Hadith #203

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (رضي الله عنهما) — via 'Abd al-Samad, from Hammad ibn Salama, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather — that he said: 'I was present with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the day of Hunayn when delegations from Hawazin came to him and said: "O Muhammad, we are your kin and tribe — bestow your grace upon us as Allah has graced you. A great calamity has befallen us as you are aware." He said: "Choose between your women, your wealth, and your children." They said: "You have given us a choice between our honor and our wealth — we choose our children." He said: "As for what belongs to me and to the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib — it is yours. When I have prayed Zuhr, say: 'We seek the intercession of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the believers, and of the believers with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for our women and children.'" They did so. the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "As for what is mine and the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib — it is yours." The Muhajirun said: "And what is ours is for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." The Ansar said the same. But 'Uyayna ibn Badr said: "As for me and Banu Fazara — no." Al-Aqra' ibn Habis said: "As for me and Banu Tamim — no." And 'Abbas ibn Mirdas said: "As for me and Banu Sulaym — no." But his tribe said: "You lie — it belongs to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "O people, return their women and children to them. Whoever holds on to anything from the fay' [spoils] shall have from us six shares from the first spoils Allah grants us." He then mounted his camel and the people crowded around him saying: "Distribute our share of the spoils!" until they forced him against a thorn tree which snatched his cloak. He said: "O people, return my cloak to me! By Allah, even if you had spoils equal in number to the trees of Tihama I would distribute them among you — and you will not find me miserly, cowardly, or dishonest." He approached his camel, plucked a hair from its hump, placed it between his index and middle fingers, raised it, and said: "O people, I have no share of this fay' — not even this hair — except the khums. And the khums is returned to you. So return even the thread and the needle — for misappropriation of booty [ghulul] will be a disgrace, fire, and shame upon its perpetrators on the Day of Resurrection." A man stood up carrying a bundle of hair and said: "I took this to pad the pack-saddle of my wounded camel." He said: "As for what is mine and of the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib — it is yours." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah, given what I now see — I have no need for it" — and he threw it away.'