Worrying statement...

[Abdullah11]

During the khalifa of Abu Bakr; who had appointed Khalid bin Waleed as the commander of the muslim army that was conquering Iraq..... (the below is extracted from the: The biography of Abu Bakr As-Sideeq. By As-Sallaabe.)


During one of the said raids, two Muslims, who were staying among the natives of Iraq, were killed. The two men had embraced Islam and had with them a letter that guaranteed their safety, and that letter was from none other than Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq Ra. Muslim soldiers didn't know about the letter, and so they killed the two men, not knowing that they were Muslims. When Abu Bar Ra found out about what had happended to the two men, he paid blood money to their relatives, but he also sent a clear message to Muslims who lived among non-muslims, particularly non-Muslims that were at war with Muslims. He Ra said, "And that is what people who live with the enemy in their lands get." Or in other words, it was not the Muslim amry that sinned by killing the two - since they didn't know that they were Muslim - but instead it was the two men who were sinning by living in the enemy territory."

Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah (6/356)

[Mikebloke]

The other worrying thing is, why did they move to kill the two men in the first place? I don't know the details, but I assume these two men did not engage into combat with the soldiers, and hence were probably civilians.