What may be gleaned from the two ḥadiths:
1 – It has already been established that the Prophet ﷺ forbade killing women, elderly men, children, the dwellers in ṣawāmiʿ (monastic cells), and the like—anyone who plays no role in combat. Imām Aḥmad said: “The old man is hardly ever expected to accept Islam, whereas women are closer to it.”
2 – These two reports reinforce that prohibition with respect to women and aged men so long as they render no assistance to the war effort, whether through action or counsel. Should they lend such aid, they may lawfully be killed, as will be clarified.
3 – The reason is that the wars of Islam are neither wars of aggression nor of corruption; rather, they are wars of mercy, compassion, and an invitation to what is good. Al-Māwardī stated in al-Aḥkām al-Sulṭāniyyah: “It is not permissible to kill women or children in war—or outside of it—because the Prophet ﷺ forbade killing them, just as he forbade killing the weak. The commander must oblige his army to comply with the rulings Allah has laid down.”
4 – In the same spirit is the advice of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq to his commanders: “I charge you with ten matters, so remember them from me. Do not act treacherously, do not misappropriate the spoils, do not mutilate, do not kill a small child, an aged man, or a woman; do not cut down palm-trees or burn them; do not fell fruit-bearing trees; do not slaughter a sheep, a cow, or a camel except for food. You will pass by people devoted to their ṣawāmiʿ (hermitages); leave them and that to which they have dedicated themselves.”
5 – The ruling, then, is the prohibition of killing women, children, the elderly, the inhabitants of ṣawāmiʿ and other houses of worship, and everyone who takes no part in the fighting. If they contribute to the war effort, they may be killed. Should necessity compel their killing—such as when the enemy uses them as human shields, when a night raid becomes unavoidable, or when their fortresses are bombarded with weapons that strike indiscriminately, like artillery—then