What is the ruling on granting quarter to enemy warriors ('a'lāj) who claim they came seeking quarter?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Jihad

Book 54 · Issue 3 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If a contingent encounters enemy warriors ('a'lāj) who claim they came seeking quarter (musta'minīn), their claim is accepted if they are unarmed. The absence of weapons indicates the truthfulness of their claim to seek safety.

Supporting text

If the enemy warriors have weapons with them, their claim is not accepted, because carrying weapons indicates their intention to fight.