A Difference Regarding the Spoils of War - II

31/03/2010| IslamWeb

(Continued)

 
The Companions responded to this Divine direction and the verses were revealed telling the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) how he should deal with the spoils.
 
After assigning the spoils to Allah The Almighty and His Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) Allah The Almighty pointed out how such spoils should be distributed. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler, if you have believed in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our servant on the day of criterion - the day when the two armies met. And Allah, over all things, is Competent.} [Quran 8:41]
 
Allah The Almighty revealed this verse after the believers’ hearts had been purified from evil acts and had become sincere to Allah The Almighty and had acted according to the verses.
 
Consequently, they became sincere slaves of Allah The Almighty. The ruling was explicit that four-fifths of the spoils should be distributed among them and that the last one-fifth should be given to Allah The Almighty and His Messenger  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ). Even this last fifth should be distributed among them in the proper channels, which are mentioned as proven by the Sunnah.
 
The sound nurturing related direction in postponing the revelation of an answer concerning the spoils indicates that there should be a proper spiritual and psychological atmosphere for Sharee‘ah rulings so that they become properly instilled in the mind and conscience. Consequently, they would become inculcated and give the best fruits and results. Hence, Allah The Almighty turned the Muslims away from being attached to other than Allah first and not to be attached to spoils so as to be among the sincere who were worthy of the support of Allah. When they became sincere in their Jihaad, Allah The Almighty granted them victory and granted them far more than what they had expected. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) set out for the Battle of Badr with three hundred and fifteen of his Companions. When he reached the battlefield, he said: ‘O Allah, they are on foot, so provide them with mounts; O Allah, they are naked, so clothe them; O Allah, they are hungry, so provide them with food.’ Allah then bestowed victory upon them. They returned clothed. There was no man among them but he returned with one or two camels; they were clothed and had eaten their fill.” [Abu Daawood, Al-Albaani – Hasan]
 
One of the forms of the justice of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) in distributing the spoils was that he gave shares to those who did not attend the battle because they had fulfilled his command on doing another mission. He took into consideration the conditions of soldiers who could not participate in fighting. Allah The Almighty does not overburden any soul. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2:286]
 
Hence, the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) did not charge Muslims with things beyond their abilities, whether in peace or war. In the Battle of Badr, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) exempted some Companions from participating in the battle because their familial conditions required them to be there. He exempted ‘Uthmaan bin ‘Affaan, may Allah be pleased with him, from participating in the battle because his wife, Ruqayyah, may Allah be pleased with her, was sick and needed someone to take care of her. ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, explained the cause of the absence of ‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Battle of Badr saying, “…as for his absence from the Battle of Badr, it was due to the fact that the daughter of the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) the wife of ‘Uthmaan, was sick at that time. The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said to him: ‘You will receive the same reward and share [of the spoils] as anyone of those who participated in the Battle of Badr [if you stay with her]’…” [Al-Bukhari]
 
The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) ordered Abu Umaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, to stay and serve his sick mother who needed him. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Umaamah bin Tha‘labah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) ordered his Companions to set out for the Battle of Badr and Abu Umaamah intended to set out with him. His maternal uncle, Abu Burdah bin Niyaar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him, “Take care of your mother, my nephew.” Abu Umaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “Rather it is you who should take care of your sister.” When they asked the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) to settle their case, he ordered Abu Umaamah, may Allah be pleased with him, to stay and take care of his mother.
 
When the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) returned from the battle, he found that the mother of Abu Umaamah had died, so, he prayed over her. Such noble morals and taking into consideration the feelings and familial conditions of the soldiers result in a firm relation between the leadership and the soldiers. It is also included in the concept of the Fiqh (jurisprudence) of enablement; which the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) practiced in its highest form.
 
Some of the Companions who had special tasks or were injured on the way to the battle and returned to Madeenah by the order of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) were:
 
1-      Abu Lubaabah: He was charged with ruling Madeenah during the battle.
2-      ‘Aasim bin ‘Adiyy: The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) had sent him on a mission to the people of Al-‘Aaliyah in Madeenah.
3-      Al-Haarith bin Haatib: The Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) sent him on a mission to the Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Awf.
4-      Al-Haarith bin As-Simmah: He fell on the way and was hurt and thus ordered to return to Madeenah.
5-      Khawwaat bin Jubayr: He was injured by a rock on his way to the battle, so, he was ordered at As-Safraa’ to return to Madeenah.
 
The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) also gave the heirs of the martyrs their shares in the spoils of the war. In this way, Islam took the lead, fourteen centuries ago, in honoring the martyrs and taking care of their children and families.

A Difference Regarding the Spoils of War - I

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