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SPOILS OF WAR

59

“When one of the prophets, peace be upon them, was preparing for battle, he told his people before setting off that none of the following were to accompany him: Anyone who had made a contract to marry and intended bringing her home but had not yet do so. Any person who had built the walls of a house but had not yet put a roof on it.

Anyone who had purchased pregnant ewes or she-camels and was waiting for them to give birth.

Then he set off. He reached the town a little before the afternoon prayer and said to the sun, ‘You are commissioned and I am also commissioned.’ Then he supplicated, ‘Lord, delay it's setting for us.’ And the sun was prevented from setting until Allah had given him the victory. After the battle when the spoils had been gathered for burning as an offering, the fire refused to consume them. So he announced, ‘Someone amongst you has stolen a part of the spoils, therefore let one man from each tribe give me his allegiance.’

When a certain man's hand stuck to the prophet, the prophet said, ‘Someone from your tribe is guilty of theft; let each man in your tribe give me their allegiance.’

As they were giving their allegiance, the hands of two or three men stuck to the prophet's hand and he informed them one of the three was guilty of theft. Thereupon a heap of gold, as large as the head of a cow was brought forward and placed with the other spoils of war and the fire consumed everything.

Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, added, ‘Before us, the spoils of war were unlawful, but Allah has made them lawful to us because of our weakness and lack of means."

Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Abu Hurairah who related that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said this.