ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books War,peace and Non-violence Tolerance in the Treatment of the Enemy Related from Hafs ibn Ghayyath, who said: 'I asked Imam Saadiq (A) about the case of two groups of Believers, one of them unjust and the other just. What if the unjust were to defeat the just in battle?' He (A) replied: 'It is not the way of those who are just to pursue one retreating or to kill prisoners, or to finish off the wounded . .

.' Related in a hadith from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, from Imam 'Ali ibn al-Hussein (A) who said: 'Imam Ali (A) wrote to Malik, who was in the avant-guard on the da y of al-Basrah (the Battle of Jamal), that he was only to lan ce those who were charging and he was not to kill men who were retreating or to kill the wounded and whoever bolts his door will be safe.

Related from 'Abdullah ibn Sharik, from his father who said: 'When the people were defeated on the day of the battle of the Camel (Jamal), Amir-ul-Mu'mineen (A) said: 'Do not pursue one retreating and do not kill the wounded and whoever bolts his door will be spared.' Related from Imam Ridha (A) that "Imam 'Ali (A) on the day of the battle of the Jamal did not pursue anyone retreating, nor did he finish off the wounded, and anyone who threw down his weapons would be spared as would anyone who entered his own house." In one account it is said: "If the unjust were defeated and they had a troop and a base which they could resort to, they would be sought and their wounded finished off, and they would be pursued and killed as far as possible2 9.

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen (A) did the same with the people of Siffin because Mu'awiya was behind them. If they had not had a troop to return to, they would not be sought and their wounded would not be finished off, because if they retreated they would split up and scatter." We have also related that "During the battle of the Jamal when Talhah and al-Zubeir were killed and 'Aishah was arrested and the People of the Jamal were defeated, the order was proclaimed by the herald of Amir-ul- Mu'mineen (A): 'Do not kill the wounded, do not pursue anyone retreating and whoever throws down his weapon will be spared." Then Amir-ul-Mu'mineen (A) called for the mule of the Prophet (S), which he mounted.

Then he said 'Come you, and Come you until he had gathered around him almost sixty elders all of them from the Hamdan (tribe) who had taken up sword, shield and helm.