In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents:
Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: On Not Taking the Fifth of the Spoils of War (Salab),
and that whoever kills a combatant is entitled to his spoils without deducting a fifth,
and the ruling of the leader concerning it.
On the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, who said:
While I was standing in the ranks on the day of Badr,
I looked to my right and to my left,
and found myself between two young boys from the Ansar,
both of tender age.
I wished I had been between men stronger than them.
Then one of them nudged me and said,
"O uncle,
do you recognize Abu Jahl?"
I said, "Yes,
but what do you want with him, my nephew?"
He said,
"I was informed that he curses the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
By the One in Whose Hand is my soul,
if I see him,
my shadow will not part from his shadow until whichever of us is destined to die first passes away."
I was astonished by that.
Then the other nudged me and said the same to me.
It was not long before I saw Abu Jahl moving about among the people.
I said,
"Look, here is your man whom you asked me about."
So they rushed at him with their swords
and struck him until they killed him.
Then they turned back to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
and informed him.
He said,
"Which of you killed him?"
Each one of them said,
"I killed him."
He asked,
"Have you wiped your swords?"
They said, "No."
So he looked at the two swords
and said,
"Both of you killed him,
but his spoils belong to Mu'adh ibn 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh."
And the two youths were Mu'adh ibn 'Afra'
and Mu'adh ibn 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Both of tender age":
meaning they were young in years.
"Between men stronger than them":
meaning between men who were mightier and more formidable than them.
"Abu Jahl":
he was 'Amr ibn Hisham.
"What do you want with him?":
meaning, what is your business with him?
"I was informed":
meaning, news reached me.
"Curses":
meaning reviles and insults.
"My shadow will not part from his shadow":
meaning my person will not separate from his person.
"Until whichever of us is destined to die first passes away":
meaning he will stick close to him and not leave him
until death overtakes one of them.
"It was not long":
meaning, I did not wait long.
"Moving about among the people":
meaning circling through the ranks without settling in one place.
"They rushed at him":
meaning they raced toward him swiftly.
"Then they turned back":
meaning they went.
"Have you wiped your swords?":
meaning wiped the blood from them.
"His spoils":
the spoil (al-salab)
is what an opponent takes from his slain combatant in war,
consisting of what is on him and with him,
such as weapons, clothing, his mount, and the like.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
Among the lessons derived from this hadith are:
The permissibility of a warrior preferring to be positioned between two valiant men in battle;
The recommendation for a warrior to conceal his battle intention until the opportune moment arrives;
That sincerity in jihad is a cause of victory;
The intense love of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and their determination to seek retribution against whoever insults or abuses him;
The recommendation to cooperate on the battlefield of jihad;
The hadith indicates the prohibition of insulting the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and that the one who insults him deserves execution;
The recommendation of conveying glad tidings and communicating pleasing news;
Guidance toward requesting evidence when a dispute arises;
The obligation of verifying the evidence;
That the legally recognized killing that warrants entitlement to the spoils is inflicting fatal, incapacitating wounds;
The validity of a youth's participation in combat;
That a youth is entitled to the spoils of war and discretionary rewards (nafl);
That whoever kills an enemy combatant is entitled to his personal spoils;
And the legitimacy of the leader's discretion in awarding the spoils to one of the co-slayers of the combatant.
Chapter: What the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
used to give to those whose hearts were to be reconciled and others from the fifth and the like.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik:
Some people from the Ansar said to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when Allah granted His Messenger the spoils from the property of Hawazin,
and he began giving certain men of Quraysh one hundred camels each:
They said,
"May Allah forgive the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him!
He gives to Quraysh and leaves us,
even though our swords are still dripping with their blood."
Anas said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was informed of their statement,
so he sent for the Ansar
and gathered them in a leather tent,
and he did not invite anyone else along with them.
When they had assembled,
the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to them and said,
"What is this statement that has reached me concerning you?"
Their scholars of fiqh said to him,
"As for our elders of sound judgment, O Messenger of Allah,
they said nothing;
but as for some people among us of tender age,
they said:
'May Allah forgive the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him!
He gives to Quraysh and leaves the Ansar,
even though our swords are still dripping with their blood.'"
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said,
"Indeed, I give to men who have only recently left disbelief."
In another narration:
"Indeed, I give to Quraysh to reconcile their hearts,
because they have only recently left the Age of Ignorance."
And in another narration:
"Indeed, I give to men who have only recently left disbelief to win over their hearts.
Are you not pleased that the people return with material wealth,
while you return to your dwellings with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?
By Allah, that with which you return is far better than that with which they return!"
They said,
"Certainly, O Messenger of Allah!
We are truly well-pleased."
Then he said to them,
"Indeed, after me you will encounter severe favoritism,
so be patient until you meet Allah and His Messenger at the Basin."
In another narration:
"Until you meet me,
and your appointed meeting place is the Basin."
Anas said:
"Yet we were not patient."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Allah granted His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the spoils":
Fay'
is whatever the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, acquired of the disbelievers' wealth
without actual warfare or combat.
"And he began" (tafiqa):
meaning he started taking action.
"And leaves us":
meaning he leaves us without any gift.
"He was informed":
meaning he was told
"of their statement":
meaning their saying: "He gives to Quraysh and leaves us."
"A tent" (qubbah):
meaning a pavilion
"of leather" (adama):
meaning made of hide.
"Their scholars of fiqh":
meaning people of deep understanding and knowledge.
"As for our elders of sound judgment":
meaning our men of counsel to whom matters are referred.
"Of tender age":
they meant the young and inexperienced among them.
"Who have only recently left disbelief":
meaning they embraced Islam only recently.
"And you return":
meaning you go back
"to your dwellings":
a rahl is a man's lodging and whatever belongings accompany him.
"That with which you return":
meaning that which you go home with.
"Better":
meaning far superior.
"You will encounter":
meaning you will find.
"Favoritism" (atharah):
meaning monopolizing authority and privilege.
What is meant
is the rulers' keeping wealth exclusively for themselves while depriving you of it.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
Among the lessons derived from this hadith are:
That the leader has the authority to disburse the fifth and the fay' wealth for the public welfare of the Muslims;
That it is permissible to give it to the wealthy;
That he may favor some people over others with it according to what he deems best;
And that he may grant substantial amounts from it;
The hadith demonstrates the high status of the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them,
in the estimation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him;
It shows that people vary in degrees of understanding what comes from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
and in understanding what comes from His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him;
The hadith provides guidance on clarifying ambiguous matters
in order to avert discord;
It indicates the permissibility of addressing and admonishing a specific group exclusively;
It provides guidance on showing mindful gratitude for blessings,
lest negligence regarding them lead to forgetting them;
It also demonstrates that enduring preferential treatment (atharah) at one's own expense is among the greatest gates of righteousness,
because someone is being deprived of what he rightly perceives to be his due;
thus, his patience over it is far superior to being patient over something he claims no right to.
It also provides affirmation of the Prophet's Basin (al-Hawd),
and establishes the legitimacy of taking an oath without being asked to do so.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I was walking alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a thick, coarse border.
A Bedouin caught up with him and tugged him violently—
in another narration:
'He seized him forcefully by his cloak—
until I looked at the side of the Prophet's neck,
and the coarse edge of the cloak had left a visible mark due to the severity of his yank.
The Bedouin then said:
"Order that I be given some of Allah's wealth which is in your possession!"
The Prophet (peace be upon him) turned toward him and smiled,
then ordered that he be given a gift.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Najrani cloak" (Burd Najrani)
refers to a type of garment attributed to Najran,
which is a well-known town.
"Thick border" (Ghalidh al-hashiyah)
means it had a rough, coarse edge.
"A Bedouin" refers to an inhabitant of the desert.
"Tugged him" means he pulled him forcibly toward himself.
"To the side of the neck" (Safhat 'atiq):
The safh of anything is its side and surface,
and the 'atiq is the area between the shoulder and the neck.
"Order that I be given" means: Give me.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith we deduce:
An illustration of his immense forbearance (peace be upon him) and his patience under hardship,
and overlooking the harshness of someone whose heart he wished to soften toward Islam.
It also contains guidance to repel mistreatment with benevolence.
On the authority of 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"On the day of Hunayn,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) favored certain people in the distribution of the spoils.
He gave al-Aqra' ibn Habis one hundred camels,
and he gave 'Uyaynah a similar amount,
and he gave to other prominent Arab chieftains,
favoring them on that day in the division.
A man said:
'By Allah, this is a division in which justice was not observed,
nor was the Face of Allah sought by it!'
So I said:
'By Allah, I will surely inform the Prophet (peace be upon him)!'
I went to him and informed him.
In another narration:
'I went to him while he was among his companions
and whispered it to him.'
This weighed heavily upon the Prophet (peace be upon him),
his expression changed, and he became angry,
so much so that I wished I had never informed him.
He said:
'Who will act justly if Allah and His Messenger do not act justly?
May Allah have mercy upon Moses;
he was harmed with far more than this, yet he remained patient.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"He favored" (Athara)
means he selected certain people in the distribution to receive an extra share.
"'Uyaynah" refers to Ibn Hisn.
"A similar amount"
means one hundred camels.
"Prominent Arab chieftains"
refers to their tribal nobles,
and he gave them to soften their hearts toward Islam.
"A man":
It is said that he was Mu'attib ibn Qushayr,
and he was among the hypocrites.
"I went to him"
means I approached him.
"May Allah have mercy upon Moses; he was harmed with far more than this"
refers to the harm inflicted upon him by the foolish and the ignorant,
as when they claimed he was afflicted with scrotal hernia,
meaning having enlarged testicles.
"I whispered it to him"
means I relayed it to him secretly.
"I wished"
means I longed that it had not happened.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith we deduce:
The guidance that the Prophets (peace be upon them)
are the ultimate role models in enduring tribulation patiently.
It also shows that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
is the foremost of all people in upholding justice and equity.
On the authority of Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"Al-Zubayr married me,
and he possessed on earth neither property, nor a slave, nor anything else
besides a water-carrying camel and his horse.
I used to forage fodder for his horse,
draw water,
stitch his leather bucket, and knead dough;
however, I was not good at baking bread,
so some neighborly women of the Ansar would bake for me,
and they were truly honorable and trustworthy women.
I also used to carry date-stones on my head from the land that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) had granted al-Zubayr,
which was two-thirds of a farsakh away from me.
One day, as I was coming with the date-stones on my head,
I met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) accompanied by a group of the Ansar.
He called me and then said:
'Ikh! Ikh!'
to make his camel kneel so he could carry me behind him.
But I felt shy to travel along with men,
and I remembered al-Zubayr and his sense of protective jealousy (ghayrah),
for he was the most protective of men.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) perceived that I felt shy, so he passed on.
I came to al-Zubayr and said:
'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) met me
while the date-stones were upon my head,
accompanied by a group of his companions.
He made his camel kneel so that I might ride,
but I felt shy before him,
and I remembered your protective jealousy.'
Thereupon he said:
'By Allah, your carrying the date-stones on your head
is far harder for me to bear than your riding behind him!'
She said:
Afterwards, Abu Bakr sent me a servant
who relieved me of tending to the horse,
and it was as though he had set me free."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Al-Zubayr" is Ibn al-'Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him).
"Water-carrying camel" (Nadih)
is the camel used for drawing and transporting water.
"I used to forage fodder for his horse"
means she fed it.
"I stitch" (Akhrizu)
means I sew.
"Bucket" (Gharb):
A gharb is a large leather bucket.
"Honorable and trustworthy women" (Niswatu sidq)
means righteous women exemplary in gracious companionship, fulfilling trusts,
and honoring the rights of neighbors.
"Date-stones" (Al-nawa)
refers to the pits discarded by people.
"Granted" (Aqta'a)
means he granted him an allotment of land.
"Two-thirds of a farsakh"
means a distance of two miles,
a mile being four thousand paces.
"A group" (Nafar)
denotes a small gathering of people.
"Ikh"
is a verbal command used to make a camel kneel.
"He perceived" ('Arafa)
means he realized.
"He passed on" (Mada)
means he departed.
"He made the camel kneel" (Anakha)
means he brought the mount down to the ground to sit.
"Your protective jealousy" (Ghayratuk):
Ghayrah
is the safeguarding of one's household from anything dishonorable.
"Afterwards, Abu Bakr sent me a servant"
The intent is:
He gave me a female servant to assist with domestic work.
"Tending to the horse" (Siyasat al-faras)
means caring for it and attending to its food and drink.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith we deduce:
A woman's assisting her husband with domestic duties and service.
It establishes the permissibility of land grants (iqta'),
provided it is issued solely by the ruler from developed or cultivable lands within his legitimate authority.
It highlights the virtue of having righteous neighbors,
and provides guidance toward treating neighbors well and aiding them.
It illustrates the immense compassion and gentleness the Prophet (peace be upon him) had for his Companions.
It highlights the virtue of Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her),
and her profound sense of modesty.
The hadith also indicates that women should avoid unnecessary mixing with men except when needed.
It demonstrates a father's duty to care for his married daughter and check on her welfare.
It shows the permissibility of riding pillion on a beast of burden, provided it can bear the load without harm.
Chapter: What may be consumed of food in hostile territory.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"While we were besieging the fortress of Khaybar,
someone threw down a leather container filled with fat.
I leaped forward eagerly to seize it,
but when I turned around,
there was the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and so I felt deeply embarrassed before him."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A container" (Jirab) refers to a vessel made of leather.
"Fat" (Shahm) means animal tallow or fat.
"I leaped forward" (Nazawtu) means I sprang forward swiftly,
that is, in order to pick it up.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith we deduce:
A depiction of the profound reverence the Companions held for the Prophet (peace be upon him).
It teaches turning away from actions that compromise one's dignity and gentlemanly conduct (muru'ah).
It indicates the permissibility of consuming animal fats found among the Jews.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"During our military expeditions, we would obtain honey and grapes;
we would consume them without surrendering them."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Our military expeditions" (Maghazina) means our campaigns.
"Without surrendering them" (Wa-la narfa'uh):
It means we did not carry them off to hoard them;
and it is also said to possibly mean:
We did not submit them to the authority in charge of distributing the spoils.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that a warrior in battle is permitted to consume such sustenance
without having to remit it to the division of spoils,
except that if he gathers any surplus beyond what he has eaten,
he must return it to the common spoils of the Muslims.
The hadith also contains an indication of the prohibition of misappropriating spoils (*ghulul*) and unauthorized plundering.
It also indicates that dire necessities make permissible what is ordinarily prohibited,
and that necessity is to be measured strictly by its proportion.
On the authority of Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"We were afflicted by severe hunger on the day of Khaybar,
while the cooking pots were boiling vigorously—
and he said: 'some of the meat was already cooked'—
when the caller of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came, announcing:
'Do not eat anything of the meat of domesticated donkeys,
and spill it out!'
In another narration:
'Overturn the pots,
and do not feed on anything from the meat of domesticated donkeys!'
Ibn Abi Awfa said:
'We discussed among ourselves that he only forbade it
because the one-fifth share (*khumus*) had not been taken from them.'
Others said:
'He forbade them absolutely
because they used to eat filth (*'adhirah*).'"
Commentary on the hadith:
*Maja'ah*
means widespread, severe hunger.
*Lataghli*
means they were vigorously boiling.
*Wa-ahriquha*
means pour out their contents onto the ground;
and what is meant
is destroying it and not consuming it.
*Lam tukhammas*
means it had not yet been divided
so that the one-fifth share could be extracted from it.
*Al-battah*
means definitively and categorically.
*Al-'adhirah*
means filth and impurities.
*Akfi'u*
means empty out what is in the pots.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that eating the meat of domesticated donkeys is prohibited.
The hadith also contains an indication
of the prohibition of eating *al-jallalah* (animals that feed on filth)
among livestock.
It also establishes the legitimacy of forfeiting monetary value
through destruction.
It also indicates that it is not permissible to eat
from the war spoils prior to division
and the deduction of the one-fifth share.
The hadith also contains an indication
of the prohibition of consuming impurities
and whatever is contaminated by them.
The hadith also implies that the default ruling
regarding food is permissibility.
The hadith also hints at the principle
that whoever rushes to obtain something
before its due time
is penalized by being deprived of it.
The Book of Jizyah.
Chapter: The Jizyah and Truce
with the Harbis (combatants).
On the authority of 'Amr, who said:
"I was sitting with Jabir ibn Zayd
and 'Amr ibn Aws,
and Bajalah narrated to them in the year 70 AH,
the year Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr performed Hajj
leading the people of Basra,
near the steps of Zamzam.
He said:
'I was a scribe for Jaz' ibn Mu'awiyah,
the uncle of al-Ahnaf,
and the letter of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab reached us
one year before his death, stating:
"Separate every Zoroastrian (*Majūs*) from his unmarriageable kin (*mahram*)."
And 'Umar had not taken the jizyah from the Zoroastrians
until 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf testified
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
took it from the Zoroastrians of Hajar.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
*Al-Jizyah*
refers to a tax taken from the non-Muslim subjects (*dhimmi*s).
*Al-Muwada'ah*
is a truce made with hostile forces for a specified duration in the interest of the Muslims.
*'Inda daraj*
refers to the steps or stairs of a flight.
"Separate every Zoroastrian from his unmarriageable kin"
means:
no Zoroastrian was to be left cohabiting with a sister, mother, or any unmarriageable female relative,
because they deemed lawful the marriage of mothers and sisters.
*Hajar*
is the name of a town;
it is said
that what is meant is Hajar of Bahrain.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to take the jizyah from Zoroastrians.
It also demonstrates the acceptability of the solitary report (*khabar al-wahid*).
It also directs one to follow the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs.
It highlights the virtue of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
and the scrupulousness of his verification.
On the authority of al-Miswar ibn Makhramah,
that 'Amr ibn 'Awf al-Ansari,
who was an ally of Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy
and had participated in Badr,
informed him that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
dispatched Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to Bahrain
to bring its jizyah,
for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
had concluded a peace treaty with the people of Bahrain
and appointed al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami as their governor.
Abu 'Ubaydah returned with wealth from Bahrain,
and the Ansar heard of Abu 'Ubaydah's arrival,
so they attended the Fajr prayer with the Prophet (peace be upon him).
When he had finished praying the dawn prayer with them,
he turned to leave,
and they presented themselves before him.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) smiled upon seeing them
and said:
"I think you have heard that Abu 'Ubaydah has arrived with something?"
They said:
"Yes, O Messenger of Allah!"
He said:
"Rejoice, and hope for that which will delight you!
For, by Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you,
but I fear that the world will be laid out before you just as it was laid out for those before you,
and that you will vie for it just as they vied for it,
and it will destroy you just as it destroyed them."
In another narration:
"And it will distract you just as it distracted them."
Commentary on the hadith:
"He concluded a peace treaty with the people of Bahrain"
took place during the Year of Delegations, in the ninth year of the Hijrah.
"And appointed over them"
means he appointed him as their governor who was to be obeyed.
"Abu 'Ubaydah arrived with wealth"
means he brought monetary funds.
*Wafat*
means they attended.
"They presented themselves before him"
means
they approached him, making apparent their desire for a share of the wealth.
*Ajal*
means yes.
"Rejoice (*Fa-abshiru*)"—
glad tidings (*bushra*) means conveying that which brings joy.
"And hope (*wa-ammilu*)"
comes from *ta'mil*,
which means being promised good things.
"That the world will be laid out before you"
means worldly abundance will be opened for you and you will expand therein.
"And that you will vie for it" (*fa-tanafashuha*)—
competition (*tanafus*) is desiring a thing and seeking to possess it exclusively.
"And it will distract you (*tulhikum*)"
means it will divert your attention away from the Hereafter.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to request allowances from the ruler,
and that there is no reproach in doing so.
It shows the ruler giving glad tidings to his followers and broadening their hopes for what he can provide.
The hadith is among the signs of Prophethood,
because of his foretelling of the worldly conquests that would be opened to them.
It contains a censure of worldly rivalry that leads to the ruin of religious commitment.
The hadith also contains an exhortation to adopt worldly asceticism,
and that the little which suffices is far better than the abundance which distracts.