The Prisoners of Badr: Abu Bakr vs Umar and the Quranic Correction
historicalThe Tribute to Mutim ibn Adi
Before deciding the fate of the prisoners, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam walked among them surveying their faces. He then made a statement recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari that stands as one of the most profound examples of prophetic character: "Law kana Mut'im ibn 'Adi hayyan, thumma kallimani fi ha'ula' al-nathnā, la-taraktu-hum lahu" (لَوْ كَانَ الْمُطْعِمُ بْنُ عَدِيٍّ حَيًّا ثُمَّ كَلَّمَنِي فِي هَؤُلَاءِ النَّتْنَىٰ لَتَرَكْتُهُمْ لَهُ), "If Mut'im ibn 'Adi were alive today and spoke to me about these filthy ones [the prisoners], I would have freed them all for his sake."
Mut'im ibn 'Adi al-Nawfali was a Qurayshi nobleman who had passed away only a few months before the Battle of Badr, before ever accepting Islam. Despite dying as a non-Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam honored his memory publicly at the most charged moment of the battle's aftermath. Dr. Yasir Qadhi describes three acts Mut'im performed for the Muslim community:
First, when the Quraysh imposed their brutal economic and social boycott against the Muslims in Shi'b Abi Talib, Mut'im ibn 'Adi was one of those who secretly arranged to smuggle food to the besieged community, alleviating their suffering at great personal risk.
Second, Mut'im was one of the five Qurayshi leaders who tore apart the parchment of the boycott in the Ka'bah, publicly ending the embargo and restoring the Muslims' rights within Makkah.
Third, and most importantly, after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam returned from his devastating mission to Ta'if, rejected and humiliated, he needed a tribal chief's public protection (jiwar) to re-enter Makkah. Mut'im ibn 'Adi agreed without hesitation. He mounted his horse, armed his sons, entered the Masjid al-Haram, and publicly declared: "Muhammad is under my protection." He then escorted the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam to the mosque and stood guard while the Prophet performed tawaf. This act of personal courage, from a polytheist who never became Muslim, is what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam remembered at Badr and said he would honor with the freedom of over seventy prisoners.
Dr. Qadhi draws a profound lesson: Islam does not deny or erase the good that human beings do, regardless of their faith. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam publicly honored a man who died as a non-Muslim because his deeds for the Muslim community were real, meaningful, and unforgettable.
The Two Opinions: Abu Bakr and Umar
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam consulted his two closest Companions, describing them as his two ministers (wazirani) like the ministers of prophets before him. This was the first instance of Islamic shura (consultative decision-making) regarding prisoners of war.
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq advocated for mercy: "Ya Rasulallah, these are our cousins and our kinsmen. I think you should accept ransom from them, this money will strengthen us against the enemy, and perhaps Allah will guide them to Islam." He cited the example of the Prophet Ibrahim alayhis-salam, who prayed for his idolatrous people, and the Prophet Isa alayhis-salam, who said "If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, indeed You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."
Umar ibn al-Khattab advocated for severity: "Ya Rasulallah, these people called you a liar and fought you. I do not share Abu Bakr's opinion. Give me so-and-so [his own relative] and I will strike his neck; give Aqil [the brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who fought on the Qurayshi side] to Ali so he can strike his neck, so that Allah knows there is no leniency in our hearts toward the mushrikin. We have only recently been separated from shirk; these are the leaders of kufr." Umar cited the Prophet Nuh alayhis-salam, who prayed "My Lord, do not leave upon the earth any dwelling of the disbelievers," and the Prophet Musa alayhis-salam, who prayed "Our Lord, obliterate their wealth."
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam reflected on both positions and compared them: "Abu Bakr is like Ibrahim and Isa, soft-hearted, inclined toward mercy and forgiveness. Umar is like Nuh and Musa, firm and severe toward the disbelievers." The Prophet then agreed with Abu Bakr's position. The prisoners were to be ransomed rather than executed. Those who could pay did so at varying rates based on their financial means; those who could not afford ransom were assigned to teach ten Madinan children to read and write.
The Quranic Correction: Q 8:67-68
The following morning, Umar came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam and found him sitting under a tree alongside Abu Bakr, both of them weeping. Umar asked what was wrong and requested to be told so he could weep with them. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam recited the verses Allah had revealed: "Ma kana li-nabiyyin an yakuna lahu asra hatta yuthkhina fi al-ard, turiduna 'arada al-dunya wa-Allahu yuridu al-akhirah, wa-Allahu 'azizun hakim (مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ أَسْرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يُثْخِنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الْآخِرَةَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ). Lawla kitabun mina Allahi sabaqa la-massakum fima akhadhtum 'adhabun 'azim." (It was not for a prophet to have prisoners until he had thoroughly subdued the land. You desired the gains of this world, but Allah desires the Hereafter. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Had it not been for a prior decree from Allah, a tremendous punishment would have struck you for what you took.) [Q 8:67-68]
Allah corrected the decision to take ransom, indicating that a stricter course would have been more appropriate at this early stage of establishing Muslim authority. However, the verse added "lawla kitabun mina Allahi sabaqa", but for a prior divine decree that had already been written, the punishment would have come. This was understood to mean that Allah had already, in His pre-eternal knowledge, forgiven the Muslims for this decision. Umar later said: "I was afraid the punishment would descend on us." This is one of the clearest Quranic instances of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam being divinely corrected on a decision he made through ijtihad.