Aizaz Ahmed اعزازاحمداعؔزاز and MiR liked
The Mercy of Muhammad – The Prophet’s Treatment of Prisoners of War and How It Influenced Benjamin Franklin
Back in 1763, there was a terrible massacre in colonial Pennsylvania. A group called the Paxton Boys – who were Scots-Irish Presbyterian settlers – carried out a gruesome massacre on the Connestoga, a group of Native Americans that were on the brink of extinction.
Benjamin Franklin (d. 1790), the U.S. Founding Father, documented the massacre in a text he titled A Narrative of the Late Massacres (1764). In the text, he referred to the Paxton Boys as “Christian white savages.” Franklin also defended the Connestoga as a good and peaceful people.
At this point you might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with Prophet Muhammad?” In A Narrative of the Late Massacres, Franklin shared four historical examples of mercy (and other related values) to push back against the behavior of the Paxton Boys.
All four of his examples had to do with Islam and Muslims. The first example focused on how Khaled, a companion of Muhammad, treated prisoners of war. Here is what Franklin wrote: As for the [Muslims], it is recorded in the life of [Muhammad], the founder of their religion, that Khaled, one of his captains, having divided a number of prisoners between himself and those that were with him, he commanded the hands of his own prisoners to be tied behind them, and then, in a most cruel and brutal manner, put them to the sword; [However, Khaled] could not prevail on his men to massacre their captives, because in fight they had laid down their arms, submitted, and demanded protection.
[Prophet Muhammad], when the account was brought to him, applauded [Khaled and] the men for their humanity; but [Muhammad] said to Khaled, with great indignation, “O Khaled thou butcher, cease to molest me with thy wickedness. If thou [possessed] a heap of gold as large as Mount Obo, and should expend it all in God’s case, thy merit would not efface the guilt incurred by the murder of the meanest of those poor captives… [Ever] since [Muhammad’s] reproof of Khaled, even the cruel [Muslims] never kill prisoners in cold blood.
I find A Narrative of the Late Massacres to be symbolic and timely. Franklin viewed Muhammad as a merciful leader. That alone pushes back on the Clash of Civilizations. In terms of the story’s timeliness, being merciful today is like a lost art. We could all use a serious dose of it. God help us all. Franklin’s second example is centered on the Third Crusade and how Saladin treated the King of Jerusalem, a Christian. The third example concerned the experiences of John Bell – an academic, diplomat, and traveler – who journeyed with Peter the Great (d. 1725) to Dagestan, where they experienced Dagestani hospitality.
The fourth and final example touched on the importance of honor in Andalusian Spain. I hope you enjoyed this small, but important piece of history. It will be included in Chapter Six of my forthcoming book, The Culture of Encounter – The History and Future of Christian-Muslim Unity (Polity). The expected publication date is 2024.
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Categories: Creed of Islam, Islam, Prophet Muhammad, War, War crimes