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Major Sins5 min readViewed 9 times

Misappropriating Spoils of War, Muslim Funds or Zakat


Allah Most High says, { If thou fearest treachery from any group, throw back (their covenant) to them, (so as to be) on equal terms: for Allah loveth not the treacherous.} (8:58)

He says too, {No Prophet could ever act dishonestly. If any person acts dishonestly he shall, on the Day of Judgement, restore what he misappropriated, then shall every soul receive its due whatever it earned.} (2:161)

Abu Hurairah heard the Prophet (pbuh) mentioning Ghulul, emphasizing its magnitude, and declaring that it was a grave sin, saying, "Do not commit Ghalul, for I would not like to see anyone amongst you on the day of Judgement, carrying over his neck a camel that will be grunting. Such a man will say,"O Allah's Apostle! Intercede with Allah for me!" and I will say," I cannot help you for I conveyed Allahs’ message to you. Nor would I like to see a man carrying over his neck a horse that will be neighing. Such a man will be saying," O Allahs' Apostle! Intercede with Allah for me!" and I will reply," I cannot help you, for I conveyed Allahs' message to you".

Nor should I like to see a man carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating, or one carrying over his neck a crying soul, or one carrying over his neck clothes which will be fluttering, or one carrying over his neck gold and silver. Such men will be saying,' 0 Allah's Apostle! Intercede with Allah for us, and I will say," I cannot help you for I conveyed Allah's message to you.”1

Whosoever takes from these kinds of the spoils before they are distributed among the fighters or something from the Muslim's common treasury without the Imam's permission, or something from the Zakat fund which is assigned to the poor, will come on the Day of Judgement carrying it on his neck.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Render back (even) the thread and the needle, and shun Ghalul, for it puts man (who commits it) to shame on the Day of Judgement.”2

The Prophet appointed a man named "Ibn Al-Lutaibah for collecting the Zakah. When he returned he said, "This (i.e. the Zakah) is for you and this has been given to me as a present: whereupon, the Prophet ascended the pulpit and gave a sermon, saying, "By Allah, whoever takes something from the resources of the Zakat (unlawfully) will meet Allah carrying it on his neck on the Day of Resurrection.

Verily, I may know one of you who will meet Allah carrying on his neck a camel what will be grunting, or a cow that will be mooing, or a sheep that will be bleating. Then the Prophet raised his hands till we saw the whiteness of his armpits, and he said thrice "0 Allah! Have I not conveyed your message (to them)?”3

Abu Hurairah narrated, "When we conquered Khaibar, we gained neither gold nor silver as booty, but we gained goods, food and clothes. Then we departed with Allah's apostle to the valley of " Al-Qira", and at that time Allah's apostle had a slave of his called "Rifa'ah lbn Yazid who had been presented to him by a man who had leprosy.

While the slave was dismounting the saddle of Allah's apostle, an arrow (its thrower was unknown) came and hit him. The people said, " Congratulations to him on his martyrdom". Allah's apostle said," No, by him in whose hand is my soul, he had a sheet (of cloth) which he had taken (illegally) on the day of Khaibar from the booty before its distribution and has become a flame of fire burning him.” On hearing that, a man brought one or two leather straps of shoes to the Prophet and said, "These are the things I took (illegally)” “This is a strap, or these are two straps, of fire", the Prophet said.” 1

`Abdullah Ibn ' Amr related, "There was a man who looked after the family and the belongings of the Prophet was called "Karkarah." The man died and Allah's apostle said," He is in the Hell fire. The people then went to look at him and found in his place a cloak he has stolen from the war booty.”2

Zaid Ibn Khalid AI-Juhani narrated, "A man has stolen something from the booty of Khaibar. As a result, the Prophet refused to observe the funeral prayer for him and said to his companions " Observe prayer for your fellowman, (and I would never observe it for him because he has stolen (from the booty obtained from war) in the way of Allah" Zaid added, "We, then, searched that man, luggage and found therein some of the Jews pear's which were worth two drachmas.” 3

Imam Ahmad related, "Allah's apostle avoided prayer for none but the one who had stolen from the war booty and the one who had committed suicide. The Prophet said, "The gifts presented to official employees are a sort of Ghulul." And there are numerous Prophetic traditions related to this point, and some of them are mentioned in the chapter of "Injustice"4

Injustice, generally speaking, may be classified into three categories:

a) To violently spoil one's property.

b) To act tyrannically by unjustly killing, beating or wounding people.

c) To aggressively insult, curse, slander and ill-treat people. The Prophet, while being at "Mina" gave a sermon that ended:

"0 People! Your belongings, and your honor are sacred to each other as sacred as this day, this month, and this city.” and: prayer is invalid without ablution, and charity is unlawful from Ghalul.” 5

1 Reported by Muslim.

2 Reported by Abu Dawud.

3 Reported by A1-Bukhari and Muslim.

.

1 Reported by Al-Bukhari.

2 Reported by A1-Bukhari.

3 Reported by Abu Dawud.

4 Musnad of Imam Ahmad.

5 Reported by AI-Bukhari.

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Chapters (74)
  1. 1Acknowledgment
  2. 2Preface
  3. 3Imam Dhahabi
  4. 4Definition:
  5. 5Ascribing Associates To Allah, the Most High (Shirk)
  6. 6Killing A Human Being
  7. 7Sorcery
  8. 8Not Performing the Prayer
  9. 9Not Paying Zakat
  10. 10Breaking One's Fast During Ramadan Without An Excuse
  11. 11Not Performing The Hajj When Able To
  12. 12Showing Disrespect To One's Parents
  13. 13Severing the Ties of One's Relatives
  14. 14Adultery
  15. 15Sodomy
  16. 16Accepting Usurious Gain
  17. 17Wrong Consuming an Orphan's Property
  18. 18Lying About The Prophet (pbuh)
  19. 19Fleeing From The Battlefield
  20. 20The Leader Who Misleads His Followers, The Tyrant And The Oppressor
  21. 21Arrogance, Pride, Conceit, Vanity And Haughtiness
  22. 22Bearing False Witness
  23. 23Drinking Alcohol
  24. 24Gambling (Qimar)
  25. 25Accusing A Woman Of Adultery
  26. 26Misappropriating Spoils of War, Muslim Funds or Zakat
  27. 27Theft
  28. 28Highwaymen Who Menace the Road
  29. 29The Engulfing Oath
  30. 30Taking People's Property Through Falsehood
  31. 31Collecting Taxes
  32. 32The Consumption Of Haram
  33. 33Suicide
  34. 34Telling Lies
  35. 35The Dishonest Judge
  36. 36Bribery
  37. 37Women Imitating Men and Vice Versa
  38. 38The Pimp And The One Who Permits His Wife To Fornicate
  39. 39Marrying Solely to Return to the Previous Husband
  40. 40Not Freeing Oneself of All Traces of Urine
  41. 41Showing off in Good Work
  42. 42Learning Sacred Knowledge for the Sake of This World, or Concealing It
  43. 43Breach of Faith
  44. 44Reminding Recipients of one's charity to them
  45. 45Disbelieving in Destiny (Qadar)
  46. 46Listening to People's Private Conversations
  47. 47The Talebearer Who Stirs up Enmity between People
  48. 48Cursing Others
  49. 49Breaking One's Promise Or Pledge
  50. 50Believing Fortunetellers and Astrologers
  51. 51A Wife's Rebellion Against Her Husband
  52. 52Picture-making
  53. 53Loudly Lamenting For The Dead Or When Afflicted With An Adversity
  54. 54Excess Against Others
  55. 55Overburdening And Arrogance Against Others
  56. 56Hurting One's Neighbor
  57. 57Hurting or Reviling Muslims
  58. 58Harming the Servants of Allah
  59. 59Dragging the Hem Of One's Garment Out of Conceit
  60. 60Men Wearing Silk or Gold
  61. 61Fleeing of the Slave
  62. 62Slaughtering in Other Than Allah's Name
  63. 63Falsely claiming someone is One's Father
  64. 64Arguing, Picking Apart Another's Words, and Quarreling
  65. 65Withholding Excess Water From Others
  66. 66Stinting When Weighing or Measuring Out Goods and Similar Merchandise
  67. 67Feeling Secure from Allah's Devising
  68. 68Despairing of the Mercy of Allah and Losing of Hope
  69. 69Forgoing the Congregational Prayer to Pray Alone Without a Legal Excuse
  70. 70Constantly Missing the Friday and Congregational Prayer Without a Valid Excuse
  71. 71Bringing Loss to the Bequest
  72. 72Deception and Evil Schemes
  73. 73Spying on the Muslims and Revealing their Weaknesses
  74. 74Disparaging the Companions of the Prophet