Spoils of war

عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ ـ رضى اللّٰهُ عنه ـ قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللّٰه صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم عَامَ حُنَيْنٍ، فَلَمَّا الْتَقَيْنَا كَانَتْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ جَوْلَةٌ، فَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلاَ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَاسْتَدَرْتُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ حَتَّى ضَرَبْتُهُ بِالسَّيْفِ عَلَى حَبْلِ عَاتِقِهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَىَّ فَضَمَّنِي ضَمَّةً وَجَدْتُ مِنْهَا رِيحَ الْمَوْتِ، ثُمَّ أَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَأَرْسَلَنِي، فَلَحِقْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ فَقُلْتُ مَا بَالُ النَّاسِ قَالَ أَمْرُ اللّٰه، ثُمَّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ رَجَعُوا، وَجَلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم فَقَالَ ‏”‏ مَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلاً لَهُ عَلَيْهِ بَيِّنَةٌ فَلَهُ سَلَبُهُ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِي ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏”‏ مَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلاً لَهُ عَلَيْهِ بَيِّنَةٌ فَلَهُ سَلَبُهُ ‏”‏ فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِي ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ الثَّالِثَةَ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ صَدَقَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰه، وَسَلَبُهُ عِنْدِي فَأَرْضِهِ عَنِّي‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ ـ رضى اللّٰه عنه لاَهَا اللّٰه إِذًا يَعْمِدُ إِلَى أَسَدٍ مِنْ أُسْدِ اللّٰه يُقَاتِلُ عَنِ اللّٰه وَرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يُعْطِيكَ سَلَبَهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ‏”‏ صَدَقَ ‏”‏‏.‏ فَأَعْطَاهُ فَبِعْتُ الدِّرْعَ، فَابْتَعْتُ بِهِ مَخْرِفًا فِي بَنِي سَلِمَةَ، فَإِنَّهُ لأَوَّلُ مَالٍ تَأَثَّلْتُهُ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ‏.‏

Hazrat Abu Qatadah^ra narrated, “We journeyed with Allah’s Messenger^sa during the battle of Hunain. As we confronted the enemy, the Muslims wavered and dispersed. I observed a pagan overpowering a Muslim. I approached him from behind, striking him on the shoulder with my sword. He lunged at me, grasping me with such force I felt the shadow of death, but then he himself succumbed to death and released me. I hurried towards Umar bin al-Khattab, enquiring, ‘What is the matter with the people?’ He responded, ‘It is the Decree of Allah.’ After regrouping, the Prophet^sa stated, ‘Whoever has slain an enemy and can prove it shall have his spoils.’ Rising, I asked, ‘Who will bear witness for me?’ then sat back down. The Prophet^sa reiterated his declaration. I stood again, asking the same, then resumed my seat. Upon the third repetition by the Prophet^sa, I stood, and he enquired, ‘O Abu Qatada! What is your story?’ I recounted the entire episode to him. Another man stood, proclaiming, ‘O Allah’s Messenger^sa! His account is truthful, and the spoils from the slain man are with me. Please, provide him with compensation on my behalf.’ At this juncture, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq^ra declared, ‘No, by Allah, he will not be granted the spoils earned by one of Allah’s Lions who combated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger^as.’ The Prophet^sa affirmed, ‘Abu Bakr has spoken truthfully.’ Consequently, the Prophet^sa awarded the spoils to me. I sold that armour, and with its proceeds, I acquired a garden in Bani Salima. It was the inaugural property I secured following my embrace of Islam.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab fardi l-khums, Bab mun lum yukhammisi l-aslab, Hadith 3142)