Abu Huraira told that God's Messenger sent some horsemen to Najd and they brought a man of the B. Hanifa called Thumama b. Uthal who was the chief of the people of al-Yamama and bound him to one of the pillars of the mosque. God’s Messenger came out to him and said, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I expect good, Muhammad. If you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, if you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God’s Messenger left him till the next day, and asked him, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I am expecting what I said to you. If you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, if you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God's Messenger left him till the following day, and asked him, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I am expecting what I said to you. If you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, if you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God’s Messenger then said, “Set Thumama free.” He went off to some palm-trees near the mosque, and after bathing he entered the mosque and said, “I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I swear by God, Muhammad, that there was no face on the face of the earth more hateful to me than yours, but your face has become the dearest of all to me. I swear by God that there was no religion more hateful to me than yours, but your religion has become the dearest of all to me. I swear by God that there was no town more hateful to me than yours, but your town has become the dearest of all to me. Your cavalry seized me when I was on my way to perform the umra, so what do you think I should do? God’s Messenger congratulated him and told him to perform the umra. When he came to Mecca someone asked him whether he had turned to folly* and he replied, “No, but I have accepted Islam along with God’s Messenger. I swear by God that not one grain of wheat will come to you from al-Yamama till God’s Messenger gives permission for it.” *Sabaut. The verb saba has as one of its meanings to turn to folly. It has been suggested that here it is used ...

Jubair b. Mut'im reported the Prophet as saying about the prisoners taken at Badr, “If al-Mut‘im b. ‘Adi* had been alive and spoken to me about these filthy ones, I would have left them for him.” * He was head of the B. Naufal. He agreed to give Muhammad protection after his return from at-Ta'if where he had gone after Abu Talib’s death. Al-Mut‘im died before the battle of Badr. He did not become a Muslim. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas told that eighty Meccans came down armed from the mountain of at-Tan‘im against God’s Messenger intending to take him and his companions unawares, but he took them captive without fighting and spared them. A version says he set them free and God most high sent down, “He it is who averted their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca” (Al-Qur’an; 48:24). Muslim transmitted it.

Qatada told that Anas b. Malik mentioned to him on the authority of Abu Talha that at the battle of Badr God’s prophet ordered twenty-four of the strong men of Quraish to be cast into one of the wells of Badr cased with stones which was corrupt and corrupting. When he prevailed over an enemy he stayed three nights on the field of battle; and when the third day came at Badr he ordered his riding-beast to be saddled. He then walked followed by his companions till he came to the mouth of the well, when he began to call them by their names and their fathers’ names, saying, “So and so son of so and so, so and so son of so and so, does it please you that you obeyed God and His Messenger? We have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?” ‘Umar said, “Messenger of God, what you are addressing are only bodies without spirits.” The Prophet replied, “By Him in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, you cannot hear what I say better than they.” A version has, “You cannot hear better than they, but they cannot answer.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) Bukhari added that Qatada said God brought them to life and made them hear what he said by way of rebuke, humiliation, revenge, and to produce grief and repentance.

Your brethren have come repentant and I have considered that I should return their captives to them, so let those of you who are willing to release the captives act accordingly, but those who wish to hold on to what they have till I give them some of the first booty God gives us may do so.” The people told God’s Messenger that they were willing to release the captives, and he said, “I cannot distinguish between those of you who have granted that and those who have not, so return that your headmen may tell me about you.” They did so, and after their headmen had spoken to them they came back to God’s Messenger and told him they were agreeable and had given permission. Bukhari transmitted it.

Thaqif were allies of the B. ‘Uqail, so when Thaqif took two of God’s Messenger’s companions prisoner, his companions took prisoner a man of the B. ‘Uqail, bound him and threw him out on the lava plain. God’s Messenger passed him and he called to him, “Muhammad, Muhammad, for what have I been taken?” He replied, “For the crime of your allies Thaqif.” He then left him and passed on, but when he cried, “Muhammad, Muhammad,” God’s Messenger took pity on him and returned and asked him about himself. When he told him he was a Muslim he said, “If you had said it when you were your own master you would have been completely successful.”* Then God’s Messenger ransomed him for the two men Thaqif had taken prisoner. *This means that not only would he go to paradise in the next life, but he would have been saved the experience of being taken a captive in this. Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha told that when the people of Mecca sent about ransoming their prisoners1 Zainab sent some property to ransom Abul ‘As, sending among it a necklace of hers which Khadija had had and had sent with her when she married Abul ‘As. When God’s Messenger saw it he felt great tenderness about it and said, “If you consider that you should free her prisoner for her and return to her what belongs to her it will be well.” To this they agreed. The Prophet had made an agreement with him that he should let Zainab come to him, so he sent Zaid b. Haritha and a man of the Helpers, telling them to wait in the valley of Yajij2 till Zainab came along and bring her back with them. 1. After the battle of Badr. 2. Near at-Tan'im. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

She told that when God’s Messenger took prisoner the people at Badr he killed ‘Uqba b. Aba Mu'ait and an-Nadr b. al-Harith, but showed favour to Abu ‘Azza al-Jumahi. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Ibn Mas'ud told that when God’s Messenger intended to kill ‘Uqba b. Abu Mu'ait he asked who would look after the children, and he replied that hell would. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God's Messenger as saying that Gabriel came down to him and said to him, “Give them (i.e. your companions) their choice regarding the prisoners at Badr whether they should be killed or ransomed on condition that a like number of them should be killed the following year.” They replied, “We shall accept ransom and have some of us killed.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

I was among the captives of Quraiza who were brought before the Prophet. The Companions examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair were killed, but those who had not were not killed. They uncovered my private parts and when they found that the hair had not begun to grow they put me among the captives. Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Ali told that some slaves came out to God’s Messenger, i.e. on the day of al-Hudaibiya, before the peace was ratified, and their masters wrote to him saying, “We swear by God, Muhammad, that they have not gone out to you through desire for your religion, but they have done so only to fly from servitude.” Some people assured him they had spoken the truth and advised him to send them back to them, but God’s Messenger became angry and said, “I do not think you people of Quraish will cease till God sends someone to you who will cut off your heads for this.” He refused to send them back, saving they were God’s freedmen. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

The Prophet sent Khalid b. al-Walid to the B. Hadhima and he summoned them to accept Islam. When they did not express their acceptance of Islam properly but began to say, “We have changed our religion, we have changed our religion,”* Khalid began to kill them and take prisoners, and he handed a prisoner to each one of us. But when a day came when Khalid ordered each of us to kill his prisoner, I said, “I swear by God that I will not kill my prisoner and that not one of my companions will kill his prisoner till we come to the Prophet.” When we mentioned the matter to him he raised his hands and said twice, “O God, I declare myself innocent in Thy sight of what Khalid has done.” *Here the verb saba'a is used. Bukhari transmitted it.

I went to God’s Messenger in the year of the Conquest and found him bathing while his daughter Fatima was screening him with a garment. I gave a salutation and he asked who was there, then when I told him I was Umm Hani’ daughter of Abu Talib he said, “Welcome, Umm Hani’.” After he finished his bathing he got up and prayed eight rak'as wrapped in a garment, and when he was done I said, “Messenger of God, my mother’s son ‘Ali has asserted that he is going to kill a man to whom I have given protection, so and so the son of Hubaira.” He replied, “We have given protection to those to whom you have granted it, Umm Hani'.” She said that that was in the forenoon. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Tirmidhi she said, “I have given protection to two of my husband’s male relatives,” and God’s Messenger replied, “We have given security to those to whom you have given it.”

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “A woman acts for the people,” i.e. she gives protection on behalf of the Muslims. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Amr b. al-Hamiq told that he heard God's Messenger say, “He who grants a man security and then kills him will be given the banner of treachery on the day of resurrection.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

There was a covenant between Mu'awiya and the Byzantines, and he was going towards their country; then when the covenant came to an end he attacked them. A man came on a horse, or a packhorse, saying, “God is most great, God is most great; let there be faithfulness and not treachery.”* And when they looked they found that he was 'Amr b. ‘Abasa. Mu'awiya questioned him about that and he replied that he had heard God’s Messenger say, "When one has a covenant with people he must not loosen or strengthen it till its term comes, or he brings it to an end in agreement with them.” He said that Mu'awiya then took the people back. *Mirqat, 4, 255 says that 'Amr b. ‘Abasa felt it was an act of treachery to make a treaty while in one’s own country and then approach the enemy’s country when the period of the treaty was near an end, so as to be able to make an immediate attack. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Quraish sent me to God’s Messenger and when I saw him Islam was cast into my heart, so I said, "Messenger of God, I swear by God that I shall never return to them.” He replied, "I do not break a covenant or imprison messengers; but return, and if you feel the same as you do just now, come back.” So I went away and then came to the Prophet and accepted Islam. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Nu'aim b. Mas'ud reported God's Messenger as saying to two men who came from Musailima, "I swear by God that were it not that messengers are not killed, I would cut off your heads.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather reported God’s Messenger as saying in the course of his sermon, "Observe fully the alliance made in the pre-Islamic period, for it, i.e. Islam, will only make it stronger; but make no new alliances in Islam.” The source is not given. See Tirmidhi, Siyar, 30

Ibn Mas'ud told that when Ibn an-Nawwaha and Ibn Uthal, Musailima’s messengers, came to the Prophet he asked them whether they testified that he was God’s Messenger. On their replying, "We testify that Musailima is God’s messenger,” he said, "I believe in God and His Messenger. If it was my custom to kill a messenger I would kill you.” ‘Abdallah (i.e. Ibn Mas'ud) said that the sunna that a messenger should not be killed then came into force. Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Spoils were not lawful for anyone before us, that being because God saw our weakness and incapacity and made them allowable for us.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We went out with God’s Messenger in the year of Hunain, and when the armies met, the Muslims suffered a reverse. I saw one of the polytheists getting the better of one of the Muslims, so I struck him with my sword from behind on his shoulder-blade and cut his coat of mail. He came at me and closed with me, so that I felt death was near, but he was overtaken by death and let me go. I then caught up on ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and asked him what was the matter with the people, to which he replied that it was what God had commanded.1 Then they returned and the Prophet sat down and said, "If anyone kills a man and can prove it he will get his spoil.” I said, "Who will testify for me?” and then sat down. The Prophet said the same again and I said, "Who will testify for me?”2 and then sat down. Again the Prophet said the same and I stood up He asked, "What is the matter with you, Qatada?” and when I informed him a man said, "He has spoken the truth. I have his spoil, so make him agreeable to take something in exchange.” Abu Bakr said, “In that case I swear by God that he did not do so. One of God’s heroes3 does not fight for God and His Messenger and then give you his spoil.” The Prophet said he had spoken the truth and told the man to hand it over to me. He did so, and I bought a garden among the B. Salima. This was the first property I acquired in the Islamic period. 1. He wondered why the Muslims had fled from the enemy, and 'Umar replied that it was what God had decreed. 2. There is doubt as to whether Abu Qatada spoke aloud the first two times, or inwardly. In the translation I have kept strictly to the wording in the Arabic. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar told that God’s Messenger allotted three portions for a man and his horse, one for him and two for his horse. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Yazid b. Hurmuz told that Najda al-Haruri wrote to Ibn ‘Abbas asking whether a slave and a woman should be allotted a portion when they are present at the division of the spoil, and he told Yazid to write telling him they are not entitled to a portion, but may have a small amount given them. A version says that Ibn ‘Abbas wrote to him, “You have written asking me whether God’s Messenger took women on military expeditions and whether he allotted them a portion. He used to take them on military expeditions to tend the sick, and they would be given a little of the spoil, but so far as a portion is concerned he allotted them none.’’ Muslim transmitted it.

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 destruction] 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.