Jihad AlQassam Resistance
People still remember nearly a decade ago when the so-called “Islamic State” appeared, or “ISIS,” as it became known in the media. The world was shaken by those grand events, with the familiar scenes focused on by cameras and broadcast by satellite channels being the beheading, burning of prisoners—such as the incident with the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh—and other painful scenes that were exaggerated and magnified, presented to people as if this was Islamic jihad and these were the morals of Muslims. It was astonishing that this monstrous organization began by stoning a woman dragged by her father—or someone claiming to be her father—with a rope, then presenting her to those ignorant people to stone her while filming!
That distorted image was intended to be ingrained in the minds of people—believers and non-believers alike—so they would be repelled by the word “jihad” and their hearts would tremble whenever they heard it. Some who claim to be affiliated with Islamic knowledge—unfortunately!—rushed to justify those actions, citing some instances from the Prophet's Sirah, taken out of context and presented to people as evidence to justify what those ignorant tyrants did. What a shame!
However, Allah’s way is ongoing, as there are always a group of people who uphold the truth and virtue—at all times—who awaken the Ummah from its slumber and restore the religion's dignity and glory; they refute the distortions of extremists, the fabrications of liars, and the misinterpretations of the ignorant. Among those were the fighting group in the surroundings of Al-Quds, in the mighty Gaza, who displayed heroic acts of bravery and sacrifice in their jihad against the enemies of Allah, which history will record with golden letters. Elders among Muslims will recount these acts to the young as a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and patience.
Allah granted these mujahideen successes as they treated their Jewish prisoners well and exhibited noble morals and good manners, which led some of those prisoners to testify to this publicly despite the false and biased media. Allah the Almighty said, “As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth.” (Ar-Ra’d: 17), and “Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs.” (Al-Anbiya: 18) They practically revived the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was inherently always merciful to the young and old, believers and disbelievers, the obedient and the sinful, in peace or war, at home or traveling. Allah the Exalted said, “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya: 107)
If our brothers in the “Al-Qassam Brigades” had treated their prisoners harshly, they would have been excused due to the horrors inflicted upon them and their families by the enemy who does not show respect or mercy, sparing neither mosques, hospitals, homes, nor churches; not even sparing the elderly, women, and children who are defenseless and unable to find a way out. It is known that the human soul, in such circumstances, is controlled by feelings of anger and revenge, which might lead to punishing the innocent for the crimes of the guilty. However, they adhered to the ethics of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who, when he appointed a commander over an army or a squad, advised him to fear Allah and forbade him from killing children and women, betraying the enemy, or mutilating the dead bodies. He would say, “Go out for Jihad in Allah’s name, in the Cause of Allah, and fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Go out for Jihad and do not indulge in Ghulul, or be treacherous or mutilate (dead bodies) or kill a child.” (Sahih Muslim) There was an instance when a woman was found killed during one of the Prophet's battles, and he condemned her killing, saying, “This is not one with whom fighting should have taken place.” (Sunan Abi Dawood)
Similarly, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) followed his path and advised Yazid bin Abi Sufyan when he sent him to the Levants, saying, “I advise you ten things: Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly.” (Muwatta Malik)
Here, I will mention some points on the Islamic guidance on how to treat prisoners:
Firstly: Islam commands us to speak kindly to prisoners, give them hope in Allah's mercy, and encourage them to embrace our faith gently and softly, not through coercion. Allah says, “O Prophet, say to whoever is in your hands of the captives, 'If Allah knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.' But if they intend to betray you - then they have already betrayed Allah before, and He empowered [you] over them. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Al-Anfal: 70-71) These ayahs were revealed regarding the prisoners of Badr who opposed Allah and His Messenger and obstructed His path.
Rashid Rida said: These two ayahs indicate that believers should encourage prisoners to embrace faith and warn them of the consequences of their betrayal if they persist in disbelief and transgression and returned to aggression and oppression.
The captives of “Al-Qassam” did not hear any insults, curses, or offensive language from their captors. Instead, they were spoken to kindly and treated well, adhering to Islamic guidance and teachings.
Secondly: In prisoners exchange deals, Al-Qassam adhered to loyalty, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who upheld covenants and did not betray, commanding his military leaders to avoid betrayal and advising them: “Do not be treacherous.” (Sahih Muslim)
Abdullah bin Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “A people do not betray the pledge but that Allah gives their enemies power over them.” (Narrated by Al-Tabarani, authenticated by Al-Albani). Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who is not trustworthy has no faith, and he who does not keep his covenant has no religion.” (Narrated by Ahmad, authenticated by Al-Albani)
His enemies acknowledged his loyalty even during their intense enmity. Mukrez told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), “You were never known for treachery, young or old, but you were known for goodness and loyalty.” When Hiraql asked Abu Sufyan, who was still a disbeliever at that time: “Has Muhammad (ever) violated his covenant?” Abu Sufyan replied: “No.” Hiraql then said: “This is how the Prophets behave.”
Thirdly: It is obligatory to feed the captives among the polytheists until the leader decides their fate, whether it be execution or otherwise. Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If it is asked, how can it be obligatory to feed someone when they must be killed? The answer is that the duty to kill at one time does not prevent the duty to feed at another, nor does it mean that punishing in one way necessitates punishing in another. Hence, it is not appropriate to inflict a lesser punishment on someone who deserves capital punishment.
Fourthly: The consistent guidance in the Prophet’s biography is the good treatment of prisoners and favoring them with kindness to encourage them towards Islam. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the day of Badr captured seventy polytheists and distributed them among his companions, saying: “Act kindly toward them.” (Al-Tabarani). Despite the fact that these were people who had often tortured him and his companions and tried to force them out of their faith, the companions implemented the Prophet’s advice faithfully, being generous and kind to the captives.
For instance, Abu Aziz ibn Umair, the brother of Musab ibn Umair, said, “I was in a group from Al-Ansar who were returning from Badr. When they served their meals, they would favor me with bread (which was considered the best food) and eat dates, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) instruction to treat us kindly. Whenever a piece of bread fell into the hands of one of them, he would offer it to me. I would feel embarrassed and return it to him, but he would return it to me without touching it.” Abu Aziz was the standard-bearer of the polytheists at Badr after Al-Nadr ibn Al-Harith.
The Jewish captives in the hands of “Al-Qassam” testified that they were given the same food their captors ate, were not deprived of anything, and their sick were even provided with medicine. Furthermore, some of the female captives were even allowed to keep their dogs and were released with them when they were freed!
Finally, people should understand that jihad in Islam is a form of worship governed by rules and ethics. It is not a war of extermination nor campaigns of vengeance; rather, it is a moral war to protect the oppressed, repel aggression and spread peace. Allah says, “[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, 'Our Lord is Allah.' And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” (Al-Hajj: 40)
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