Earlier in this surah, the text tended to address the Islamic community, via the phrase "O you who believe!" in verses 15, 20, 24, 27, 29, and 45. In this section, though, the text is framed so as to address Muhammad directly, via the phrase "O Prophet!" in v. 64, 65, and 70. This was tactically advantageous to Muhammad; any objections to these pronouncements could be overcome by an appeal to divine authorization.
Or could they? Verses 65-66 are a fine display of Muhammads revelation-sculpting: first, he adapted the sentiment of Leviticus 26:8 ("Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put 10,000 to flight") and Joshua 23:10 ("One man of you shall chase a thousand"), telling his soldiers that Allah ordered him to urge the army to keep fighting -- 20 of them shall overcome 200. But v. 66 says something else.
Although it is feasible that v. 65 was given before the Battle of Badr, and v. 66 was given right after the battle (to lower future expectations of easy victory against enormous odds; after all, the Muslims had suffered some casualties), it looks like v. 66 was added on a later occasion, after it had become obvious to the army that they could not realistically expect to defeat armies 10 times more numerous. Perhaps v. 66 was revealed after the Islamic army led by Zayd Ibn Harithah and Jafar Ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Rawahah had been soundly defeated by the Byzantine army in the battle of Mutah in A.D. 629. (Muir describes this battle at answering-islam.org.uk/Bo...chap23.htm pages 93-101.) Muhammad changed the proportion that would guarantee victory (and thus require engagement) to 1-to-2, and implicitly enlarged the minimum number of soldiers needed to start a fight from 20 to 100.
There seems to have been some disagreement among Muhammad and his companions about what to do with the prisoners of war after the battle. Verse 67 seems to indicate that Muhammad was disinclined to ransom the prisoners, since the victory, however one-sided, had not been decisive. He perceived that if he ransomed the prisoners, they could re-arm and face him again. He faced a choice between slaughtering the prisoners in cold blood, or ransoming them (as one might ransom a hostage), or just letting them go. What to do, what to do? Abu Bakr, seriously worried that the prisoners might be executed, pleaded that the Muslims should ransom off the prisoners, and Muhammad agreed to do that. But v. 68 indicates that Muhammad then had second thoughts: after the hostages were ransomed, this "revelation" came and plainly opposed the ransoming. The next verse indicates that Muhammad (and the Muslim army) should have been content with the plunder.
The implication is that Muhammad realized -- after he had already ransomed off almost all the hostages -- that if he had just let them all go, free of charge, there was a distinct possibility that such an act of altruism might have changed the minds of the Meccans, and convinced them to become Muslims. The text here seems to convey the contents of Muhammads conscience. The "previous ordainment" mentioned in v. 68 is in the Quran in 47:4, which explicitly allowed, after the infliction of casualties in battle, the option of releasing prisoners with or without demanding ransom.
Verse 70 shows that Muhammad, very aware of the lost opportunity to perform evangelistic altruism, communicated to the just-ransomed prisoners that if they were to become Muslims, they would be compensated with something better than the ransom-money that their families had paid. This is balanced with v. 71, which notes the possibility that some ransomed prisoners might become Muslims to get compensation, in which case, the text states, Allah will sort things out.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Or could they? Verses 65-66 are a fine display of Muhammads revelation-sculpting: first, he adapted the sentiment of Leviticus 26:8 ("Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put 10,000 to flight") and Joshua 23:10 ("One man of you shall chase a thousand"), telling his soldiers that Allah ordered him to urge the army to keep fighting -- 20 of them shall overcome 200. But v. 66 says something else.
Although it is feasible that v. 65 was given before the Battle of Badr, and v. 66 was given right after the battle (to lower future expectations of easy victory against enormous odds; after all, the Muslims had suffered some casualties), it looks like v. 66 was added on a later occasion, after it had become obvious to the army that they could not realistically expect to defeat armies 10 times more numerous. Perhaps v. 66 was revealed after the Islamic army led by Zayd Ibn Harithah and Jafar Ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Rawahah had been soundly defeated by the Byzantine army in the battle of Mutah in A.D. 629. (Muir describes this battle at answering-islam.org.uk/Bo...chap23.htm pages 93-101.) Muhammad changed the proportion that would guarantee victory (and thus require engagement) to 1-to-2, and implicitly enlarged the minimum number of soldiers needed to start a fight from 20 to 100.
There seems to have been some disagreement among Muhammad and his companions about what to do with the prisoners of war after the battle. Verse 67 seems to indicate that Muhammad was disinclined to ransom the prisoners, since the victory, however one-sided, had not been decisive. He perceived that if he ransomed the prisoners, they could re-arm and face him again. He faced a choice between slaughtering the prisoners in cold blood, or ransoming them (as one might ransom a hostage), or just letting them go. What to do, what to do? Abu Bakr, seriously worried that the prisoners might be executed, pleaded that the Muslims should ransom off the prisoners, and Muhammad agreed to do that. But v. 68 indicates that Muhammad then had second thoughts: after the hostages were ransomed, this "revelation" came and plainly opposed the ransoming. The next verse indicates that Muhammad (and the Muslim army) should have been content with the plunder.
The implication is that Muhammad realized -- after he had already ransomed off almost all the hostages -- that if he had just let them all go, free of charge, there was a distinct possibility that such an act of altruism might have changed the minds of the Meccans, and convinced them to become Muslims. The text here seems to convey the contents of Muhammads conscience. The "previous ordainment" mentioned in v. 68 is in the Quran in 47:4, which explicitly allowed, after the infliction of casualties in battle, the option of releasing prisoners with or without demanding ransom.
Verse 70 shows that Muhammad, very aware of the lost opportunity to perform evangelistic altruism, communicated to the just-ransomed prisoners that if they were to become Muslims, they would be compensated with something better than the ransom-money that their families had paid. This is balanced with v. 71, which notes the possibility that some ransomed prisoners might become Muslims to get compensation, in which case, the text states, Allah will sort things out.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
