1106 – It is related from al-Saʿb ibn Jaththāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about a community of idolaters who are attacked at night, so that some of their women and children are struck. He replied, ‘They are part of them.’” Agreed upon. (1)

Vocabulary of the ḥadith
• al-Saʿb: pronounced with an open sād and a quiescent ʿayn.
• Jaththāmah: with a fatḥah on the jīm and the mīm and a doubled thā’; the term jaththāmah is used for a man who sleeps a great deal, remaining in one place and not travelling.
• dharārī: plural of dhurriyyah, a person’s offspring.
• yubayyatūn: passive imperfect of bayyata; tabyīt refers to launching a surprise night raid while the enemy is heedless, mingled with their women and children, so that the latter are hit unintentionally.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadith
1 – In most of his campaigns the Prophet ﷺ would not assault the enemy except by day, when the fighting men had separated from the women, children, and elderly. His wars ﷺ were never intended for wanton destruction; they sought reform. For that reason he forbade killing non-combatants: “Do not kill an infant” [Muslim], and “He forbade killing women and children” [Agreed upon]. When he passed by a slain woman he said, “She was not someone who would have fought” [Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd]. He also said, “Do not act treacherously, do not embezzle, do not kill children, nor aṣḥāb…"