جامع ترمذی · Hadith 1568

Narrated 'Imran bin Husain: That the Prophet (ﷺ) ransomed two men for the Muslims with a man from the idolaters. [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. The paternal uncle of Abu Al-Muhallab's name is 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Amr, and they also say it was Muhawiyah bin 'Amr. And Abu Qilabah's name is 'Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Jarmi (narrator in the chain) This is acted upon according to most of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet(ﷺ) and others. It is for the Imam to decide to be generous with whom he wills among the captives, or to kill whom he wills among them, or to ransom whom he wills among them. Some of the people of knowledge preferred killing over ransoming. Al-Awzai' said: It has been conveyed to me. that this Ayah is abrogated: Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (to free them without ranson) or ransom (47:4). It was abrogated by: Kill them wherever you find them (2:191). This was narrated to us by Hannad (who said): Ibn Al-Mubarak narrated to us, from Al-Awza'i. Ishaq bin Mansur said: I said to Ahmad: 'When the captives are captured' is killing or ransoming better to you?' He said: 'If they are able to ransom' then there is no harm in it. And if they kill, then I do not know of any harm in it.' Ishaq said: Wiping them out is better to me, unless it is someone well-known, so that it is hoped that a large amount will be obtained for him.

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020