Chapter 15(a) - Distribution of the Properties Captured from the Enemy

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع السَّرِيَّةُ يَبْعَثُهَا الْإِمَامُ فَيُصِيبُونَ غَنَائِمَ كَيْفَ تُقْسَمُ قَالَ إِنْ قَاتَلُوا عَلَيْهَا مَعَ أَمِيرٍ أَمَّرَهُ الْإِمَامُ عَلَيْهِمْ أُخْرِجَ مِنْهَا الْخُمُسُ لِلَّهِ وَ لِلرَّسُولِ وَ قُسِمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَرْبَعَةَ أَخْمَاسٍ‌[3] وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا قَاتَلُوا عَلَيْهَا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَانَ كُلُّ مَا غَنِمُوا لِلْإِمَامِ يَجْعَلُهُ حَيْثُ أَحَبَّ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘The Imam dispatches a small armed group against the enemy and they capture properties from the enemy. How should they distribute it?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘If they fight under the command of a commander appointed by the Imam they should keep aside one-fi

كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ بَعْضُ إِخْوَانِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ مَسَائِلَ مِنَ السُّنَنِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ أَوْ كَتَبْتُ بِهَا إِلَيْهِ فَكَانَ فِيمَا سَأَلْتُهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْجَيْشِ إِذَا غَزَا أَرْضَ الْحَرْبِ فَغَنِمُوا غَنِيمَةً ثُمَّ لَحِقَهُمْ جَيْشٌ آخَرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَ لَمْ يَلْقَوْا عَدُوّاً حَتَّى خَرَجُوا إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ هَلْ يُشَارِكُونَهُمْ فَقَالَ نَع

“Certain ones of my brothers wrote to me to ask abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about certain issue of tradition and I then wrote to the Imam. Of such question one was as follows. ‘An army during a war captures certain amount of properties therein. Thereafter another army arrives and joins them before their coming out of the wa

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِذَا كَانَ مَعَ الرَّجُلِ أَفْرَاسٌ فِي الْغَزْوِ لَمْ يُسْهَمْ لَهُ إِلَّا لِفَرَسَيْنِ مِنْهَا.

“If a person had many horses during a war Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would give him the shares for two of his horses only.”

يُؤْخَذُ الْخُمُسُ مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ فَيُجْعَلُ لِمَنْ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ يُقْسَمُ أَرْبَعَةَ أَخْمَاسٍ بَيْنَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَ وَلِيَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ وَ لِلْإِمَامِ صَفْوُ الْمَالِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الْجَارِيَةَ الْفَارِهَةَ وَ الدَّابَّةَ الْفَارِهَةَ[1] وَ الثَّوْبَ وَ الْمَتَاعَ مِمَّا يُحِبُّ وَ يَشْتَهِي فَذَلِكَ لَهُ قَبْلَ قِسْمَةِ الْمَالِ وَ قَبْلَ إِخْرَاجِ الْخُمُسِ قَالَ وَ لَيْسَ لِمَنْ

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad from certain individuals of his people from abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al- Salam, who has said the following: “One fifth of the properties captured is first kept aside to distribute as Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has instructed. The remaining prop

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْأَعْرَابِ عَلَيْهِمْ جِهَادٌ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يُخَافَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ فَيُسْتَعَانَ بِهِمْ قُلْتُ فَلَهُمْ مِنَ الْجِزْيَةِ شَيْ‌ءٌ قَالَ لَا.

He was asked about whether the Bedouins (Arab nomads) are obligated to engage in jihad. He replied, "No, unless there is a fear for Islam, in which case they can be sought for assistance." I then asked, "Do they receive any part of the jizya (tribute)?" He said, "No."

أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع هَؤُلَاءِ الْمَحْرُومُونَ‌[1] وَ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُقْسَمَ لَهُمْ.

“About a man who joins an army who have captured properties but he has not taken part in fighting Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ’These people are deprived (from reward). He however, commanded to give such people a share.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْغَنِيمَةِ فَقَالَ يُخْرَجُ مِنْهَا خُمُسٌ لِلَّهِ وَ خُمُسٌ لِلرَّسُولِ وَ مَا بَقِيَ قُسِمَ بَيْنَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَ وَلِيَ ذَلِكَ‌[2].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about properties gained during a war from the enemies. He (the Imam) replied, ’One-fifth is kept aside thereof which is for Allah and the Messenger. The rest is divided among the fighters and the guardian thereof.’”

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص خَرَجَ بِالنِّسَاءِ فِي الْحَرْبِ حَتَّى يُدَاوِينَ الْجَرْحَى وَ لَمْ يَقْسِمْ لَهُنَّ مِنَ الْفَيْ‌ءِ شَيْئاً وَ لَكِنَّهُ نَفَّلَهُنَّ. بَابٌ‌

“The Messenger of Allah (sw) took part in war in the company of women so that they could nurse the wounded. He did not give them a share of the captured properties but he did so in an optional manner.”