The affair of the Badr prisoners

What followed Badr in deciding the fate of some seventy Qurashi prisoners: the counsel of ransom versus execution, then ransom, the execution of two prisoners, and the Qur'anic comment on the decision ¹.

The Prophet divided the prisoners among his Companions and charged them to treat them well; the book relates that the Companions gave their captives bread and contented themselves with dates ².

The Prophet consulted Abu Bakr and Umar: Abu Bakr advised taking ransom to strengthen the Muslims, hoping God might guide them; Umar advised striking necks. The Prophet preferred Abu Bakr's view and took the ransom ^{3 4}.

The ransom ranged from a thousand to four thousand dirhams; whoever had no ransom was released on condition of teaching ten Medinan boys to write ³. Al-Muttalib ibn Hantab, Sayfi ibn Abi Rifa'a and Abu Azza al-Jumahi were freed without ransom ³. Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi' was released against a ransom Zaynab sent — a necklace that had been Khadija's — on condition she be released, and she emigrated ³. The Prophet rejected a proposal to break out Suhayl ibn Amr's front teeth, guarding against mutilation ³. The captive Amr ibn Abi Sufyan was exchanged for Sa'd ibn al-Nu'man, held in Mecca ³.

Al-Nadr ibn al-Harith — bearer of the polytheists' standard in the battle — was executed at al-Safra by Ali's hand ⁵. Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt was executed at Irq al-Zibya by the hand of Asim ibn Thabit, or it is said by Ali's ^{5 6}.

On the consultation over taking ransom came the rebuke "it is not for a prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land" (al-Anfal 67–68); then the verse of Sura Muhammad 4 came ruling for release or ransom. The book relates from Ibn al-Jawzi Umar's remark that the verse agreed with him ^{7 4}.