Oleh itu, dijelaskan bahawa membunuh bukanlah daripada hukum Syarak mengenai tawanan perang; sebaliknya membunuh adalah hukum Syarak ke atas orang-orang tertentu yang Khalifah lihat terdapat bahaya daripada mereka, maka beliau memerintahkan supaya mereka dibunuh walaupun mereka tawanan perang. Adapun apa yang diriwayatkan tentang Rasulullah ﷺ menjadikan tawanan sebagai hamba selepas turunnya ayat ini, itu ialah penjadian hamba bagi sabaya (tawanan wanita dan kanak-kanak), bukan tawanan perang, iaitu beliau ﷺ akan menjadikan hamba wanita dan kanak-kanak yang bersama tentera di medan perang, bukan lelaki pejuang. Sekiranya penjadian hamba bagi lelaki pejuang telah ditetapkan, perkara itu tentu berlaku daripada beliau ﷺ, namun tiada dalil yang membuktikan bahawa ia berlaku, walaupun terdapat banyak kes tawanan yang ditangkap daripada orang Arab pada zaman beliau ﷺ. Adapun apa yang disebutkan oleh sebahagian kitab sejarah bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ menjadikan hamba Bani Najiyya daripada Quraisy, lelaki dan wanita mereka, perkara ini tidak diriwayatkan dalam kitab-kitab hadis, bahkan tidak juga dalam sebahagian kitab Sirah seperti Sirah Ibnu Hisyam, maka ia tidak dijadikan dalil. Walaupun ia sahih, riwayat itu menyebut lafaz: "Baginda menjadikan Bani Najiyya sebagai hamba, lelaki dan wanita mereka", maka ia menyebut lelaki dan wanita. Riwayat itu tidak mengatakan lelaki dewasa dan wanita mereka, maka ia difahami sebagai sabaya, iaitu kanak-kanak lelaki dan perempuan, dan ini diharuskan. Dengan itu, Rasulullah ﷺ tidak pernah menjadikan mana-mana lelaki sebagai hamba; sebaliknya beliau ﷺ menjadikan sabaya, lelaki dan perempuan. Realiti yang thabit dalam hadis-hadis yang dianggap sebagai dalil menguatkan perkara ini. Sesiapa yang menelusuri perbuatan Rasulullah ﷺ akan mendapati bahawa beliau tidak pernah menjadikan hamba mana-mana lelaki yang ditawan sebagai tawanan perang, sama ada dari kalangan Arab atau selain mereka. Apa yang diriwayatkan daripada beliau ialah beliau menjadikan sabaya sebagai hamba. Dalam perang Badar, tiada wanita bersama musuh, maka sebab itu tiada tawanan sabaya diambil di dalamnya. Sebaliknya tawanan perang diambil, lalu Rasulullah ﷺ memutuskan hukum ke atas mereka dengan tebusan. Dalam peperangan Hunain, Hawazin keluar untuk berperang dengan Rasulullah ﷺ dan wanita-wanita mereka turut keluar bersama mereka. Apabila kaum Muslimin menang, Hawazin melarikan diri dan mereka meninggalkan wanita-wanita mereka di belakang, lalu mereka ditawan sebagai sabaya dan diletakkan bersama harta rampasan. Dalam peristiwa Bani Mustaliq, pihak musuh meninggalkan wanita-wanita mereka, lalu mereka ditawan sebagai sabaya. Di Khaibar, mereka diperangi dan kubu-kubu mereka ditakluki. Wanita-wanita yang bersama para pejuang ditawan sebagai sabaya, manakala selebihnya dibiarkan sebagaimana lelaki dibiarkan. Peristiwa-peristiwa ini semuanya menunjukkan bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ biasa menawan para pejuang lelaki, dan wanita-wanita yang bersama para pejuang ditawan sebagai sabaya, begitu juga kanak-kanak. Adapun lelaki dan wanita lain yang tidak turut serta dalam peperangan, mereka tidak ditawan sebagai tawanan perang mahupun sebagai sabaya. Ini menunjukkan bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ tidak memperhambakan tawanan perang. Ini menjelaskan bahawa tindakan Rasulullah ﷺ berkenaan tawanan perang berlaku menurut nas ayat yang dinyatakan. Sesungguhnya baginda membebaskan mereka pada waktu tertentu dan mengambil tebusan pada waktu yang lain. Baginda tidak memperhambakan tawanan perang dan tidak membunuh mereka; sebaliknya baginda hanya menawan wanita dan kanak-kanak, dan membunuh individu tertentu kerana kedudukan khas mereka dalam bahaya yang mereka timbulkan kepada kaum Muslimin. Adapun persoalan penahanan tawanan yang menjadi serupa dengan tawanan perang, orang pada zaman itu menganggap wanita yang keluar bersama para pejuang, dan kanak-kanak, sama seperti pertimbangan harta dalam takrif teknikal peperangan tanpa sebarang perbezaan antara orang Arab dan bangsa lain. Takrif teknikal peperangan akan menganggap harta rampasan sebagai harta dan orang-orang yang ditahan. Rasulullah ﷺ datang dan menyetujui takrif tersebut, lalu baginda menganggap wanita yang keluar bersama para pejuang dan kanak-kanak seperti harta rampasan di antara harta-harta rampasan. Maka mereka diperhamba, dan hukum rampasan perang (ghanimah) yang berlaku ke atas mereka, bukan hukum tawanan perang. Hukum tawanan perang tetap ada, yang memberi Khalifah pilihan antara membebaskan atau menebus, dan tiada pilihan lain. Hukum ini akan kekal hingga Hari Kiamat. Apabila Negara Islam memerangi musuh-musuhnya, para tawanan dipertimbangkan antara dibebaskan dan ditebus; dan jika wanita keluar bersama mereka ke medan perang, selepas kemenangan dalam peperangan, wanita-wanita itu diambil sebagai tawanan (sabaya) dan mereka seperti harta rampasan perang.
Accordingly it is clarified that killing is not from the Shar’a rules on prisoners of war; rather killing is a Shar’a rule on specific people from whom the Khalifah views there is danger so he commands their killing even if they are Prisoners of war. As for what is narrated about the Messenger of Allah (saw) enslaving after the revelation of this ayah, this was the enslaving of captives (sabaya) and not the prisoners of war i.e. he would enslave the women and children who were together with the army in the battlefield not fighting men. If enslaving of male fighters was established, this would happen from him (saw) but there is no evidence to prove that this occurred despite the numerous cases of captives being captured from the Arabs during his (saw) time. As for what some books of history narrated about the Messenger (saw) enslaving Banu Najiya of the Quraysh, their males and females, this is not narrated in the books of hadith nor even some books of Sirah like the Sirah of ibn Hisham so it is not used as a proof. Even if they were to be authentic, the narration states the words: “He enslaved Banu Najiyya, their males and females” so it mentioned males and females. The narration does not say their men and women so it is taken to mean the sabaya i.e. children, male and female, and this are allowed. Accordingly the Messenger (saw) did not enslave any man; rather he enslaved the sabaya, male and female. The established realities in the ahadith that are considered proofs strengthen this. The one who follows the actions of the Messenger (saw) finds that he did not enslave any man taken as a prisoner of war, nor from the Arabs or other than them. Rather what is narrated from him is that he enslaved the captives (sabaya). In the battle of Badr, there were no women with the enemy so that is why no captives were taken in it. Rather prisoners of war were taken so the Messenger (saw) ruled upon them with ransom. In the battle of Hunain, Hawazin came out to fight the Messenger (saw) and their women came out with them. When the Muslims won, the Hawazin fled and they left the women behind them so they were taken as captives (sabaya) and they were placed with the booty. In Banu Mustaliq, the enemy left behind their women so they were taken as captives (sabaya). In Khayber they were fought and their forts conquered. The women who were together with the fighters were taken as captives (sabaya) while the remaining people were left just like the men were left. These incidents all indicate that the Messenger (saw) used to capture men fighters and the women who were with the fighters were taken as captives (sabaya), as well as the children. As for other men and women who were not in the battle, they were not taken as prisoners of war or as captives (sabaya). This indicates that the Messenger (saw) did not enslave prisoners of war. This clarifies that the Messenger (saw)’s action in relation to prisoners of war occurred according to the stated text of the ayah. Verily he released them at certain times and he took ransom at other times. He did not enslave the prisonsers of war nor kill them; rather he only took captive the women and children, and killed specific persons due to their particularity in the danger they posed to Muslims. As for the question of imprisonment of captives which became similar to the prisoners of war, people at that time considered the women who went out with fighters, and children, like the consideration of properties in the technical definition of war without (any) difference in that between the Arabs and others. The war technical definition would consider booties as properties and imprisoned ones. The Messenger (saw) came and consented to that definition, so he considered women who went out together with the fighters and children like the properties of booty among booties. So they were enslaved and the ruling of booty applied over them not the rule of prisoners of war. The rule of prisoners of war remains, giving the Khalifah the choice between release or ransom and nothing else. This rule will remain until the Day of Judgement. If the Islamic State fights its enemies, the captives are considered between release and ransom; and if women go out with them to the battles, after victory in the battle the women are taken as captives (sabaya) and they are like the properties of the booties.
Hukum ini mengenai tawanan perang dan tahanan bersifat umum bagi semua orang tanpa perbezaan antara orang Arab dan selain Arab; ia bukan khusus untuk orang Arab. Ini kerana ayat dan hadis-hadisnya bersifat umum, dan tiada dalil yang mengkhususkannya kepada orang bukan Arab atau yang mengecualikan orang Arab daripadanya. Maka ia kekal dalam keumumannya, meliputi orang Arab dan selain Arab. Adapun hadis Mu'adh yang dikeluarkan oleh Asy-Syafi'i dan Al-Baihaqi, bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda pada peperangan Uhud:
This rule on prisoners of war and captives is general for people without distinction between Arabs and others; it is not specific to Arabs. This is because the ayah and ahadith are general, and there is no evidence what would specify it to non-Arabs or exempt Arabs from it. So it remains in its generality conveying Arabs and others. As for the hadith of Mu’adh which which was extracted by Ash-Shafi’ and Al-Baihaqi that the Messenger (saw) said on Uhud: