THE KORAN ON LOOT OR SPOIL
THE KORAN ON LOOT OR SPOIL -
A.GHOSH
CHAPTER 6
THE KORAN ON LOOT OR SPOIL
The Koran's injunctions on looted property which in-
cludes women and children and those men that for some reason
or other were not killed in raids and were taken as captives.
Such men, women and children were classed as slaves. The
slaves were merchandise that could be sold, maltreated or
killed without compunction with or without valid reason, by
the believer.
LIX/5-6:
Whatsoever palm-trees ye cut down or left
standing on their roots, it was by Allah's
leave, in order that He night confound the
evil-livers.
And that which Allah gave as spoil unto His
messenger from them, ye urged not any
horse or riding-camel for the sake thereof,
but Allah giveth His messenger lordship
over whom He will. Allah is Able to do all
things.
XLIX/20-21:
Allah promiseth you much booty that ye
will capture, and bath given you this in
advance, and bath withheld men's hands
from you, that it may be a taken for the
believers, and that He may guide you on a
right path.
And other (gain), which ye have not been
able to achieve, Allah will compass it.
Allah is Able to do all things.
VIII/41:
And know that whatever ye take as spoils
of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and
for the messenger and for the kinsman
(who bath need) and orphans and the needy
and the wayfarer, if ye believe in Allah and
that which We revealed unto Our slave on
the Day of Discrimination, the day when
the two armies met.
And Allah is Able to do all things.
VIII/65:
O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight.
If there be of you twenty stedfast they
shall overcome two hundred, and if there be
of you a hundred stedfast they shall over-
come a thousand of those who disbelieve,
because they (the disbelievers) are a folk
without intelligence.
VIII/67-69:
It is not for any Prophet to have captives
until he bath made slaughter in the land.
Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah
desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah
is Mighty, Wise.
Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah
which had gone before, an awful doom had
come upon you on account of what ye took.
Now enjoy what ye have won, as lawful and
good, and keep your duty to Allah. Lo!
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
VIII/73:
And those who disbelieve are protectors
one of another.
- If ye do not so, there will be confusion in
the land, and great corruption.
Footnotes
1. vv. 67-69 were revealed when the Prophet had decided
to spare the lives of the prisoners taken at Badr and
hold them to ranson, against the wish of Umar, who
would have executed them for their past crimes. The
Prophet took the verses as a reproof, and they are
generally understood to mean that no quarter ought to
have been given in that first battle.
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