83/33. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6707 — The Danger of Stealing Booty
Can the land, sheep, farms and one's belongings be included in vows and oaths?
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ قَالَ عُمَرُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَصَبْتُ أَرْضًا لَمْ أُصِبْ مَالاً قَطُّ أَنْفَسَ مِنْهُ. قَالَ: «إِنْ شِئْتَ حَبَّسْتَ أَصْلَهَا، وَتَصَدَّقْتَ بِهَا». وَقَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَبُّ أَمْوَالِي إِلَيَّ بَيْرُحَاءَ. لِحَائِطٍ لَهُ مُسْتَقْبِلَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ.
Hadith About Stealing from War Booty
Sahih Bukhari : 6707
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6707
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ ثَوْرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ الدِّيلِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي الْغَيْثِ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ مُطِيعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ فَلَمْ نَغْنَمْ ذَهَبًا وَلاَ فِضَّةً إِلاَّ الأَمْوَالَ وَالثِّيَابَ وَالْمَتَاعَ، فَأَهْدَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي الضُّبَيْبِ يُقَالُ لَهُ رِفَاعَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غُلاَمًا يُقَالُ لَهُ مِدْعَمٌ، فَوَجَّهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى وَادِي الْقُرَى حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بِوَادِي الْقُرَى بَيْنَمَا مِدْعَمٌ يَحُطُّ رَحْلاً لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا سَهْمٌ عَائِرٌ فَقَتَلَهُ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ هَنِيئًا لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كَلاَّ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ الشَّمْلَةَ الَّتِي أَخَذَهَا يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ مِنَ الْمَغَانِمِ، لَمْ تُصِبْهَا الْمَقَاسِمُ، لَتَشْتَعِلُ عَلَيْهِ نَارًا ". فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ النَّاسُ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِشِرَاكٍ أَوْ شِرَاكَيْنِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " شِرَاكٌ مِنْ نَارٍ ـ أَوْ ـ شِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارٍ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
We went out in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the day of (the battle of) Khaibar, and we did not get any gold or silver as war booty, but we got property in the form of things and clothes. Then a man called Rifa`a bin Zaid, from the tribe of Bani Ad-Dubaib, presented a slave named Mid`am to Allah's Apostle. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) headed towards the valley of Al-Qura, and when he was in the valley of Al- Qura an arrow was thrown by an unidentified person, struck and killed Mid`am who was making a she-camel of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kneel down.The people said, "Congratulations to him (the slave) for gaining Paradise." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "No! By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, for the sheet which he stole from the war booty before its distribution on the day of Khaibar, is now burning over him." When the people heard that, a man brought one or two Shiraks (leather straps of shoes) to the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Shirak of fire, or two Shiraks of fire."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6707In-book reference : Book 83, Hadith 84USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 698
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6707
This hadith about stealing from war booty tells of Mid`am, who was killed by an unidentified arrow. People said he had gained Paradise, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected them. He said that the sheet Mid`am had taken from the war booty before it was distributed was burning over him. When people heard this, a man brought one or two leather straps of shoes. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said they were a strap of fire or two straps of fire. The hadith teaches that taking even a small item before proper distribution is not light. It also warns people not to make confident claims about someone’s final state without knowledge from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
What we learn from this hadith
- Taking from war booty before distribution is treated as a serious matter.
- Even small items should not be taken unlawfully.
- The people’s quick praise was corrected by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The hadith warns against careless claims about someone’s final state.
