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First proof for the prohibition of fighting unbelievers who do not fight us
For Allah, exalted is He, says: “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you … and know that Allah is with the God-fearing.”
His statement, “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you,” ties the ruling to the fact that they are themselves fighting us, which shows that this is the very reason for the command to fight. (1)
…it is therefore impermissible to kill a child or a mentally‐ill person, for the pen of moral responsibility has been lifted from them and they bear no sin. This rationale leaves no room for doubt concerning the prohibition of killing the children of belligerents. The common reason that links them with women, according to the sound opinion upheld by the majority, is that they are not combatants.
(1) Ibn Taymiyya, al-Sarim al-Maslul, 2:515: “Fighting is directed only at those who resist, namely the combatants. As for anyone who does not fight, there is no justification for killing him—such as a woman, an elderly man, a monk, and the like.” He also writes, al-Sarim al-Maslul, 2:207: “Fighting was later prescribed in an unrestricted way, then clarified by His words: ‘Wa-qatiluu fi-sabilillah alladhina yuqatilunakum’ (Q 2:190). Therefore, whoever is not a combatant has not been authorised to be fought.”
[الدَّلِيلُ الأَوَّلُ عَلَى تَحْرِيمِ قِتَالِ مَنْ لَمْ يُقَاتِلْ مِنَ الكُفَّارِ]
فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ قَالَ: ﴿وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾.
فَقَوْلُهُ: ﴿وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ﴾ تَعْلِيقٌ لِلْحُكْمِ بِكَوْنِهِمْ يُقَاتِلُوْنَنَا، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذَا عِلَّةَ الأَمْرِ بِالقِتَالِ (١).
= منها، فلا يجوز قتل الصبي والمجنون؛ لأن القلم مرفوع عنهما، فلا ذنب لهما وهذه العلة لا ينبغي أن يشك فيها في النهي عن قتل صبيان أهل الحرب، وأما العلة المشتركة بينهم وبين النساء، فكونهم ليسوا من أهل القتال على الصحيح الذي هو قول الجمهور).
(١) قال شيخ الإسلام في الصارم المسلول (٢/ ٥١٥): (فإنما يقاتل من كان ممانعًا عن ذلك، وهم أهل القتال، فأما من لا يقاتل عن ذلك فلا وجه لقتله؛ كالمرأة والشيخ الكبير والراهب ونحو ذلك). وقال أيضًا في الصارم المسلول (٢/ ٢٠٧): (ثم إنه كتب عليهم القتال مطلقًا، وفسره بقوله: ﴿وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ﴾ الآية، فمن ليس من أهل القتال لم يؤذن في قتاله).