Chapter 9(b)

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ كَانَ أَبِي ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ لِلْحَرْبِ حُكْمَيْنِ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْحَرْبُ قَائِمَةً لَمْ تَضَعْ أَوْزَارَهَا وَ لَمْ يُثْخَنْ أَهْلُهَا فَكُلُّ أَسِيرٍ أُخِذَ فِي تِلْكَ الْحَالِ فَإِنَّ الْإِمَامَ فِيهِ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ ضَرَبَ عُنُقَهُ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ قَطَعَ يَدَهُ وَ رِجْلَهُ مِنْ خِلَافٍ بِغَيْرِ حَسْمٍ وَ تَرَكَهُ يَتَشَحَّطُ فِي دَمِهِ‌[1] حَتَّى يَمُوتَ وَ هُوَ قَوْ

“I heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’My father would say, “There are two laws about war: (1) During an ongoing war when the enemy is not defeated about the prisoners of war the Imam has the choice to execute, cut off their hands and legs, one of each of the opposite side, without (doing something to) stopping bloo

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِحْدَاهُمَا بَاغِيَةٌ وَ الْأُخْرَى عَادِلَةٌ فَهَزَمَتِ الْعَادِلَةُ الْبَاغِيَةَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ لِأَهْلِ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ يَتْبَعُوا مُدْبِراً وَ لَا يَقْتُلُوا أَسِيراً وَ لَا يُجْهِزُوا عَلَى جَرِيحٍ وَ هَذَا إِذَا لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَغْيِ أَحَدٌ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ فِئَةٌ يَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا كَانَ لَهُمْ فِئَةٌ يَرْجِعُ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the two groups of whom one is rebellious and the other deals with justice and the latter group defeats the rebellious group. He (the Imam) replied, ‘People of justice must not pursue the fleeing ones, kill the prisoner or hurt the wounded. This is when

قُلْتُ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ص إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ع سَارَ فِي أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ بِخِلَافِ سِيرَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فِي أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَارَ وَ اللَّهِ فِيهِمْ بِسِيرَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ع كَتَبَ إِلَى مَالِكٍ وَ هُوَ عَلَى مُقَدِّمَتِهِ يَوْمَ الْبَصْرَةِ بِأَنْ لَا يَطْعُنَ فِي غَيْرِ مُقْبِلٍ وَ لَا يَقْتُلَ مُدْبِراً وَ لَا يُجِيزَ عَلَى

“I once said to Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), ‘The way Ali (a.s.), dealt with people of Qiblah was different from the way the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, dealt with the pagans.’ He the narrator has said, ‘He (the Imam) became angry and s

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ لَسِيرَةُ عَلِيٍّ ع فِي أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ كَانَتْ خَيْراً لِشِيعَتِهِ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ إِنَّهُ عَلِمَ أَنَّ لِلْقَوْمِ دَوْلَةً فَلَوْ سَبَاهُمْ لَسُبِيَتْ شِيعَتُهُ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْقَائِمِ ع يَسِيرُ بِسِيرَتِهِ قَالَ لَا إِنَّ عَلِيّاً ص سَارَ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَنِّ لِلْعِلْمِ مِنْ دَوْلَتِهِمْ وَ إِنَّ الْقَائِمَ عَجَّلَ اللَّهُ فَرَجَهُ يَسِيرُ فِ

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘In the ways of the dealings of Ali (a.s.), with the people of al-Basra, the benefit for the Shi ‘ah was greater than all things on which the sun shines. He (a.s.), knew that those people will become dominant. Were he to make them prisoners his followers would have been made pris

لَمَّا هُزِمَ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لَا تَتْبَعُوا مُوَلِّياً وَ لَا تُجِيزُوا عَلَى جَرِيحٍ وَ مَنْ أَغْلَقَ بَابَهُ فَهُوَ آمِنٌ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ صِفِّينَ قَتَلَ الْمُقْبِلَ وَ الْمُدْبِرَ وَ أَجَازَ عَلَى جَرِيحٍ فَقَالَ أَبَانُ بْنُ تَغْلِبَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَرِيكٍ هَذِهِ سِيرَتَانِ مُخْتَلِفَتَانِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَمَلِ قُتِلَ طَلْحَةُ وَ الزُّبَيْرُ وَ إِنَّ

“When people on the day of camel were defeated, Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), said, ‘You must not pursue the fleeing, you must not hurt the wounded, and those who close their door are granted immunity.’ On the day of Siffin he eliminated the attackers and the fleeing and gave permission about the wounded. Aban ibn Taghlib s