and he also says, in al-Wasīṭ: “natana, natnan: its odor became foul.”
He called them “stench” because of their disbelief, just as Allah the Exalted says, “Indeed, the polytheists are impure” (Qur’an 9:28).
He thus described them as rotten on account of their corrupt doctrines; the term “stench” therefore covers both physical impurity and doctrinal, moral impurity.
Points gleaned from the three ḥadiths
– When the Muslims capture enemy combatants, the commander is given a choice among four courses of action:
- Killing them,
- Enslaving them,
- Releasing them for a monetary ransom that they pay,
- Exchanging one of them for a Muslim prisoner, or granting them their freedom outright with no ransom and no exchange.
This is a choice of benefit, not a choice of personal desire.
In Sharḥ al-Iqnāʿ it is stated:
“The commander exercises an interest-based choice, striving to determine what is best with respect to free enemy combatant captives, between:
– Killing, by virtue of the general command, ‘Then kill the polytheists wherever you find them’ (Qur’an 9:5), and because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, executed the men of Banū Qurayẓah;
– Enslavement, for in the two Ṣaḥīḥs it is related that a female captive from Banū Tamīm was in ʿĀ’ishah’s household, whereupon the Prophet said, ‘Set her free, for she is descended from Ishmael’;
– Granting release, on the strength of the verse, ‘Then afterwards [grant them] favor [by release]’ (Qur’an 47:4), and because the Prophet released Abū ʿUzzah al-Jumaḥī on the Day of Badr, Abū al-ʿĀṣ ibn al-Rabīʿ, and Thumāmah ibn Athal;
– Ransom for a Muslim, in light of the verse, ‘or ransom [in exchange]’ (Qur’an 47:4), and as reported by Aḥmad and al-Tirmidhī from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn: ‘The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ransomed two of his Companions for one man from the polytheists of Banū ʿAqīl’;
– Or ransom with money, for the Prophet ransomed the captives of Badr with money.
Whatever the commander chooses from among these four options becomes binding and no one is entitled to overturn it,