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Islam and the murdering of captives and hostages

CaptivesIslamic terrorists take and kill almost daily hostages. While we are often assured that this practice "has nothing to do with Islam," Muhammad has actually murdered even captives of war and other hostages.

After the Battle of Badr, several defenseless Meccans were slaughtered by Muhammad's companions. These included a man named Umayya and his young son, who were captured by a Muslim (a former friend who sought to protect them), but got afterwards to a mob before they could bring themselves into safety:

"I said (would you attack) my prisoners? But... The people formed a ring around us as I was protecting him. Then a man drew his sword and cut off his son’s foot so that he fell down and Umayya [the boy’s father] let out a cry such as I have never heard… They hewed them to pieces with their swords until they were dead." (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 449)
 

Another heartbreaking depiction of the Islamic chivalry during the same battle concerns Abu Jahl, one of the arch enemies of Muhammad of Mecca. He was killed when he was defenseless. In this case, two Muslims took the opportunity to kill the death toll:

Mu’awwidh passed Abu Jahl as he lay there helpless and smote him until he left him at his last gasp. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 451)
Another Muslim named Abdullah then came by and put his foot on Abu Jahl’s neck and taunted him before decapitating him:
Then I cut off his head and brought it to the apostle saying, "This is the head of the enemy of Allah, Abu Jahl." … I threw his head before the apostle and he gave thanks to Allah. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 451).
 

Apparently, these fellows of Muhammad were not aware that "Islam is against the killing of captives." But who could blame them? Not only the Prophet of Islam praised them for their slaughtering, but he also ordered them to kill another captive.

Uqba bin Abu Mu'ayt pleaded for his life:

When the apostle ordered him to be killed, Uqba said, “But who will look after my children, O Muhammad?”
[Muhammad’s reply] “Hell.”
The man was put to death. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 458)
 

Other prisoners were ransomed, but Uqba received special treatment because he had mocked Muhammad in Mecca. His crime was that, for the pleasure of other Meccans, he had thrown the guts of a dead animal upon Muhammad's back when he prayed (Muslim 4422, Ibn Ishaq / Hisham 277). The Prophet of Islam noted that this fraternity stroke was worth killing. He was the first of several other occasions in which people were killed on Muhammad's order that mocked him.

Interestingly, it seems that Muhammad did not regret to kill all his prisoners, instead of demanding ransom. Verse 8:67 of the Quran was "revealed" in the succession of Badr:

It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

 

The Prophet of Islam continued his bloodshed with the execution of many other captives. Infamous is the execution of 800 captured in Qurayza men and boys. His men also brutally murdered an elderly woman named Umm Qirfa who got captured from the Banu Fazara tribe. According to al-Tabari, she was killed by placing a rope on each leg and the other end to a camel, then driving the two camels apart until the woman was torn to pieces." The daughter of the women got afterwards distributed to one of the Muslim murderers if her mother.

While it is common to hear from the Muslims that their religion is "against" killing of captives and hostages, the actual history of Islam proves that nothing could be more far away from the truth.

 

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