The Recommendations of the Messenger of Allah and Amir al-Mu’minin, about Smaller Armed Expeditions

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ سَرِيَّةً دَعَاهُمْ فَأَجْلَسَهُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ سِيرُوا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ لَا تَغُلُّوا وَ لَا تُمَثِّلُوا وَ لَا تَغْدِرُوا وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوا شَيْخاً فَانِياً[2] وَ لَا صَبِيّاً وَ لَا امْرَأَةً وَ لَا تَقْطَعُوا شَجَراً إِلَّا أَنْ تُضْطَرُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَ أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَدْن

‘March in the name of Allah, with Allah, in the way of Allah and upon the religion (path) of the Messenger of Allah. You must not be excessive, you must not deform people, you must not betray, you must not kill old people, you must not kill children, you must not kill women and you must not cut down trees unless you ar

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنْ يُلْقَى السَّمُّ فِي بِلَادِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ.

The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited spreading of poison in the lands of the pagans.”’

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌- مَا بَيَّتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَدُوّاً قَطُّ[3].

‘The Messenger of Allah (sw) never launched a surprise attack against the enemy during the night.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِلَى الْيَمَنِ وَ قَالَ لِي يَا عَلِيُّ لَا تُقَاتِلَنَّ أَحَداً حَتَّى تَدْعُوَهُ وَ ايْمُ اللَّهِ لَأَنْ يَهْدِيَ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْكَ رَجُلًا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ وَ غَرَبَتْ وَ لَكَ وَلَاؤُهُ يَا عَلِيُّ.

‘The Messenger of Allah sent me to Yemen and said to me, “You must not fight anyone before calling him to Allah. I swear by Allah, if Allah guides through you one man it will be more excellent for you than all the things on which the sun shines and sets. You, O Ali, will have his guardianship.’””

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص لَا يُقَاتِلُ حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ وَ يَقُولُ تُفَتَّحُ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَ تُقْبِلُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَ يَنْزِلُ النَّصْرُ وَ يَقُولُ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يَقِلَّ الْقَتْلُ وَ يَرْجِعَ الطَّالِبُ وَ يُفْلِتَ الْمُنْهَزِمُ‌[5].

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Yahya ibn abu al-‘Ala’ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would not launch attacks against the enemy until after the declining of the sun toward th

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ مَدِينَةٍ مِنْ مَدَائِنِ أَهْلِ الْحَرْبِ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَاءُ وَ تُحْرَقَ بِالنَّارِ أَوْ تُرْمَى بِالْمَجَانِيقِ حَتَّى يُقْتَلُوا وَ فِيهِمُ النِّسَاءُ وَ الصِّبْيَانُ وَ الشَّيْخُ الْكَبِيرُ وَ الْأُسَارَى مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ التُّجَّارُ فَقَالَ يُفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ بِهِمْ وَ لَا يُمْسَكُ عَنْهُمْ لِهَؤُلَاءِ وَ لَا دِيَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ

6. Ali has narrated from his father, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from al-Minqariy from Hafs ibn Ghiyath who has said the following: “A city of the unbelievers is in the state of war (against Muslims); can it be flooded, set on fire or fired upon with catapults to destroy them even when there are women, children, old peo

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص كَانَ إِذَا بَعَثَ بِسَرِيَّةٍ دَعَا لَهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, dispatched a small group of people for an armed expedition, he would pray in their favor.”

إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص كَانَ إِذَا بَعَثَ أَمِيراً لَهُ عَلَى سَرِيَّةٍ أَمَرَهُ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي خَاصَّةِ نَفْسِهِ ثُمَّ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ عَامَّةً ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اغْزُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَاتِلُوا مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ وَ لَا تَغْدِرُوا وَ لَا تَغُلُّوا وَ تُمَثِّلُوا وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوا وَلِيداً وَ لَا مُتَبَتِّلًا فِي شَاهِقٍ‌[2] وَ لَا تُحْرِقُوا النَّخْلَ وَ لَا تُغْرِقُوهُ بِالْمَ

‘Mobilize in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight those who reject belief in Allah. You must not betray, or deceive, you must not deform anyone, you must not kill children, you must not kill devoted worshippers who live in desolate places, you must not burn palm trees or flood them in water, you must not cu

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا بَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً دَعَا بِأَمِيرِهَا فَأَجْلَسَهُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ وَ أَجْلَسَ أَصْحَابَهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ سِيرُوا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَ بِاللَّهِ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ عَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص لَا تَغْدِرُوا وَ لَا تَغُلُّوا وَ لَا تُمَثِّلُوا وَ لَا تَقْطَعُوا شَجَرَةً إِلَّا أَنْ تُضْطَرُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَ لَا تَقْتُلُوا شَيْخاً فَانِياً وَ لَا صَبِيّاً وَ لَا امْرَأَةً

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that whenever the Messenger of Allah dispatched a small group for an armed expedition, he called their commander and made him sit on his side. He then called the soldiers and made them sit in front of him and said to them, ‘March in the name of Allah, with Allah, in the way of Allah an