of Mahomet, Vol. IV, p. 20, foot-note.]

[Footnote 232: Compare "Contributions to Political Science," by Francis
Lieber, LL.D., Vol. II, p. 250.]

_The alleged Cruelties in executing the Prisoners of War and others_.

[Sidenote: 57. Treatment of the prisoners of war.]

Some of the war prisoners had received the condign punishment of
execution for their crimes in conformity with the laws of war. It has
been alleged by some European biographers of Mohammad that their (the
war prisoners') execution was cruel, and that they were accused of no
crime except their scepticism and political antagonism.[233]

The persons executed were as follows:--

1. Nadhr-bin-Harith.
2. Okba.
3. Abul Ozza.
4. Moavia-bin-Mughira.

[Sidenote: The law of nations regarding the prisoners of war.]

Before reviewing the case of each prisoner, I must note, by way of
introductory remarks, that, under the international or military law, a
prisoner of war is a public enemy armed or attached to the hostile army
for active aid, and who has fallen into the hands of the captor, either
fighting or wounded, on the fields or in the hospitals, by individual
surrender or capitulation. All soldiers, of whatever species of arms;
all men who belong to the rising _en masse_ of the hostile country; all
those who are attached to the army for its efficiency and promote
directly the object of the war, except religious persons, officers of
medical staff, hospital nurses and servants, all disabled men or
officers on the field, or elsewhere, if captured, all enemies who have
thrown away their arms and asked for quarters, are prisoners of war, and
as such exposed to the inconveniences as well as entitled to the
privileges of a prisoner of war. He is subject to no punishment for
being a public enemy, nor is any revenge wreaked upon him by the
international infliction of any suffering or disgrace, by cruel
imprisonment, want of food, by mutilation, death, or any other
barbarity. But a prisoner of war remains answerable for his crimes
committed against the captor's army or people before he was captured,
and for which he has not been punished by his own authorities. All
prisoners of war are liable to the infliction of retaliatory measures.

1.--_Nadhr-bin-Harith_.

[Sidenote: 59. The execution of Nadhr Ibn Harith.]

Nadhr (Nazr), one of the prisoners of war, was executed after the battle
of Badr for his crime of severely tormenting the Moslems