The fai' - Section 1

Malik b. Aus b. al-Hadathan reported "Umar b. al-Khattab as saying that God appointed His Messenger a special portion in this <i>fai’</i>* which He gave to no other. He then recited, “What God has bestowed on His Messenger from them . . . omnipotent" (Al-Qur’an; 59:6). This was purely for God’s Messenger who used to give his family their annual contribution from this property, then take what remained and deal with it as he did with God’s property. *<i>Fai’</i> is the term used for tribute from territory the Muslims have conquered. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَن مالكِ بن أوْسِ بنِ الحَدَثانِ قَالَ: قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ خَصَّ رَسُولَهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي هَذَا الْفَيْءِ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ عطه أحدا غيرَه ثُمَّ قَرَأَ (مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُم) إِلى قولِه (قديرٌ) فكانتْ هَذِه خَالِصَة لرَسُول اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ نَفَقَةَ سَنَتِهِمْ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ. ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ مَا بَقِيَ فَيَجْعَلُهُ مَجْعَلَ مَالِ اللَّهِ

‘Umar said that the properties of the B. an-Nadir were part of what God bestowed on His Messenger from what the Muslims had not ridden on horses or camels to get; so they belonged specially to God’s Messenger who gave his family their annual contribution, then applied what remained for weapons and horses as equipment in God’s path. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَن عمر قَالَ: كَانَتْ أَمْوَالُ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ مِمَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِمَّا لَمْ يُوجِفِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ بِخَيْلٍ وَلَا رِكَابٍ فَكَانَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَالِصَة يُنْفِقُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ نَفَقَةَ سَنَتِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُ مَا بَقِيَ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ عُدَّةً فِي سَبِيل الله

‘Auf b. Malik said:

When the <i>fai’</i> came to God's Messenger he divided it that day, giving two portions to a married man and one to a bachelor. I was summoned and he gave me two portions, for I had a family; then ‘Ammar b. Yasir was summoned after me and given one. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

عَن عوفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا أَتَاهُ الْفَيْءُ قَسَمَهُ فِي يَوْمِهِ فَأَعْطَى الْآهِلَ حَظَّيْنِ وَأَعْطَى الْأَعْزَبَ حَظًّا فَدُعِيتُ فَأَعْطَانِي حَظَّيْنِ وَكَانَ لِي أَهْلٌ ثُمَّ دُعِيَ بَعْدِي عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ فَأُعْطِيَ حَظًّا وَاحِدًا. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Ibn ‘Umar told that he saw the first thing God’s Messenger did immediately anything came to him was to give something to those who had been set free. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوَّلُ مَا جَاءَهُ شيءٌ بدَأَ بالمحرَّرينَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

‘A’isha said the Prophet (ﷺ) was brought a pouch containing beads and divided it among freewomen and slave women. She said her father used to divide things between freemen and slaves. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَى بطبية فِيهَا خَرَزٌ فَقَسَمَهَا لِلْحُرَّةِ وَالْأَمَةِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: كَانَ أَبِي يَقْسِمُ لِلْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

Malik b. Aus b. al-Hadathan told that one day ‘Umar b. al-Khattab mentioned the <i>fai’</i> saying:

I have no more right to this <i>fai’</i> than you, and none of us has more right to it than another, except that we occupy our positions fixed by the Book of God who is great and glorious and the division made by His Messenger, people being arranged according to their precedence in accepting Islam, the hardships they have endured, their having children, and their need. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن مالكِ بن أوسِ بن الحدَثانِ قَالَ: ذكر عمر بن الْخطاب يَوْمًا الْفَيْءَ فَقَالَ: مَا أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِهَذَا الْفَيْءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا أَحَدٌ مِنَّا بِأَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا أَنَّا عَلَى مَنَازِلِنَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَقَسْمِ رَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَالرَّجُلُ وَقِدَمُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَبَلَاؤُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَعِيَالُهُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَحَاجَتُهُ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

He told that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab recited, “Alms are for the poor and needy…Knowing, Wise," (Al-Qur’an; 9:60) and said that this verse applies to such. He then recited, “Know that a fifth of whatever booty you acquire goes to God and the Messenger . . . the traveller," (Al-Qur’an; 8:41) and said that this verse applies to such. He then recited, “What God has bestowed on His Messenger from the people of the towns ... to the poor" (Al-Qur’an; 59:7 f. <i>The last word mentioned is the first word of verse 8. It may mean that he recited the whole of verse 8</i>). He then recited, “And those who came after them," (Al-Qur’an; 59:10) saying that this includes all the Muslims, and adding that if he lived the herdsman in the <i>sarw</i>* of Himyar would certainly get his share which he had not earned by the sweat of his brow. * The word means a hill slope above a valley, not right upon the mountain. When associated with Himyar it is said to mean their settlement, cf. Yaqut, <i>Mu'jam</i>, iii, 82. The Himyarites were a famous South Arabian people. It is transmitted in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَرَأَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنهُ: (إِنَّما الصَّدَقاتُ للفقراءِ والمساكينِ) حَتَّى بَلَغَ (عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ) فَقَالَ: هَذِهِ لِهَؤُلَاءِ. ثُمَّ قَرَأَ (وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شيءٍ فإنَّ للَّهِ خُمُسَه وللرَّسولِ) حَتَّى بلغَ (وابنِ السَّبِيلِ) ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَذِهِ لِهَؤُلَاءِ. ثُمَّ قَرَأَ (مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقرى) حَتَّى بلغَ (للفقراءِ) ثمَّ قرأَ (والذينَ جاؤوا منْ بعدِهِم) ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَذِهِ اسْتَوْعَبَتِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَامَّةً فَلَئِنْ عِشْتُ فَلَيَأْتِيَنَّ الرَّاعِيَ وَهُوَ بِسَرْوِ حِمْيَرَ نَصِيبُهُ مِنْهَا لَمْ يَعْرَقْ فِيهَا جَبِينُهُ. رَوَاهُ فِي شرح السّنة

He told that one of the arguments put forward by 'Umar was that he said God’s Messenger received three things exclusively to himself:

the B. an-Nadir, Khaibar and Fadak.1 The B. an-Nadir property was kept wholly for his own purposes,2 Fadak for travellers, and Khaibar was divided by God’s Messenger into three sections, two for the Muslims and one as a contribution for his family. If anything remained after making the contribution to his family, he divided it among the poor Emigrants. 1. Fadak was near Khaibar. It capitulated without fighting. 2. This would include, besides personal needs, the cost of entertaining guests, providing weapons and animals, etc. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعنهُ قَالَ: كانَ فِيمَا احتجَّ فيهِ عُمَرُ أَنْ قَالَ: كَانَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثُ صَفَايَا بَنُو النَّضِيرِ وخيبرُ وفَدَكُ فَأَمَّا بَنُو النَّضِيرِ فَكَانَتْ حَبْسًا لِنَوَائِبِهِ وَأَمَّا فَدَكُ فَكَانَتْ حَبْسًا لِأَبْنَاءِ السَّبِيلِ وَأَمَّا خَيْبَرُ فَجَزَّأَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثَةٌ أَجزَاء: جزأين بينَ المسلمينَ وجزءً نَفَقَةً لِأَهْلِهِ فَمَا فَضُلَ عَنْ نَفَقَةِ أَهْلِهِ جَعَلَهُ بَيْنَ فُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

Al-Mughira b. Shu’ba told that when ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was made Caliph he gathered the family, of Marwan and said:

Fadak belonged, to God’s Messenger, and he made contributions from it, showing repeated kindness to the poor members of the B. Hashim from it and supplying: from it the cost of marriages for those of them who were unmarried. Fatima asked him to give it to her, but he refused. That is how matters stood during the lifetime of God’s Messenger till he went his way (i.e. he died). When Abu Bakr was made ruler he administered it as God's Messenger had done in his lifetime till he went his way. Then when ‘Umar b. al- Khattab was made ruler he administered it as they had done till he went his way. Then Marwan took it for himself and it afterwards came to ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, but I consider that I have no right to something which God’s Messenger refused to Fatima, and I call you to witness that I have restored it to its former condition; meaning in the time of God’s Messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

عَن المغيرةِ قَالَ: إِنَّ عمَرَ بنَ عبد العزيزِ جَمَعَ بَنِي مَرْوَانَ حِينَ اسْتُخْلِفَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَتْ لَهُ فَدَكُ فَكَانَ يُنْفِقُ مِنْهَا وَيَعُودُ مِنْهَا عَلَى صَغِيرِ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَيُزَوِّجُ مِنْهَا أَيِّمَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَاطِمَةَ سَأَلَتْهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَهَا لَهَا فَأَبَى فَكَانَتْ كَذَلِكَ فِي حَيَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَيَاتِهِ حَتَّى مَضَى لسبيلِه فَلَمَّا وُلّيَ أَبُو بكرٍ علم فِيهَا بِمَا عَمِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَيَاتِهِ حَتَّى مَضَى لِسَبِيلِهِ فَلَمَّا أَنْ وُلِّيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ عَمِلَ فِيهَا بِمِثْلِ مَا عَمِلَا حَتَّى مَضَى لِسَبِيلِهِ ثُمَّ اقْتَطَعَهَا مَرْوَانُ ثُمَّ صَارَتْ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فَرَأَيْتُ أَمْرًا مَنَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاطِمَةَ لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ وَإِنِّي أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي رَدَدْتُهَا عَلَى مَا كَانَتْ. يَعْنِي عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وعمَرَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد