Did Prophet Muhammad really take 20% of all of the Muslims' booty gains?

The sections of this article are:

1- Did Prophet Muhammad really take 20% of all of the Muslims' booty gains?
2- So what did the Prophet peace be upon him do with the portion he got for himself?
      - Prophet Muhammad was extremely generous.
      - Prophet Muhammad and the freeing of the Slaves.
3- Who were the "near relatives" of the Prophet?
4- So how much did the Prophet's "near relatives" get? and why?
5- Would Noble Verse 8:41 apply to the Commander's "near relatives" today?
6- So what punishment does Allah Almighty have for those who keep their wealth
      without spending some of it on Islamic duties?
7- Conclusion.

Let us look at the following Noble Verses from the Noble Quran:

"They ask thee concerning (Things taken as) spoils of war. Say: '(Such) spoils are At the disposal of Allah And the Messenger: so fear Allah, and keep straight The relations between yourselves: Obey Allah and His Messenger, If ye do believe. (The Noble Quran, 8:1)"

"And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to God,- and to the Apostle, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer,- if ye do believe in God and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Testing,- the Day of the meeting of the two forces. For God hath power over all things. (The Noble Quran, 8:41)"

"Booty taken in a lawful and just war does not belong to any individual. If he fought for such accessory rewards, he fought from wrong motives. It belongs to the Cause, in this case the Cause of Allah, as administered by His Messenger. Any portion given out to individuals are accessory gifts, windfalls from the bounty of the Commander. The chief thing is to remain staunch to the Cause of Allah, and have no differences among those who stand for the Cause. Our internal relations must be kept straight: they must not be disturbed by cupidity or worldly considerations of gain, for any windfalls of this kind should be outside our calculations." [2]

"The rule is that a fifth share is set apart for the Imam (the Commander) and the rest is divided among the forces. The fifth share reserved is expressed to be for Allah and the Prophet, and for charitable purposes for those to whom charity is due. Ultimately everything is at the disposal of Allah and His Prophet: (Noble Verse) 8:1: but four-fifths are divided, and only one-fifth is retained for the special purposes. The Imam has discretion as to the mode of division. In the Prophet's lifetime a certain portion was assigned to him and his near relatives." [3]

"As regards booty taken in battle, the first point to note is that that should never be our aim in war. It is only an adventitious circumstance, a sort of windfall. Secondly, no soldier or troop has any inherent right to it. A righteous war is a community affair, and any accessions resulting from it belong to Allah, or the community or Cause. Thirdly, certain equitable principles of division should be laid down to check human greed and selfishness. A fifth share goes to the Commander, and he can use it at his discretion; for his own expenses, and for the relief of the poor and suffering, and the orphans and widows (8:41). The remainder was divided, according to the Prophet's practice, not only among those who were actually in the fight physically, but all who were in the enterprise, young and old, provided they loyally did some duty assigned to them. fourthly, there should be no disputes, as they interfere with internal discipline and harmony.

These principles are followed in the best modern practice of civilised nations. All acquisitions of war belong absolutely to the Sovereign as representing the commonwealth. In the distribution of booty not only the actual captors but also the "joint captors" and the "constructive captors" share. See Sir R. Phillimore's International Law (1885), vol. 3, pp. 209-10, 221-24." [4]

So what did the Prophet peace be upon him do with the portion he got for himself?

In this section we will see where the Prophet peace be upon him spent his money. Allah Almighty resents those who withhold their wealth from helping in defending Islam and their brethrens:

"When a Sura comes down, enjoining them to believe in God and to strive and fight along with His Apostle, those with wealth and influence among them ask thee for exemption, and say: 'Leave us (behind): we would be with those who sit (at home).' They prefer to be with (the women) Who remain behind (at home): Their hearts are sealed And so they understand not. But the Apostle, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper. (The Noble Quran, 9:86-88)"

"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. (The Noble Quran, 2:177)"

"They ask thee What they should spend (In charity). Say: Whatever Ye spend that is good, Is for parents and kindred And orphans And those in want And for wayfarers. And whatever ye do That is good -- Allah Knoweth it well. (The Noble Quran, 2:215)"

"(Their bearings) on This life and the Hereafter. They ask thee Concerning orphans. Say: 'The best thing to do Is what is for their good; If ye mix Their affairs with yours, They are your brethren; But Allah knows The man who means mischief From the man who means good. And if Allah had wished, He could have put you Into difficulties: he is indeed Exalted in Power, Wise. (The Noble Quran, 2:220)"

"But if at the time of a division Other relatives, or orphans, Or poor, are present, Feed them out of the (property), And speak to them Words of kindness and justice. (The Noble Quran, 4:8)"

"Serve Allah, and join not Any partners with Him; And do good -- To parents, kinsfolk, Orphans, those in need, Neighbours who are near, Neighbours who are strangers, The Companion by your side, The wayfarer (ye meet), And what your right hands posses: For Allah loveth not The arrogant, the vainglorious. (The Noble Quran, 4:36)"

"It is not your wealth nor your sons, that will bring you nearer to Us in degree: but only those who believe and work righteousness - these are the ones for whom there is a multiplied Reward for their deeds, while secure they (reside) in the dwellings on high! (The Noble Quran, 34:37)"

"Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification, And have in their minds No favour from anyone For which a reward Is expected in return, But only the desire To seek for the Countenance Of their Lord Most High; And soon will they Attain (complete) satisfaction. (The Noble Quran, 92:18-21)"

Prophet Muhammad was extremely generous:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: "Allah's Apostle was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Apostle was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds). (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Revelation, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 5)"

Narrated Ibn Abbas: "The Prophet was the most generous of all the people, and he used to become more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur'an with him. Allah's Apostle then used to be more generous than the fast wind. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 754)"

Narrated Abu Huraira: "Allah's Apostle said, The example of a miser and a generous person is like that of two persons wearing iron cloaks from the breast up to the neck When the generous person spends, the iron cloak enlarges and spread over his skin so much so that it covers his fingertips and obliterates his tracks. As for the miser, as soon as he thinks of spending every ring of the iron cloak sticks to its place (against his body) and he tries to expand it, but it does not expand. The Prophet pointed with his hand towards his throat. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Divorce, Volume 7, Book 63, Number 219i)"

Narrated AbuSalamah ; AbuHurayrah: "The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The believer is simple and generous, but the profligate is deceitful and ignoble. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Book 41, Number 4772)"

Prophet Muhammad and the freeing of the Slaves:

"Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until God gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which God has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is God, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them), (The Noble Quran, 24:33)"

"'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that 'Umar b. Khattab asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as he was at ji'rana (a town near Mecca) on his way back from Ta'if: Messenger of Allah, I had taken a vow during the days of Ignorance that I would observe I'tikaf for one day in the Sacred Mosque. So what is your opinion? He said: Go and observe I'tikaf for a day. And Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) gave him a slave girl out of the one-fifth (of the spoils of war meant for the Holy Prophet). And when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set the war prisoners free. 'Umar b. Khattab heard their voice as they were saying: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has set us free. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: What is this? They said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has set free the prisoners of war (which had fallen to the lot of people). Thereupon he (Hadrat 'Umar) said: Abdullah, go to that slave-girl and set her free. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Oaths (Kitab Al-Aiman), Book 015, Number 4074)"

As we clearly see from the above Noble Verses, that Allah Almighty loves for the Muslims to spend from their wealth on charity and helping the orphans and the needy. We also see from above the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was extremely generous and always giving and forgiving. It is also important to know that Allah Almighty commands us to not only grant the slave his freedom when he/she request it, but we must also give them money to help them to get a good start in their free life.

I must remind the reader that the money we're talking about here is not the general money of the Islamic State, because the general money of the Islamic State that comes mainly from the Zakah and Jizyah (2.5% of the person's annual income paid for taxes) is mainly dedicated for covering the society's welfare system. This money today would also go for building the infrastructure of the State and for improving the Educational institutions as well.

Please visit The liberation of slaves in Islam.

Who were the "near relatives" of the Prophet?

They are the "People of the House", whom were (1) the wives of the Prophet peace be upon him; (2) his cousin and fourth Caliph and son in law, Ali bin Abi-Talib; (3) Fatimah, the Prophet's daughter; and (4) the Prophet's two grand sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein.

The Prophet's wives had special Islamic responsibilities and duties:

" 28. O Prophet! say To thy Consorts: 'If it be that ye desire The life of this world, And its glitter, -- then come! I will provide for your Enjoyment and set you free In a handsome manner.

29. But if ye seek Allah And His Messenger, and The Home of the Hereafter, Verily Allah has prepared For the well-doers amongst you A great reward.

30. O Consorts of the Prophet! If any of you were guilty Of evident unseemly conduct, The Punishment would be Doubled to her, and that Is easy for Allah.

31. But if any of you that is Devout in the service of Allah and His Messenger, And works righteousness -- To her shall We grant Her reward twice: and We have prepared for her A generous Sustenance.

32. O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any Of the (other) women: If ye do fear (Allah), Be not too complaisant Of speech, lest one In whose heart is A disease should be moved With desire: but speak ye A speech (that is) just.

33. And stay quietly in Your houses, and make not A dazzling display, like That of the former Times Of Ignorance: and establish Regular Prayer, and give Regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes To remove all abomination From you, ye Members Of the Family, and to make You pure and spotless.

34. And recite what is Rehearsed to you in your Homes, of the Signs of Allah And His Wisdom: For Allah understands The finest mysteries and Is well-acquainted (with them). (The Noble Quran, 33:28-34)"

One quick note before I elaborate on the Noble Verses is that in Noble Verse 33:33, it says "ye Members Of the Family". This is a mistranslation because in Arabic it says "Ahla Al-Bayt", which literally means "People of the Home" or "People of the House", which is referring to the "People of the House of the Prophet".

Anyway, it is important to know that the Prophet's wives were called "The Mothers of the Muslims", because they were literally like the Mothers of the Muslims:

"The Prophet is closer To the Believers than Their own selves, And his wives are Their mothers. Blood-relations Among each other have Closer personal ties, In the Decree of Allah, Than (the Brotherhood of) Believers and Muhajirs (i.e., those Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Madina escaping the tortures of the Pagans): Nevertheless do ye What is just to your Closest friends: such is The writing of the Decree (Of Allah). (The Noble Quran, 33:6)"

The Prophet's wives, who were all of the Muslims' mothers, were responsible for teaching Islam, especially to the females and the kids, keep the documentation of the Noble Quran safe, pay Charity and help the orphans, the needy and the wayfarers, and be the best role models to all women. That is why Allah Almighty told the wives of the Prophet: "O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any Of the (other) women...". Also, another reason why Allah Almighty considered them different than any other women is because He prohibited for them to marry any person after the Prophet's death.

So how much did the Prophet's "near relatives" get? and why?

There is no Islamic documentation or doctrine that expressly claims how much they got. It was known however that the Prophet peace be upon him was not a rich person. In fact, he was known to be poor. He was a very simple person. His clothes were not of expensive quality, and his job was mainly farming, and grazing his cattles. His house wasn't also that big either, and it wasn't isolated from everyone else, nor did he have any special security on it.

I was taught in school in the Middle East in school about one of Prophet Muhammad's famous stories, about one of neighbors was a Jew, and this person used to every morning throw his garbage at the door step of the Prophet's home. The Prophet would then pick it up and throw it in the disposal area along with his personal trash. One morning the Prophet didn't see any garbage on his door step and he didn't really care much about it. The next morning same thing and so on, until a week passed by without any garbage being put on the Prophet's door step. So our Prophet went to that Jewish neighbor and paid him a visit to check on him. The Jewish neighbor was sick and he was in bed. Our Prophet then started taking care of his Jewish neighbor and the Jewish very soon embraced Islam because of our beloved Prophet's high morals.

The point of the story is that Prophet Muhammad was very ordinary. He wasn't rich nor was he treated with any special security by anyone. He spent his wealth on good Islamic causes and he was the best role model for everyone.

His only cousin and son in law and the fourth Islamic Caliph, Ali bin Abi-Talib was also very poor. I was also taught in school in the Middle East when I was young about Ali's famous story, where he used to in so many occasions give to the hungry wayfarers and the needy the food of his family (Fatimah, the Prophet's daughter and their two sons: Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein) during the Fasting Month of Ramadan and leave them with very little food to eat, after a very long day of food and drink depravation from fasting.

The point of this story also is that Ali who was a "near relative" of the Prophet was also poor and spent most of his money on good Islamic causes.

So the Prophet's "near relatives" didn't really benefit much from any booty distributions, because they were all (wives, daughter, son in law and the two grand sons) busy spending their money on good Islamic causes. They were indeed the best Role Models to all Muslims, because Allah Almighty removed "all abomination from you, ye Members Of the Family....(33:33)", or Members of the House as I explained in the "Who were the "near relatives" of the Prophet?" section above.

As to why the Prophet's relatives received a portion of the booty money is because they are from the "People of the House", and they were the Role Models for all Muslims in charity giving, generosity, etc... I believe that Allah Almighty wanted to give the near relatives of Prophet Muhammad the opportunity to guide the Muslims, especially after He the Almighty removed all abomination from them.

Again, I must remind the reader that the money we're talking about here is not the general money of the Islamic State, because the general money of the Islamic State that comes mainly from the Zakah and Jizyah (2.5% of the person's annual income paid for taxes) is mainly dedicated for covering the society's welfare system. This money today would also go for building the infrastructure of the State and for improving the Educational institutions as well.

Would Noble Verse 8:41 apply to the Commander's "near relatives" today?

No, because the Noble Verse was talking explicitly about Prophet Muhammad's family. However, the principle of distributing the 20% of the booty under the Commander's discretion and supervision to the orphans, the needy and the wayfarers in the society would still apply today, because the 20% is for Allah Almighty as mentioned in Noble Verse 8:41.

Anyway, if we divide the 20% by whom Allah Almighty mentioned in Noble Verse 8:41, then we would get six: (1) Allah; (2) Muhammad; (3) the near relatives of the Prophet; (4) the orphans; (5) the needy; and (6) the wayfarers.

This means that the Commander would receive around 16.7% of the 20% of the amount of booty. This means that he would receive up to approximately 3.5% of the entire amount of the booty.

I personally believe that up to 3.5% of the entire amount of the booty wealth (only) going to the Commander and his family is really not much. After all, he is the Commander in Chief, who plans and executes everything. That is his job.

It is also important to know that Allah Almighty commands all Muslims (including the Commander) to spend from their wealth to help orphans, needy and the wayfarers, and to help in the preparation of the military when it is needed. Please read "So what did the Prophet peace be upon him do with the portion he got for himself?" section above for more details.

And for those who withhold from spending from their wealth to fulfill their Islamic duties, Allah Almighty promised them sever punishment as clearly shown in the section below.

So what punishment does Allah Almighty have for those who keep their wealth without spending some of it on Islamic duties?

Let us look at the following Noble Verses:

"On the Day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of Hell, and with it will be branded their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs - 'This is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye, then, the (treasures) ye buried!' (The Noble Quran, 9:35)"

"By no means! For it would be The Fire of Hell! -- Plucking out (his being) Right to the skull! -- Inviting (all) such As turn their backs And turn away their faces (From the Right), And collect (wealth) And hide it (from use)! Truly man was created Very impatient -- Fretful when evil Touches him; (The Noble Quran, 70:15-20)"

It is the duty of every Muslim to spend reasonably from what Allah Almighty gave him from wealth, even if it were small wealth. Muslims must always set the best example on charity spending and taking care of the orphans, the needy and the wayfarers in the society. Being cheap and refusing to help your society is not the Islamic way of life.

Conclusion:

The 20% from the spoils of war that was assigned to Allah Almighty, Prophet Muhammad, the near relatives of the Prophet, the orphans, the needy and the wayfarers was mostly spent with the Prophet's discretion on charity and helping the orphans and the needy, as well as helping the Muslims' army in preparation for battles when the time came to defend Islam from the Pagans.

It is important to know that the Muslims never started any war. All of the wars that the Muslims fought were imposed upon them by the enemy: "Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors. (The Noble Quran, 2:190)" Fighting in the cause of GOD Almighty those who fight us is what "Jihad" is all about.

Bibliography:

1- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an.
Author: Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Published by: Amana Publications, 10710 Tucker Street, Suite B, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-2223 USA.
Telephone: (301) 595-5777.
Fax: (301) 595-5888.
ISBN: 0-91597-59-0 (HC).

2- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an [1], foot note #1179, page 414.

3- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an [1], foot note #1209, page 424.

4- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an [1], Introduction to Surah 8, page 413.

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