‘Abd Allaah bin (mas’ud) said “A woman was found slain in one of the battles of the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ. The Apostle of Allaah ﷺ forbade to kill women and children.  

أَنَّ امْرَأَةً وُجِدَتْ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَقْتُولَةً فَأَنْكَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَتْلَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ  

When we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on an expedition, he saw some people collected together over something and sent a man and said: See, what are these people collected around? He then came and said: They are round a woman who has been killed. He said: This is not one with whom fighting should have taken place. Khalid ibn al-Walid was in charge of the van; so he sent a man and said: Tell Khalid not to kill a woman or a hired servant.  

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَةٍ فَرَأَى النَّاسَ مُجْتَمِعِينَ عَلَى شَىْءٍ فَبَعَثَ رَجُلاً فَقَالَ انْظُرْ عَلاَمَ اجْتَمَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ فَجَاءَ فَقَالَ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ قَتِيلٍ فَقَالَ مَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ لِتُقَاتِلَ قَالَ وَعَلَى الْمُقَدِّمَةِ خَالِدُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ فَبَعَثَ رَجُلاً فَقَالَ قُلْ لِخَالِدٍ لاَ يَقْتُلَنَّ امْرَأَةً وَلاَ عَسِيفًا  

The Prophet ﷺ said: Kill the old men who are polytheists, but spare their children.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَاسْتَبْقُوا شَرْخَهُمْ  

No woman of Banu Qurayzah was killed except one. She was with me, talking and laughing on her back and belly (extremely), while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was killing her people with the swords. Suddenly a man called her name: Where is so-and-so? She said: I I asked: What is the matter with you? She said: I did a new act. She said: The man took her and beheaded her. She said: I will not forget that she was laughing extremely although she knew that she would be killed.  

لَمْ يُقْتَلْ مِنْ نِسَائِهِمْ تَعْنِي بَنِي قُرَيْظَةَ إِلاَّ امْرَأَةً إِنَّهَا لَعِنْدِي تُحَدِّثُ تَضْحَكُ ظَهْرًا وَبَطْنًا وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْتُلُ رِجَالَهُمْ بِالسُّيُوفِ إِذْ هَتَفَ هَاتِفٌ بِاسْمِهَا أَيْنَ فُلاَنَةُ قَالَتْ أَنَا قُلْتُ وَمَا شَأْنُكِ قَالَتْ حَدَثٌ أَحْدَثْتُهُ قَالَتْ فَانْطَلَقَ بِهَا فَضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهَا فَمَا أَنْسَى عَجَبًا مِنْهَا أَنَّهَا تَضْحَكُ ظَهْرًا وَبَطْنًا وَقَدْ عَلِمَتْ أَنَّهَا تُقْتَلُ  

Thereafter the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited to kill women and children.  

أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ الدَّارِ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُبَيَّتُونَ فَيُصَابُ مِنْ ذَرَارِيِّهِمْ وَنِسَائِهِمْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ هُمْ مِنْهُمْ وَكَانَ عَمْرٌو يَعْنِي ابْنَ دِينَارٍ يَقُولُ هُمْ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ ثُمَّ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ قَتْلِ النِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ