Mishkat al-Masabih

God’s Messenger sent his riding-beasts with his servant Rabah and I went along with him. In the morning ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Fazari raided God’s Messenger’s riding-beasts, so I went up on a mound and shouted three times facing Medina, “A morning raid!” I then went after the people shooting arrows at them and composing words in the rajaz metre saying, “I am the son of al-Akwa‘; today is the day of the ignoble ones.”* I kept on shooting at them and killing their beasts so that they had to go on foot till there was no riding beast of God’s Messenger created by God which I had not gone ahead of. Then I followed them shooting at them till they threw away more than thirty cloaks and thirty lances to lighten themselves, and they threw nothing away without my putting stones on it to mark it for God’s Messenger and his companions to notice them. This went on till I saw God’s Messenger’s horsemen. Aba Qatada, God's Messenger's horseman, caught up on 'Abd ar-Rahman and killed him, and God's Messenger said, “Our best horseman today is Abu Qatada and our best footman Salama.” He then gave me two portions a horseman’s and a footman’s, and after giving me them both he took me up behind him on al-‘Adba’ on our way back to Medina. *The line, which is evidently an example of the dimeter of the rajaz metre, has something missing at the beginning. It goes: انا ابن الاکوع والیوم الرضع The full form of the rajaz has the foot mustaf'ilun six times; the dimeter has it four times. In the line above two extra syallables are required at the beginning. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar told that God's Messenger used to give to some of the detachments he sent out booty for themselves in particular apart from the division made to the whole army. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

God’s Messenger gave us booty apart from our share of the fifth, and I got a sharif, which is a very old camel. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told that in the time of God's Messenger a horse of his went off and was taken by the enemy, but when the Muslims conquered them it was returned to him. A version says that after the death of the Prophet a slave of his ran away and joined himself to the Byzantines, and when the Muslims conquered them Khalid b. al-Walid returned him to him. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jubair b. Mut'im told that ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan and he went to the Prophet and said, “You have given the B. al-Muttalib some of the fifth from Khaibar and left us out although we are all alike in relationship to you."* He replied, “The only people who are one and the same are the B. Hashim and the B. al-Muttalib." Jubair said that the Prophet gave no share to the B. ‘Abd Shams and the B. Naufal. *They were all descendants of 'Abd Manaf. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported Gods Messenger as saying, “Whatever town you come to and stay in, your portion is in it; but whatever town disobeys God and His Messenger, a fifth of it goes to God and His Messenger and what remains is yours.” Muslim transmitted it.

Khaula al-Ansariya told that she heard God's Messenger say, “Men will wrongfully acquire God’s property and will go to hell on the day of resurrection." Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that God's Messenger stood up among them one day and mentioned dishonesty regarding spoil, treating it and everything connected with it as a serious matter. He then said, “Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with a camel rumbling on his neck and asking me to rescue him,* for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with a horse whinnying on his neck and asking me to rescue him, for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with a sheep bleating on his neck and asking me to rescue him, for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with a soul shouting on his neck asking me to rescue him, for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with patches flapping on his neck and asking me to rescue him, for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. Let me not find any of you coming on the day of resurrection with gold and silver on his neck asking me to rescue him, for I shall say that I can do nothing for him as I have given him full instruction. *Here and in the following phrases the man seeks to be rescued from the thing about which he was dishonest, it being tied to his neck. (Bukhari and Muslim, this being Muslim’s wording which is more complete.)

He told that a man presented God’s Messenger with a slave called Mid'am, and while Mid'am was unsaddling a camel belonging to God’s Messenger he was struck by a random arrow which killed him. The people said, “Congratulations to him! He will go to paradise;” but God’s Messenger said, “Not at all. By Him in whose hand my soul is, the cloak he took on the day of Khaibar from the spoils which was not among the shares divided will blaze with fire upon him.” When the people heard that, a man brought a sandal-strap, or two sandal-straps, to the Prophet and said, “A sandal-strap of fire,” or, “Two sandal-straps of fire.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

'Abdallah b. ‘Amr told that when a man called Karkara* who was in charge of the Prophet’s belongings died God’s Messenger said, “He will go to hell. “The people went off and looked and found a striped woollen garment which he had dishonestly appropriated from the spoil. *There is doubt about the spelling of this man’s name. Karkira and Kirkira are also mentioned. Bukhari transmitted it.

On our expeditions we used to get honey and grapes and eat them without bringing them to the Prophet. Bukhari transmitted it.

On the day of Khaibar I got a skin of fat, and when I decided not to give anyone any of it that day I turned round and saw God’s Messenger smiling at me. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Umama reported the Prophet as saying, “God has given me superiority over the prophets,” or as saying, “has given my people superiority over other peoples and made spoils lawful to us.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying on that day, meaning the day of Hunain, “He who kills an infidel gets what he takes from him.” Abu Talha killed twenty men that day and got what was taken from them. Darimi transmitted it.

‘Auf b. Malik al-Ashja‘i and Khalid b. al-Walid told that God’s Messenger gave judgment that the killer should have what was taken from the man he killed, and did not make this subject to division into fifths. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud said that at the battle of Badr God’s Messenger gave him Abu Jahl’s sword, as he had killed him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

I was present at Khaibar along with my masters who spoke about me to God's Messenger, telling him that I was a slave. He ordered that I should have a sword girded on me, and I was trailing it.* He then ordered that I should be given some inferior goods. I submitted to him an invocation with which I used to treat people who were possessed and he ordered me to reject part of it and retain part. *Either because he was a small man, or because he was young. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, but the latter's version ended at “goods”.

Khaibar was divided among those who had been at al-Hudaibiya, and God’s Messenger divided it into eighteen portions. The army was one thousand five hundred of which three hundred were cavalry, and he gave two shares to a horseman and one to a footman. Abu Dawud transmitted it, saying Ibn ‘Umar’s tradition1 is sounder, and it is the one which is followed. The error in the tradition of Mujammi’ was because he said three hundred horsemen when there were only two hundred. Habib b. Maslama al-Fihri said he saw the Prophet give a quarter of the spoil on the outward journey and a third on the return journey.2 1. I have available two editions of Abu Dawud’s Sunan (Cairo, 1280 and 1348 A .H.). Both give Ibn Mu'awiya in place of Ibn 'Umar. See Jihad, 144. 2. This tradition and the following one are explained as referring to a section of the army which comes in contact with the enemy. The greater amount granted them when this happens on the return journey is because there is more difficulty and danger in fighting after having gone through the campaign. The second tradition is more explicit by making it clear that the fifth was deducted. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He said that God’s Messenger used to give a quarter as booty after the fifth had been kept off, and a third after the fifth had been kept off when he returned. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

In the period when Mu'awiya was governor he got a red jar containing dinars in the land of the Byzantines. A man of the B. Sulaim called Ma'n b. Yazid who was a companion of God’s Messenger was in charge of us, and when I took it to him he divided it among the Muslims giving me the same as he gave the others. He then said that if he had not heard God’s Messenger say, “Booty is granted only after the fifth has been kept off,” he would have given it to me. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

We arrived just at the moment when God’s Messenger had conquered Khaibar and he appointed us a portion (or he said he gave us some of it). He allotted nothing to anyone who was not present at the conquest of Khaibar, giving shares only to those who were present with him, except for those who were in our ship,* Ja'far and his companions to whom he appointed something along with them. *The party to which reference is made is that of people who had emigrated from Mecca to Abyssinia and were now returning. Aba Dawud transmitted it.

Yazid b. Khalid told that when one of God’s Messenger’s companions died at the battle of Khaibar they mentioned the matter to him and he replied, “Pray over your companion.” When the people looked perplexed at that he said, “Your companion was dishonest about booty in God’s path.” They searched his belongings and found some Jewish beads not worth two dirhams. Malik, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told that when God’s Messenger gained booty he ordered Bilal to make a public announcement, and when the people brought their booty he would take a fifth and divide it. One day a man brought a halter of hair after that and said, “Messenger of God, this is part of the booty we got.” He asked whether he had heard Bilal making announcement three times, and when he replied that he had, he asked what had prevented him from bringing it. He made some excuse, so he said, “You must bring it yourself on the day of resurrection, for I shall never accept it from you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told that God’s Messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar burned the belongings of anyone who was dishonest about booty and beat him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Samura b. Jundub told that God’s Messenger used to say, “Anyone who conceals one who has been dishonest about booty is like him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Aba Sa'id told that God’s Messenger forbade selling booty before it was divided. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Umama told that the Prophet forbade the sale of portions before they were divided. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Khaula, daughter of Qais, told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “This property is fresh and sweet and he who gets it in a proper way will be blessed in it, but he who improperly acquires such property of God and His Messenger as his soul wishes will have nothing but hell on the day of resurrection.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet got his sword Dhul Fiqar as private booty at the battle of Badr. Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi added that it was that about which he had the vision at the battle of Uhud.

Ruwaifi' b. Thabit reported the Prophet as saying, “He who believes in God and the last day must not ride a packhorse belonging to the booty of the Muslims and put it back when he has emaciated it; and he who believes in God and the last day must not wear a garment belonging to the booty of the Muslims and put it back when he has made it threadbare.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Abul Mujalid reported ‘Abdallah b. Abu Aufa as saying he asked whether they set aside the fifth of food in the time of God’s Messenger and received the reply that on the day of Khaibar they captured food and a man would come and take as much of it as he needed and then go away. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that in the time of God’s Messenger an army got food and honey in booty and a fifth was not taken from them. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

We would eat a camel on an expedition without dividing it, and when we returned to our dwellings our saddle-bags would be full with its flesh. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ubada b. as-Samit told that the Prophet used to say, “Hand over threads and needles and avoid dishonesty about booty, for it will be a reproach to those who are guilty of it on the day of resurrection.” Darimi transmitted it, and Nasa’i transmitted on the authority of ‘Amr b. Shu'aib who gave it on his father’s authority as coming from his grandfather.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that, the Prophet approached a camel, and taking a hair from its hump said, “O people, I get nothing of this booty, not even this (meanwhile raising his finger), but the fifth, and the fifth is returned to you, so hand over threads and needles." A man got up with a ball of hair in his hand and said, “I took this to repair the cloth under a pack-saddle." The Prophet replied, “You can have what belongs to me and to the B. ‘Abd al-Muttalib," but the man said, "If it produces the result I now realise,* I have no desire for it," and he threw it away. *Literally "If it reaches what I see." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

God’s Messenger led us in prayer facing a camel which had been taken in booty, and when he had given the salutation he took a hair from the camel’s side and said, "I have no right to as much as this of your booty, but only to the fifth, and the fifth is returned to you." Abu Dawud transmited it.

When God’s Messenger divided the portion of the relatives among the B. Hashim and the B. al-Muttalib, ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan and I came to him and said, "Messenger of God, these are our brethren of the B. Hashim whose superiority we do not deny because of the position in which God has placed you in relation to them, but tell us about our brethren of the B. al-Muttalib to whom you have given something while omitting us though our relationship is the same as theirs."* God’s Messenger replied, "The B. Hashim and the B. al- Muttalib are one body like this," and he intertwined his fingers. * Cf. Chapter 8a Shafi'i transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in the version of Abu Dawud and Nasa'i. It says, "I and the B. al-Muttalib have not been separate in the pre-Islamic or in the Islamic period and they and we are one," intertwining his fingers.

When I stood in the rank at the battle of Badr I looked to my right and my left, and when I saw that I was between two young men of the Ansar I wished that I had been between men who were stronger than they. One of them pinched me and said, "Do you know Abu Jahl, uncle?" and I replied, "Yes, but what do you want with him, nephew?” He said, “I have been told that he reviles God's Messenger. By Him in whose hand my soul is, if I see him I shall not leave him till the one of us who is to die first dies.” I was astonished at that, and then the other pinched me and said the same to me. Before long I saw Abu Jahl going round among the people and I said, “Look, this is the man about whom you were asking.” They then hastened to him with their swords and struck him till they killed him, after which they went to God’s Messenger and informed him. He asked which of them had killed him and they both claimed to have done so. He then asked if they had wiped their swords, and when they replied that they had not he looked at the swords and said, “Both of you killed him.” God’s Messenger then decided that what was taken from him should go to Mu'adh b. ‘Amr b. al-Jamuh. The two men were Mu'adh b. ‘Amr b. al-Jamah and Mu'adh b. ‘Afra’.* *’Afra’ was his mother. His father was al-Harith. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying at the battle of Badr, “Who will find out for us what has happened to Abu Jahl?” Ibn Mas'ud went and. found that the two sons of ‘Afra,’ had struck him till he was almost dead, so he seized him by his beard and said, “Are you Abu Jahl?” He replied, “Have you killed more than a man?” In a version he said, “I wish someone other than a tiller of the ground had killed me.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

While I was sitting God’s Messenger gave a company something but omitted the one who was most attractive to me. I therefore got up and said, ‘Why have you omitted so and so? I swear by God that I consider him to be a believer.” God’s Messenger replied, “No, a Muslim.” Sa'd mentioned that three times and he gave him the same reply, then said, “I give a man something although I like someone else better, from fear he may be thrown face downwards in hell.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them Zuhri said be considered that Islam is the attestation of belief and faith is good action.

Ibn ‘Umar told that God's Messenger stood up, i.e. on the day of Badr, and said, ‘Uthman has gone off on the business of God and His Messenger and I shall take the oath of allegiance on his behalf. God’s Messenger then appointed him a share, but did not do so for anyone else who was absent. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Rafi' b. Khadij said that in the division of the booty God’s Messenger used to treat ten sheep as equivalent to a camel. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A prophet who went out on an expedition told his people that no man should follow him who had married a woman with whom he wished to cohabit but had not yet done so, or who had built houses on which he had not yet put the roofs, or who had bought sheep or pregnant she-camels and was expecting them to produce young. He then went on the expedition and approached the town at the time of the afternoon prayer or thereabouts. He then told the sun that both it and he were under command and prayed God to keep it back for them, so it was kept back till God gave him victory. He collected the spoils and it (meaning fire) came to devour them, but did not do so. Saying that there was dishonesty about spoil among them he told them that a man from every tribe must swear allegiance to him, and when a man’s hand stuck in his he said there was dishonesty about spoil among them. They brought him a head of gold like a cow’s head an when he had laid it down the fire came and devoured the spoil.* A version has, "Spoils were not allowable to anyone before us .Then God allowed spoils to us. He saw our weakness and incapacity and allowed them to us.” *This tradition combines elements of the story of Joshua commanding the sun to stand still (Joshua, 10:12) and the story of Achan’s sin (Joshua, 7:10 ff ). (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said he was told by ‘Umar that on the day of Khaibar some of the Prophet’s companions came and said, So and so is a martyr and so and so is a martyr,” but when they came to a man about whom they said, "So and so is a martyr” God’s Messenger declared, "By no means, I have seen him in hell in a mantle (or cloak) which he took dishonestly.” God's Messenger then said, "Go, Ibn al-Khattab, and announce among the people three times that only the believers will enter paradise.” He said he went out and announced three times, "Only the believers will enter paradise.” Muslim transmitted it.

I was a clerk of Jaz’ b. Mu'awiya the paternal uncle of al-Ahnaf, and a year before the death of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab we received his letter in which he gave instruction to separate married couples among the Magians who were within the prohibited degrees. ‘Umar had not taken the jizya from the Magians till ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf testified that God’s Messenger had taken it from the Magians of Hajar. Bukhari transmitted it.

Mu'adh said that when God’s Messenger sent him to the Yemen he ordered him to take from every halim, meaning one who had reached puberty, a dinar or its equivalent in Ma'afiri,* i.e. garments of Yemen origin. *This word, which is usually an adjective qualifying thaub (garment), is here used by itself with an explanation of the meaning following Ma'afir is the name of a tribe which was a section of Hamdan, the Yemen tribal group. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying “Two qiblas in one land are not right, and no jizya is to be levied on a Muslim.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas told that God’s Messenger sent Khalid b. al-Walid to Ukaidir of Duma,* and when they seized him and brought him he spared his life and made peace with him on condition that he should pay jizya. *Duma was a fortress-near Tabuk. Ukaidir was a Christian. The incident took place in the year 9 A.H during the expedition to Tabuk. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Harb b. ‘Ubaidallah told on the authority of his grandfather, his mother’s father, that he had it on the authority of his father that God’s Messenger said, “Tithes are to be levied on Jews and Christians, but are not to be levied on Muslims.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. 'Amir told that he said, “Messenger of God, we come to people who do not give us hospitality, or pay what is due to us from them, and we take nothing from them.’’ He replied, “If they make it necessary for you to take it by force, do so.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.