iWere it not a previous ordainment from Allah...},
“In the Preserved Book, that war spoils and prisoners of war will be made allowed for you,
iwould have touched you for what you took}, because of the captives.
4a severe torment.} Allah, the Exalted said next,
4So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good}."
Al-‘Awfi also reported this statement from Ibn ‘Abbas. A similar statement was collected from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Mas'ud, Said bin Jubayr, ‘Ata’, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah and Al-A‘mash. They all stated that,
}Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah..} refers to allowing the spoils of war for this Ummah.
Supporting this view is what the Two Sahihs recorded that Jabir bin ‘Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«/ have been given five things which were not given to any Prophet before me. (They are :) Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey. The earth has been made a place for praying and a purifyer for me. The booty has been made lawful for me, yet it was not lawful for any-one else before me. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection). Every Prophet used to be sent to his people only, but l have been sent to all mankind.»
Al-A‘mash narrated that Abu Salih said that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«War booty was never allowed for any among mankind except ws.»
[Abu Hurayrah said;] This is why Allah the Most High said,
4So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good .y
The Muslims then took the ransom for their captives. In his Sunan, Imam Abu Dawud recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah fixed four hundred ( Dirhams ) in ransom from the people of Jdhiliyyah in the aftermath of Badr. The majority of the scholars say that the matter of prisoners of war is up to the Imam. If he decides, he can have them killed, such as in the case of Bani Qurayzah. If he decides, he can accept a ransom for them, as in the case of the prisoners of Badr, or exchange them for Muslim prisoners. The Messenger exchanged a woman and her daughter who were captured by Salamah bin Al-Akwa‘, for exchange of some Muslims who were captured by the idolators, or if he decides he can take the prisoner as a captives.