Prisoner Of War (الأسير) in the Quran — Key Verses & Related Concepts

ConceptPrisoner Of War in the QuranالأسيرCommunity6Verses5Surahs14Connections#540of 828

Also Known As

Frenchprisonnier de guerre
Urduقیدی
Bengaliযুদ্ধবন্দী
Indonesiantawanan perang

Profile

Revelation

Meccan 0Medinan 6

Domain Mix

Theology50%
Community33%
Eschatology17%

Across The Qur’an

Every surah, shaded by how often this concept appears. Unshaded surahs never mention it.

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Where It Appears Most

Key Verses

  1. ثُمَّ أَنتُمۡ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ تَقۡتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَتُخۡرِجُونَ فَرِيقٗا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِهِمۡ تَظَٰهَرُونَ عَلَيۡهِم بِٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٰنِ وَإِن يَأۡتُوكُمۡ أُسَٰرَىٰ تُفَٰدُوهُمۡ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِخۡرَاجُهُمۡۚ أَفَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِبَعۡضِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَتَكۡفُرُونَ بِبَعۡضٖۚ فَمَا جَزَآءُ مَن يَفۡعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمۡ إِلَّا خِزۡيٞ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَشَدِّ ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ
    Yet ye it is who slay each other and drive out a party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against them by sin and transgression? - and if they came to you as captives ye would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you - Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. For Allah is not unaware of what ye do.
    In context

    Then you broke the contract: some of you killing others, and forcing a group of them to leave their homes, assisted by their enemies, unjustly and with aggression. Then if prisoners came to you in the hands of enemies, you pay their ransom and rescue them from their captivity, even though making them leave their homes was forbidden to you.

  2. مَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥٓ أَسۡرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ يُثۡخِنَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ
    It is not for any prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
    In context

    It is not right for a prophet to take captives from the disbelievers who fight against him until he kills many of them, so that this makes other disbelievers fear fighting him. By taking captives from Badr, O believers, you want to receive ransom, but Allah wants the Afterlife for you, which is gained by making religion victorious and powerful.

  3. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لِّمَن فِيٓ أَيۡدِيكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَسۡرَىٰٓ إِن يَعۡلَمِ ٱللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمۡ خَيۡرٗا يُؤۡتِكُمۡ خَيۡرٗا مِّمَّآ أُخِذَ مِنكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
    O Prophet! Say unto those captives who are in your hands: If Allah knoweth any good in your hearts He will give you better than that which hath been taken from you, and will forgive you. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
    In context

    O Prophet, say to those idolater captives who have come into your hands after the Battle of Badr: If Allah knows of any good intentions in your hearts, He will give you something better than the ransom that was taken from you; so do not grieve over what was taken from you. Allah will also forgive your sins because He is Forgiving and Compassionate to those of His servants who repent to Him.

  4. وَأَنزَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَٰهَرُوهُم مِّنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مِن صَيَاصِيهِمۡ وَقَذَفَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَرِيقٗا تَقۡتُلُونَ وَتَأۡسِرُونَ فَرِيقٗا
    And He brought those of the People of the Scripture who supported them down from their strongholds, and cast panic into their hearts. Some ye slew, and ye made captive some.
    In context

    And Allah brought the Jews who helped them down from their fortresses in which they would protect themselves from their enemy, and Allah put fear into their hearts. A group of them you kill, O believers, and a group of them you take as captives.

  5. فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَضَرۡبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثۡخَنتُمُوهُمۡ فَشُدُّواْ ٱلۡوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنَّۢا بَعۡدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلۡحَرۡبُ أَوۡزَارَهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَلَوۡ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبۡلُوَاْ بَعۡضَكُم بِبَعۡضٖۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ
    Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens. That (is the ordinance). And if Allah willed He could have punished them (without you) but (thus it is ordained) that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain.
    In context

    When you, O believers, face those disbelievers who wage war against you then strike their necks with your swords, and persist in fighting them until you subdue them and eradicate their power. Once you have subdue them, tie the chains of the captives.

  6. وَيُطۡعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسۡكِينٗا وَيَتِيمٗا وَأَسِيرًا
    And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him,
    In context

    They also feed food, despite being in the state of loving food due to being needy and desirous of it. They feed it to the poor, orphans and captives.

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