ion, were set free
either by way of free dismissal, or by exacting ransom (in cash or in
exchange of Moslem prisoners) in strict conformity with the dictates of
Sura XLVII, 5. There were no prisoners in the battles of Ohad A.H. 3,
Ahzab A.H. 5, and Khyber A.H. 7.[346]

[Sidenote: Bani Koreiza not enslaved.]

4. Some will contend regarding the Bani Koreiza that their women and
children were made slaves, and as such sold in Najd. Sir W. Muir quotes
the judgment of Sad in the case of the Bani Koreiza,--"That the female
captives and the children shall be sold into slavery," and that it was
approved of by Mohammad. He writes further:--

"A fifth of the booty was, as usual, reserved for the Prophet, and
the rest divided. From the fifth Mahomet made certain presents to
his friends of female slaves and servants; and then sent the rest
of the women and children to be sold among the Bedouin tribes of
Najd in exchange for horses and arms."[347]

I have shown in para. 30 of this book (pages 37 and 38) that Mohammad
never appreciated the judgment of Sad. And I have further to add that
the said judgment, according to true reports, did not contain the
illegal verdict of enslaving the women and children of the Bani Koreiza,
as this might have gone directly against the Koran and the precedents of
the Prophet. In the collections of Bokhari, Book of Campaigns, Chapter
on Bani Koreiza, there are two traditions cited on the subject. Both of
them quote the words of Sad to the effect that "the women and children
be imprisoned." The same is the case in Bokhari's other chapters (Book
of _Jihad_, Chapter on the Surrender of Enemy, Book of _Manakib_,
Chapter on the Merits of Sad).

It is not a fact that Mohammad made certain presents to his friends of
the female slaves out of the captives of Bani Koreiza. The captives were
not made slaves, therefore it is wrong to confound captives with slaves.
There is no proof to the effect that they were enslaved. The Koran
distinctly says that they were prisoners (Sura XXXIII, 26).

In fact, the women and children were not guilty of treason, and
deserved no punishment. Sad's judgment must be either wrong regarding
them, or applied only to those who were guilty. "One woman alone,"
according to Sir W. Muir, "was put to death; it was she who threw the
millstone from the battlements" (Life of Mahomet, Vol. III, page 277). I
conclude, therefore, that all the women and children were r