Ruling on Fai' (Booty acquired without fighting)

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: If you come to a township (which has surrendered without a formal war) and stay therein, you have a share (that will be in the form of an award) in (the properties obtained from) it. If a township disobeys Allah and His Messenger (and actually fights against the Muslims) one-fifth of the booty seized therefrom is for Allah and His Apostle and the rest is for you.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " أَيُّمَا قَرْيَةٍ أَتَيْتُمُوهَا وَأَقَمْتُمْ فِيهَا فَسَهْمُكُمْ فِيهَا وَأَيُّمَا قَرْيَةٍ عَصَتِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ خُمُسَهَا لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ هِيَ لَكُمْ " .

It has been narrated on the authority of Umar, who said: The properties abandoned by Banu Nadir were the ones which Allah bestowed upon His Apostle for which no expedition was undertaken either with cavalry or camelry. These properties were particularly meant for Prophet ﷺ. He would meet the annual expenditure of his family from the income thereof, and would spend what remained for purchasing horses and weapons as preparation for Jihad.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، قَالَ كَانَتْ أَمْوَالُ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ مِمَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِمَّا لَمْ يُوجِفْ عَلَيْهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِخَيْلٍ وَلاَ رِكَابٍ فَكَانَتْ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ خَاصَّةً فَكَانَ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ نَفَقَةَ سَنَةٍ وَمَا بَقِيَ يَجْعَلُهُ فِي الْكُرَاعِ وَالسِّلاَحِ عُدَّةً فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ .

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ .

It is reported by Zuhri that this tradition was narrated to him by Malik b. Aus who said: Umar b. al-Khattab sent for me and I came to him when the day had advanced. I found him in his house sitting on his bare bed-stead, reclining on a leather pillow. He said (to me): Malik, some people of your tribe have hastened to me (with a request for help). I have ordered a little money for them. Take it and distribute it among them. I said: I wish you had ordered somebody else to do this job. He said: Malik, take it (and do what you have been told). At this moment (his man-servant) Yarfa' came in and said: Commander of the Faithful, what do you say about Uthman, Abd al-Rabman b. 'Auf, Zubair and Sa'd (who have come to seek an audience with you)? He said: Yes, and permitted them. so they entered. Then he (Yarfa') came again and said: What do you say about 'Ali and Abbas (who are present at the door)? He said: Yes, and permitted them to enter. Abbas said: Commander of the Faithful, decide (the dispute) between me and this sinful, treacherous, dishonest liar. The people (who were present) also said: Yes. Commander of the Faithful, do decide (the dispute) and have mercy on them. Malik b. Aus said: I could well imagine that they had sent them in advance for this purpose (by 'Ali and Abbas). 'Umar said: Wait and be patient. I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained, don't you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:" We (prophets) do not have any heirs;
what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity"? They said: Yes. Then he turned to Abbas and 'Ali and said: I adjure you both by Allah by Whose order the heavens and earth are sustained, don't you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:" We do not have any heirs;
what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity"? They (too) said: Yes. (Then) Umar said: Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, had done to His Messenger ﷺ a special favour that He has not done to anyone else except him. He quoted the Qur'anic verse:" What Allah has bestowed upon His Apostle from (the properties) of the people of township is for Allah and His Messenger". The narrator said: I do not know whether he also recited the previous verse or not. Umar continued: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ distrbuted among you the properties abandoned by Banu Nadir. By Allah, he never preferred himself over you and never appropriated anything to your exclusion. (After a fair distribution in this way) this property was left over. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would meet from its income his annual expenditure, and what remained would be deposited in the Bait-ul-Mal. (Continuing further) he said: I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained. Do you know this? They said: Yes. Then he adjured Abbas and 'All as he had adjured the other persons and asked: Do you both know this? They said: Yes. He said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away, Abu Bakr said:" I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." Both of you came to demand your shares from the property (left behind by the Messenger of Allah). (Referring to Hadrat 'Abbas), he said: You demanded your share from the property of your nephew, and he (referring to 'Ali) demanded a share on behalf of his wife from the property of her father. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said:" We do not have any heirs;
what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity." So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Abu Bakr passed away and (I have become) the successor of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that I am true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. I became the guardian of this property. Then you as well as he came to me. Both of you have come and your purpose is identical. You said: Entrust the property to us. I said: If you wish that I should entrust it to you, it will be on the condition that both of you will undertake to abide by a pledge made with Allah that you will use it in the same way as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used it. So both of you got it. He said: Wasn't it like this? They said: Yes. He said: Then you have (again) come to me with the request that I should adjudge between you. No, by Allah. I will not give any other judgment except this until the arrival of the Doomsday. If you are unable to hold the property on this condition, return it to me.

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَسْمَاءَ الضُّبَعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا جُوَيْرِيَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَنَّ مَالِكَ بْنَ أَوْسٍ، حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَجِئْتُهُ حِينَ تَعَالَى النَّهَارُ - قَالَ - فَوَجَدْتُهُ فِي بَيْتِهِ جَالِسًا عَلَى سَرِيرٍ مُفْضِيًا إِلَى رِمَالِهِ مُتَّكِئًا عَلَى وِسَادَةٍ مِنْ أَدَمٍ . فَقَالَ لِي يَا مَالُ إِنَّهُ قَدْ دَفَّ أَهْلُ أَبْيَاتٍ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ وَقَدْ أَمَرْتُ فِيهِمْ بِرَضْخٍ فَخُذْهُ فَاقْسِمْهُ بَيْنَهُمْ - قَالَ - قُلْتُ لَوْ أَمَرْتَ بِهَذَا غَيْرِي قَالَ خُذْهُ يَا مَالُ . قَالَ فَجَاءَ يَرْفَا فَقَالَ هَلْ لَكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي عُثْمَانَ وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ وَالزُّبَيْرِ وَسَعْدٍ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ نَعَمْ . فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَدَخَلُوا ثُمَّ جَاءَ . فَقَالَ هَلْ لَكَ فِي عَبَّاسٍ وَعَلِيٍّ قَالَ نَعَمْ . فَأَذِنَ لَهُمَا فَقَالَ عَبَّاسٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْضِ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ هَذَا الْكَاذِبِ الآثِمِ الْغَادِرِ الْخَائِنِ . فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ أَجَلْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَاقْضِ بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَرِحْهُمْ . فَقَالَ مَالِكُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ يُخَيَّلُ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كَانُوا قَدَّمُوهُمْ لِذَلِكَ - فَقَالَ عُمَرُ اتَّئِدَا أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي بِإِذْنِهِ تَقُومُ السَّمَاءُ وَالأَرْضُ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " لاَ نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ " . قَالُوا نَعَمْ . ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى الْعَبَّاسِ وَعَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمَا بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي بِإِذْنِهِ تَقُومُ السَّمَاءُ وَالأَرْضُ أَتَعْلَمَانِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " لاَ نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَاهُ صَدَقَةٌ " . قَالاَ نَعَمْ . فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ كَانَ خَصَّ رَسُولَهُ ﷺ بِخَاصَّةٍ لَمْ يُخَصِّصْ بِهَا أَحَدًا غَيْرَهُ قَالَ { مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ} مَا أَدْرِي هَلْ قَرَأَ الآيَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا أَمْ لاَ . قَالَ فَقَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَيْنَكُمْ أَمْوَالَ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا اسْتَأْثَرَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَخَذَهَا دُونَكُمْ حَتَّى بَقِيَ هَذَا الْمَالُ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ نَفَقَةَ سَنَةٍ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُ مَا بَقِيَ أُسْوَةَ الْمَالِ . ثُمَّ قَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي بِإِذْنِهِ تَقُومُ السَّمَاءُ وَالأَرْضُ أَتَعْلَمُونَ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا نَعَمْ . ثُمَّ نَشَدَ عَبَّاسًا وَعَلِيًّا بِمِثْلِ مَا نَشَدَ بِهِ الْقَوْمَ أَتَعْلَمَانِ ذَلِكَ قَالاَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنَا وَلِيُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَجِئْتُمَا تَطْلُبُ مِيرَاثَكَ مِنَ ابْنِ أَخِيكَ وَيَطْلُبُ هَذَا مِيرَاثَ امْرَأَتِهِ مِنْ أَبِيهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا نُورَثُ مَا تَرَكْنَا صَدَقَةٌ " . فَرَأَيْتُمَاهُ كَاذِبًا آثِمًا غَادِرًا خَائِنًا وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَصَادِقٌ بَارٌّ رَاشِدٌ تَابِعٌ لِلْحَقِّ ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَنَا وَلِيُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَوَلِيُّ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَرَأَيْتُمَانِي كَاذِبًا آثِمًا غَادِرًا خَائِنًا وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنِّي لَصَادِقٌ بَارٌّ رَاشِدٌ تَابِعٌ لِلْحَقِّ فَوَلِيتُهَا ثُمَّ جِئْتَنِي أَنْتَ وَهَذَا وَأَنْتُمَا جَمِيعٌ وَأَمْرُكُمَا وَاحِدٌ فَقُلْتُمَا ادْفَعْهَا إِلَيْنَا فَقُلْتُ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ دَفَعْتُهَا إِلَيْكُمَا عَلَى أَنَّ عَلَيْكُمَا عَهْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَعْمَلاَ فِيهَا بِالَّذِي كَانَ يَعْمَلُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخَذْتُمَاهَا بِذَلِكَ قَالَ أَكَذَلِكَ قَالاَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ ثُمَّ جِئْتُمَانِي لأَقْضِيَ بَيْنَكُمَا وَلاَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَقْضِي بَيْنَكُمَا بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ فَإِنْ عَجَزْتُمَا عَنْهَا فَرُدَّاهَا إِلَىَّ .