against them. The apparent view of Ahmad is that it is permissible whether there is a necessity for it or not, because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) set up a catapult against the people of al-Ta'if. Among those who held this view are al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, al-Shafi'i, and the jurists of Kufa (Ashab al-Ra'y). Ibn al-Mundhir said: A hadith has come from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he set up a catapult against the people of al-Ta'if. It is also narrated from 'Amr ibn al-'As that he set up a catapult against the people of Alexandria. Furthermore, because fighting with it is customary, it is analogous to shooting with arrows.
Section: It is permissible to carry out a night raid (tabyit) against the disbelievers, which is to surprise them at night and kill them while they are unaware. Ahmad said: 'There is no harm in a night raid; is the conquest of the Romans anything but a night raid?' He said: 'We do not know of anyone who disliked a night raid against the enemy.' It was read to him: Sufyan, from al-Zuhri, from 'Ubayd Allah, from Ibn 'Abbas, from al-Sa'b ibn Jaththama, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) being asked about the settlements of the polytheists, 'We launch a night raid on them and we hit their women and offspring?' He replied: 'They are from among them.' He said: 'A good chain of transmission.' If it is said: 'But the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forbade killing women and offspring,' we respond: This is interpreted as referring to the intentional killing of them. Ahmad said: 'As for intentionally killing them, no.' He said: 'The hadith of al-Sa'b was after his prohibition of killing women; for his prohibition of killing women was when he sent [someone] to Ibn Abi al-Huqayq. Furthermore, reconciliation between the two is possible; the prohibition is interpreted as referring to intentional killing, and the permissibility as referring to other than that.'
Section: Al-Awza'i said: If the enemy is in a cellar (matmurah) and you know that you can overcome them without fire, then it is more beloved to me that one refrains from using fire. If that is not possible, and they refuse to come out,
(10) Narrated by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter on cutting down trees and burning dwellings, from the Book of Military Expeditions. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 9/84. (11) Omitted from: The original and A. (12) See: Futuh Misr, by Ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, p. 77. (13) In M: "wa qara'a" (and he read). (14) In M: "'Abd Allah". (15) Its chain of transmission was previously cited on page 30. (16) Its chain of transmission was previously cited in: 12/265. (17) In the original, B, and M: "baynaha" (between them). (18) Al-Matmurah: An underground pit. It is what is known today as a trench. (19) In B: "dhalika" (that).
