Chapter of the book: Islam's Strict Prohibitions Against Killing Women, Children and Other Defenceless People · Read as PDF

Hadith: A Prophet's Companion Does not Kill Children

Al-Bukhari narrates the following incident about the Prophet's Companion Khubayb رضي الله عنه:

فَابْتَاعَ خُبَيْبًا بَنُو الحَارِثِ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، وَكَانَ خُبَيْبٌ هُوَ قَتَلَ الحَارِثَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ، فَلَبِثَ خُبَيْبٌ عِنْدَهُمْ أَسِيرًا، فَأَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ، أَنَّ بِنْتَ الحَارِثِ أَخْبَرَتْهُ: أَنَّهُمْ حِينَ اجْتَمَعُوا اسْتَعَارَ مِنْهَا مُوسَى يَسْتَحِدُّ بِهَا، فَأَعَارَتْهُ، فَأَخَذَ ابْنًا لِي وَأَنَا غَافِلَةٌ حِينَ أَتَاهُ قَالَتْ: فَوَجَدْتُهُ مُجْلِسَهُ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ وَالـمُوسَى بِيَدِهِ، فَفَزِعْتُ فَزْعَةً عَرَفَهَا خُبَيْبٌ فِي وَجْهِي، فَقَالَ: تَخْشَيْنَ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهُ؟ مَا كُنْتُ لِأَفْعَلَ ذَلِكَ، وَاللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَسِيرًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ خُبَيْبٍ

Al-Harith ibnu 'Amir's tribe […] finally purchased Khubayb. It was Khubayb, who had killed al-Harith ibnu 'Amir on the day of (the battle of) Badr. He had to stay with them as a prisoner of war.

(Regarding that) 'Ubaydullah ibnu 'Iyad told me, what the daughter of al-Harith had told him about Khubayb. […] He [Khubayb] had wanted to use one of her axes to sharpen²⁵ something. She lent him her axe and narrated:

“Khubayb took one of my sons along, who had run to him while I was not paying attention. Then I found them and I saw how Khubayb had let him sit on his thigh while the axe was in Khubayb's hand. I was horrified. Khubayb could clearly notice the dismay on my face and responded:

‘Are you afraid that I would kill him? I would certainly not do that!’

By Allah, I have never seen a better prisoner than Khubayb!”