32/12. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1748b — Returning a Sword to the Spoils
Spoils of War
Surah Anfal Spoils Hadith: Returning What Was Taken
Sahih Muslim : 1748b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1748b
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سِمَاكِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِيَّ أَرْبَعُ آيَاتٍ أَصَبْتُ سَيْفًا فَأَتَى بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَفِّلْنِيهِ . فَقَالَ " ضَعْهُ " . ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ضَعْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخَذْتَهُ " . ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ نَفِّلْنِيهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ " ضَعْهُ " . فَقَامَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَفِّلْنِيهِ أَأُجْعَلُ كَمَنْ لاَ غَنَاءَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ضَعْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخَذْتَهَ " . قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَنْفَالِ قُلِ الأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ}
Mus'ab bin Sa'd Narrated from:
Four verses of the Qur'an have been revealed about me. I found a sword (among the spoils of war). It was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ). He (my father) said: Messenger of Allah, bestow it upon me. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: Place it there.Then he (my father) stood up and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: Place it from where you got it. (At this) he (my father) said again: Messenger of Allah, bestow it upon me Shall I be treated like one who has no share in (the booty)? The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him said: Place it from where you got it. At this was revealed the verse:" They ask thee about the spoils of war.... Say: The spoils of war are for Allah and the Messenger"
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1748bIn-book reference : Book 32, Hadith 38USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 19, Hadith 4329
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1748b
This Surah Anfal spoils hadith gives a fuller wording of Sa‘d’s report. He found a sword among the spoils and brought it to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, asking that it be assigned to him. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to place it down and to return it to where he got it. Sa‘d asked more than once, but the answer stayed the same. Then the verse was revealed: “They ask thee about the spoils of war... Say: The spoils of war are for Allah and the Messenger.” The main teaching is plain: a desired item from the spoils was not taken by personal request; it was returned as instructed.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told Sa‘d to place the sword back where he took it.
- Repeated asking did not change the instruction in the report.
- The narration links the event with the verse about Anfal.
