485 - ما يَلزمُ رِعايَتُهُ قَبلَ الحَربِ‏

485. That Which Must be Observed Before the War

1458.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : تَألَّفوا النّاسَ ، وتَأنَّوهُم، ولا تُغيروا علَيهِم حتّى‏ تَدْعُوهُم ، فمَا على‏ الأرضِ مِن أهلِ بَيتِ مَدَرٍ ولا وَبَرٍ إلّا تَأتوني بِهم مسلِمينَ أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِن أنْ تَأتوني بنِسائِهم وأوْلادِهِم وتَقْتُلوا رِجالَهُم .¹

1458.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Befriend people, give them time, and do not raid them unless you first call them [to Islam]. For you to call all the people of the earth, those who live in houses and those who live in tents, to Islam is dearer to me than for you to bring me their womenfolk and children [as captives], and to kill their men.' ²

1459.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في صِفّينَ - : فواللَّهِ ما دَفَعْتُ الحَربَ يَوماً إلّا وأنا أطْمَعُ أنْ تَلْحَقَ بي طائفَةٌ فتَهْتَدي بِي، وتَعْشُو إلى‏ ضَوْئي ، وذلكَ أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِن أنْ أقْتُلَها عَلى‏ ضَلالِها .³

1459.Imam Ali (AS) said at Siffin, 'By Allah I did not postpone the war even for one day unless if I hoped a group of people would join me to be guided by me and repose in my light, and I love that more than killing them for their [choosing to remain in] error.' ⁴

1460.الإمامُ الحسينُ عليه السلام : ألا إنَّ الحَربَ شَرُّها ذَريعٌ ، وطَعْمُها فَظيعٌ ، فمَن أخَذَ لَها اُهْبَتَها ، واسْتَعدَّ لَها عُدَّتَها ، ولَم يألَمْ كُلومَها قَبلَ حُلولِها ، فذاكَ صاحِبُها ، ومَن عاجَلَها قَبلَ أوانِ فُرْصَتِها ، واسْتِبْصارِ سَعيهِ فيها ،فذاكَ قَمِنٌ ألّا يَنْفَعَ قَومَهُ ، وأنْ يُهْلِكَ نَفْسَهُ .⁵

1460.Imam al-Husayn (AS) said, 'Know that the evil of war is swift, and its taste is bitter. Therefore, he who prepares for it, and sees to its requirements, and does not suffer its wounds before its onset, he is its master; but he who plunges into it before its proper time and before gaining insight into his own effort therein, he is fit not to benefit his people and to ruin himself.' ⁶