English Translation

Abu Mu’awiyah told us: al-A’mash told us, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Abu Ubaydah, from Abdullah, who said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "What do you say about these captives?" Abu Bakr said, "O Messenger of Allah, they are your people and your kinsfolk; spare them and give them time, perhaps Allah will turn to them in mercy." Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, they drove you out and denied you; bring them near and strike off their necks." Abdullah ibn Rawahah said, "O Messenger of Allah, look for a valley full of firewood, put them into it, then set fire upon them." Al-Abbas said, "You have severed your ties of kinship!" The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went in and did not give them any answer. Some people took the view of Abu Bakr, some the view of Umar, and some the view of Abdullah ibn Rawahah. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came out to them and said, "Indeed Allah softens the hearts of some men in this matter until they become softer than milk, and Allah hardens the hearts of other men in this matter until they become harder than stones. Your likeness, O Abu Bakr, is like the likeness of Abraham, peace be upon him, who said, {Whoever follows me is of me, and whoever disobeys me, then indeed You are Forgiving, Merciful}; and your likeness, O Abu Bakr, is also like the likeness of Jesus, who said, {If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, You are the Almighty, the Wise}. And your likeness, O Umar, is like the likeness of Noah, who said, {My Lord, do not leave upon the earth any dweller among the disbelievers}; and your likeness, O Umar, is like the likeness of Moses, who said, {My Lord, harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment}. You are poor, so let none of them escape except by ransom or by the striking off of his neck." Abdullah said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, except Suhayl ibn Bayda, for I have heard him mention Islam favorably." He said: He fell silent. He said: I never felt myself in more fear on any day that stones would fall on me from the sky than on that day, until he said, "Except Suhayl ibn Bayda." He said: Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, sent down: {It is not for a Prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly subdued the land. You desire the goods of this world, while Allah desires the Hereafter, and Allah is Almighty, Wise} up to His words {Had it not been for a decree from Allah that preceded, you would have been touched for what you took with a great punishment}. Abu Mu’awiyah — that is, Ibn Amr — told us: Za’idah told us, and mentioned something similar, except that he said "except Suhayl ibn Bayda," and regarding Abu Bakr’s statement he said: Abu Bakr said, "O Messenger of Allah, your kin, your stock, and your people — overlook them, so that Allah may deliver them from the Fire through you." And Abdullah ibn Rawahah said, "O Messenger of Allah, you are in a valley full of firewood; set fire to it, then cast them into it." Al-Abbas said, "May Allah sever your ties of kinship!" Husayn — that is, Ibn Muhammad — told us this: Jarir — that is, Ibn Hazim — told us, from al-A’mash, and he mentioned something similar, except that he said: Abdullah ibn Jahsh stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah, the enemies of Allah have denied you, harmed you, driven you out, and fought you, and you are in a valley full of firewood; gather much firewood for them, then set it ablaze upon them." And he said "Sahl ibn Bayda."