| Answer: The spoils of war obtained in
the times of the Prophet (sws) in various battles fought in Arabia were owned by
Allah and the Prophet (sws) because of the peculiar nature of these armed
offensives.
They ask you about the spoils of war.
Say: The spoils belong to Allah and the Prophet. (8:1)
In these battles, it was the Almighty
who, in accordance with a divine law pertaining to his Rusul, had decisively
helped the Prophet (sws) and His Companions to overcome the disbelievers. With
these spoils, the Prophet (sws), as the head of state, and, as a Rasūl, was
provided with a way of financial income as well as with money he could spend for
the collective welfare of his people. However, since the believers had also
assisted in acquiring them by using their personal weapons, camels and horses as
well as food, camps and various other items needed during these wars, it was
deemed necessary to give them their due from these spoils. Nevertheless, even in
these spoils the Qur’ān reserved 1/5th of the share for these collective
purposes. Consequently while 1/5th share was left at the disposal of the Prophet
(sws), the remaining 4/5th was distributed among the fighters:
[You should] know that a fifth of the
spoils you get hold of are for Allah and the Prophet and the near relatives and
the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. (8:41)
Today any course can be adopted in
distributing the spoils of war. The above mentioned proportion was specifically
meant for the Prophet (sws) since these battles were part of a divine scheme
.
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