is considered preferable because of what is substantiated in
the ~ahih collections, from Jabii b. 'Ahd Allah, who stated, "The Messenger of God
(SAAS), stated, 'I was given five things not given to any prophet before myself:
I was given victory through fear (within Qyaysh) for a month; the earth was made