Kindness to the Prisoners and Providing Him Food

إِذَا أَخَذْتَ أَسِيراً فَعَجَزَ عَنِ الْمَشْيِ وَ لَيْسَ مَعَكَ مَحْمِلٌ فَأَرْسِلْهُ وَ لَا تَقْتُلْهُ فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي مَا حُكْمُ الْإِمَامِ فِيهِ قَالَ وَ قَالَ الْأَسِيرُ إِذَا أَسْلَمَ فَقَدْ حُقِنَ دَمُهُ وَ صَارَ فَيْئاً.

“If you take a prisoner who is not able to walk and you do not have a carriage to carry him, then allow him to go and do not kill him; you do not know what is the command of the Imam about him.’ The narrator has said that he (the Imam) then said, ‘If a prisoner becomes a Muslim, his life is spared and he is one of us.’

إِطْعَامُ الْأَسِيرِ حَقٌّ عَلَى مَنْ أَسَرَهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ يُرَادُ مِنَ الْغَدِ قَتْلُهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُطْعَمَ وَ يُسْقَى وَ [يُظَلَ‌] وَ يُرْفَقَ بِهِ كَافِراً كَانَ أَوْ غَيْرَهُ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that feeding the prisoner is upon the one who has captured him even if he wants to eliminate him the next day. He should feed him, quench his thirst, [provide him shadow, shelter] and be kind to him, regardless, he is an unbeliever or not.”

الْأَسِيرُ طَعَامُهُ عَلَى مَنْ أَسَرَهُ حَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ كَافِراً يُقْتَلُ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَرْؤُفَهُ‌[3] وَ يُطْعِمَهُ وَ يَسْقِيَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that feeding the prisoner is upon the one who has captured him, even if he is an unbeliever whom he wants to eliminate the next day. He should be kind to him, feed him and quench his thirst.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي طَعَامِ الْأَسِيرِ فَقَالَ إِطْعَامُهُ حَقٌّ عَلَى مَنْ أَسَرَهُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ قَتْلَهُ مِنَ الْغَدِ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُطْعَمَ وَ يُسْقَى وَ يُظَلَّ وَ يُرْفَقَ بِهِ كَافِراً كَانَ أَوْ غَيْرَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), spoke about feeding the prisoners of war and said, ‘Feeding of prisoners of war is on the one who has taken him as a prisoner even if he wants to eliminate him the next day. He must feed him quench his thirst, provide him shadow and be kind to him, regardless, the prisoner is an unbeliever or ot

دَخَلَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ص فَسَأَلُوهُ كَيْفَ الدَّعْوَةُ إِلَى الدِّينِ قَالَ تَقُولُ‌ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ* أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِلَى دِينِهِ وَ جِمَاعُهُ أَمْرَانِ‌[1] أَحَدُهُمَا مَعْرِفَةُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ الْآخَرُ الْعَمَلُ بِرِضْوَانِهِ وَ إِنَّ مَعْرِفَةَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يُعْرَفَ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ وَ الرَّأْفَةِ

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, from af-Qasim ibn Muhammad from af-Minqariy from Sufyan ibn ‘ Uyaynah from al- Zuhriy who has said the following: “Once a group of men of Quraysh came to see Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and asked him about how to call to religion. He (the Imam) replied, ‘You sho