Explaining the method of ransom in war and the wisdom behind it.
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The Shaykh : And how do you ransom them? With money, a benefit, or men. How do you ransom them? With money, a benefit, or men. With money, by demanding that the captured disbeliever pay a ransom, saying: We will not release you except for one hundred million. What is this? Ransom with what?
The student: With money.
The Shaykh : With money, or with a benefit, where we say: We will not release you until you repair the road for us, or you work with the workers, as the Muslims did with the prisoners of Badr, where they ransomed them by teaching the sons of the Ansar to write. The third?
The student: Men.
The Shaykh : Men. How men? They have our prisoners, so we say: Give us our prisoners and we will give you your prisoners. This choice, my brothers, is it a choice based on desire or a choice based on public benefit?
The student: Public benefit.
The Shaykh : Yes, the second is a choice based on public benefit. This means it is not permissible for the one in charge of the affairs of the Muslims in this matter to choose or select anything other than what public benefit requires.
The student: With money.
The Shaykh : With money, or with a benefit, where we say: We will not release you until you repair the road for us, or you work with the workers, as the Muslims did with the prisoners of Badr, where they ransomed them by teaching the sons of the Ansar to write. The third?
The student: Men.
The Shaykh : Men. How men? They have our prisoners, so we say: Give us our prisoners and we will give you your prisoners. This choice, my brothers, is it a choice based on desire or a choice based on public benefit?
The student: Public benefit.
The Shaykh : Yes, the second is a choice based on public benefit. This means it is not permissible for the one in charge of the affairs of the Muslims in this matter to choose or select anything other than what public benefit requires.