"If You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and will not beget except wicked disbelievers" (1). And your likeness, O ‘Umar, is as that of Moses, who said: "Our Lord, obliterate their wealth and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment" (2). You are needy, so let not one of them escape except by ransom or the striking of the neck." ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud said: So I said, "O Messenger of Allah, except for Suhayl ibn Bayda’, for I heard him mentioning Islam." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained silent. I have never seen myself on a day more fearful that a stone from the sky would fall upon me than I was then, until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Except for Suhayl ibn Bayda’." Then the Quran was revealed, regarding what ‘Umar had said: "It is not for a prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly slaughtered [the enemies] in the land," until the end of the verses.

His saying, the Almighty: "Captives"

9152 - My father narrated to us, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Munib narrated to us, Abu Mu‘adh narrated to us, ‘Ubayd ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from al-Dahhak, concerning: "It is not for a prophet to have captives," meaning: those who were taken captive at Badr.

His saying, the Almighty: "Until he has thoroughly slaughtered in the land"

[The First Aspect]

9153 - Abu Zur‘ah narrated to us, Minjab narrated to us, Bishr ibn ‘Umarah informed us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn ‘Abbas, concerning his saying: "Until he has thoroughly slaughtered in the land," he says: Until he prevails upon the land.

The Second Aspect:

9154 - My father narrated to us, Sahl ibn ‘Uthman narrated to us, Ibn Abi Ghaniyah narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi al-‘Aliyah, from Mujahid, concerning: "It is not for a prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly slaughtered in the land," and the 'thkhan' (thorough slaughter) is killing. It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr the same.

The Third Aspect:

9155 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih, the scribe of al-Layth, narrated to us, Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih narrated to us, from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, concerning his saying: "It is not for a prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly slaughtered in the land," and that was on the day of Badr, and the Muslims were few on that day. When they became numerous and their authority became strong, Allah revealed after this regarding the captives: "Then either [confer] favor afterwards or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens." So Allah gave the Prophet and the believers the choice regarding the matter of the captives; if they wished, they could kill them, and if they wished, they could enslave them, and if they wished, they could ransom them.