Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The statement concerning the explanation of His saying, the Exalted: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (7) (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as spoils acquired without fighting (fayʾ) from the people of the towns, that is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer, so that it does not become wealth circulated among the rich among you. And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it. And fear Allah; verily, Allah is severe in punishment).

   He means by His saying, exalted be His praise: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns): that which Allah, mighty and exalted is He, has returned to His Messenger from the possessions of the polytheists (mushrikīn) of the towns.

   The people of knowledge differed concerning which categories are intended by this verse. Some of them said: by it are intended the jizyah (poll-tax for non-Muslims) and the kharāj (land-tax).

   * The mention of who said that:

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Ayyūb, on the authority of ʿIkrima ibn Khālid, on the authority of Mālik ibn Aws ibn al-Ḥadathān, who said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, recited: إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ (The alms are only for the poor and the needy) until he reached عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (All-Knowing, All-Wise), and then he said: this is for those people. Then he said: وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى (And know that whatever you take as spoils of war (ghanīma), a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the kinsfolk) ... the verse, and then he said: this verse is for those people. Then he recited: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns) until he reached لِلْفُقَرَاءِ (for the poor), وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ (and those who had settled in the abode) and وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ (and those who came after them), and then he said: this verse has comprised the Muslims in general, so there is no one but that he has a right to it. Then he said: if I remain alive, even the shepherd, while driving his donkeys, will receive his share without his brow having sweated for it.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, saying: Maʿmar related to us, concerning His saying: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns): it has reached me that it is the jizyah, and the kharāj: the land-tax of the people of the towns.

   And others said: by it is intended the spoils of war (ghanīma) which the Muslims capture from their enemy, the people of warfare, by force in battle.

   * The mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Rūmān: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns, that is for Allah and for the Messenger): that for which the Muslims advanced with horses and mounts, and which was conquered by force through battle, فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ (that is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer, so that it does not become wealth circulated among the rich among you. And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from). He said: this is another distribution concerning what is acquired through battle among the Muslims, in accordance with what Allah has appointed for it.

   And others said: by it is intended the spoils for which the Muslims advanced with horses and mounts and which was taken by overpowering force. And they said: at the beginning of Islam the spoils were for those whom Allah has named in these verses, not for those who advanced for them; then that was abrogated by the verse in Sūrat al-Anfāl.

   * The mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns, that is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer). He said: the fayʾ was for these, then that was abrogated in Sūrat al-Anfāl, for He said: وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ (And know that whatever you take as spoils of war, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the kinsfolk and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer). Thus this (verse in al-Anfāl) abrogated what preceded it in Sūrat al-Anfāl, and the fifth part was assigned to those for whom the fayʾ had been designated in Sūrat al-Ḥashr. The spoils of war were divided into five fifths: four fifths for whoever fought for them, and the remaining fifth is divided into five fifths: a fifth for Allah and the Messenger, a fifth for the kinsfolk of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during his lifetime, a fifth for the orphans, a fifth for the poor, and a fifth for the wayfarer. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had passed away, Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, expended these two shares — the share of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the share of his kinsfolk — by applying them in the way of Allah as charity on behalf of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

   And others said: by it is intended: that upon which the people of warfare came to a peace agreement with the Muslims of their possessions. And they said: His saying مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the people of the towns, that is for Allah and for the Messenger) ... the verses, is a clarification of the distribution of the wealth that Allah has mentioned in the verse that precedes this verse, namely His saying: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from them, for it you spurred neither horses nor mounts). And this is a statement which some of the later scholars of fiqh used to proclaim.

   And the correct view concerning this, in my opinion, is that the ruling of this verse is different from the ruling of the verse that precedes it. And that is because the verse that precedes it concerns wealth that Allah, mighty and exalted is He, has designated exclusively for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, not for another, and He made no one a share-holder in it. And accordingly the narration has come from ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him.

   Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, on the authority of Mālik ibn Aws ibn al-Ḥadathān, who said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, summoned me, and I entered upon him. He said: some men of your people have arrived, and we have ordered a gift (raḍkh) for them, so distribute it among them. I said: O Commander of the Believers, assign that to someone other than me. He said: take it in hand, O man. While I was thus, Yarfaʾ, his freedman, came and said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, al-Zubayr, ʿUthmān and Saʿd are asking permission. He said: let them in. Then he waited a while, and then he came and said: here are ʿAlī and al-ʿAbbās asking permission. He said: let them both in. When al-ʿAbbās entered, he said: O Commander of the Believers, judge between me and this treacherous, deceitful, sinful man. And the two of them had come to dispute over what Allah had bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from the lands of Banū al-Naḍīr. The company said: judge between the two of them, O Commander of the Believers, and relieve each of them of the other, for their dispute has lasted long. He said: I adjure you by Allah, by Whose leave the heavens and the earth subsist: do you know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "We are not inherited from; what we leave behind is charity"? They said: indeed he said that. Then he said to the two of them: do the two of you know that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that? They said: yes. He said: then I shall inform you about this fayʾ. Allah favoured His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with something that He gave to no one else, for He said: مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ (Whatever Allah has bestowed upon His Messenger as fayʾ from them, for it you spurred neither horses nor mounts). This was thus exclusively for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. By Allah, he did not keep it to himself to your exclusion, nor did he appropriate it for himself to your exclusion, but rather he distributed it among you, until of this wealth this much remained. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to spend from it for his household for a year, and then placed what remained at the disposal in the wealth of Allah. Now then, since the verse that precedes this has already passed and has mentioned the wealth with which Allah has favoured His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, exclusively, and made no one else with him in it, and since this verse is a report about the wealth that Allah has designated for several groups, it is thereby known that the wealth which He has designated for groups of His creation is wealth other than the wealth which He has designated exclusively for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in which He made no partner.

   And His saying: وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى (and for the kinsfolk). He says: and for the kinsfolk of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib; and the orphans, and they are the needy among the children of the Muslims who have no wealth; and the poor (masākīn), and they are those who undergo both want and the humiliation of begging together; and the wayfarer (ibn al-sabīl), and they are the travellers who have been left without means on a journey that does not involve disobedience to Allah, mighty and exalted is He.

   And we have already mentioned the narration that has come from the exegetes of the tafsīr concerning the explanation of that in the preceding part of our book.

   And His saying: كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ (so that it does not become wealth circulated among the rich among you). He, exalted be His praise, says: and We have made that which He has bestowed as fayʾ upon His Messenger from the people of the towns for these groups, so that this fayʾ would not become wealth that the rich among you circulate among themselves, one of them applying it at one time for his own needs and another applying it at another time for charity and ways of good, so that they spend it as they please. Rather, We have instituted for it a fixed ordinance that is not changed or altered.

   The reciters differed over the recitation of this. The general reciters of the regions, with the exception of Abū Jaʿfar al-Qāriʾ, read it كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً in the accusative (naṣb), in accordance with the meaning I have described, and that the fayʾ is its (implicit) subject and His saying دُولَةً is the accusative as the predicate of yakūn. Abū Jaʿfar al-Qāriʾ read that as كَيْلا تَكُونَ دُولَةٌ , with dūla in the nominative, raised by takūn, and the predicate being His saying بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ (among the rich among you). And with a ḍamma on the dāl of دُولَةً all the reciters of the regions have read, except that from Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān the fatḥa in it has been transmitted.

   And the experts in the language of the Arabs differed over the meaning of that, whether the dāl is pronounced with a ḍamma or a fatḥa. Some of the Kūfans said: its meaning is: when it is pronounced with a fatḥa (dawla), it concerns the army, where one defeats another and then the victor is defeated, so that one says: the victory (dawla) has returned upon these. He said: and al-dawla, with a nominative (read: ḍamma on the) dāl, concerns kingship and the years that are changed and altered by time, and that is the dūla, the plural being al-duwal. And some of them said: the distinction between the ḍamma and the fatḥa is that al-dūla is the name of the very thing that is circulated, and al-dawla is the action.

   And the recitation which I permit no other alongside it is: كَيْ لا يَكُونَ with the yāʾ, دُولَةً with a ḍamma on the dāl and the dūla in the accusative, in accordance with the meaning I have mentioned for it, because of the consensus of the proof (ijmāʿ al-ḥujja) upon it; and the distinction between the dūla and the dawla, with a ḍamma on the dāl and with a fatḥa, is what I have mentioned from the Kūfan concerning it.

   And His saying: وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ (And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it). He, exalted be His mention, says: and whatever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gives you of that which He has bestowed upon him as fayʾ from the people of the towns, take it; وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ (and whatever he forbids you from), such as the misappropriation of spoils (ghulūl) and other matters, فَانْتَهُوا (abstain from it). And some of the people of knowledge used to say something that agrees with our statement concerning that, except that he directed the meaning of His saying وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ (And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it) to that which he gives you of the spoils of war.

   * The mention of who said that:

   Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Ibn ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His saying: وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا (And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it). He said: he gives them the spoils of war and forbids them its misappropriation (ghulūl).

   And His saying: وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ (And fear Allah). He says: and fear Allah, and be wary of His punishment for your opposition to His Messenger by proceeding to that which He has forbidden you, and your disobedience to him. إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (verily, Allah is severe in punishment). He says: verily, Allah is severe in His punishment of whomever He punishes among the people who are disobedient to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

   Show original Arabic

   القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (7) يعني بقوله جلّ ثناؤه: (‎مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى) الذي ردّ الله عزّ وجلّ على رسوله من أموال مشركي القرى. واختلف أهل العلم في الذي عنى بهذه الآية من الألوان، فقال بعضهم: عني بذلك الجزية والخراج. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن أيوب، عن عكرمة بن خالد، عن مالك بن أوس بن الحدثان، قال: قرأ عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ حتى بلغ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ثم قال: هذه لهؤلاء، ثم قال: وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى ... الآية، ثم قال: هذه الآية لهؤلاء، ثم قرأ: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى ) حتى بلغ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ ، ثم قال: استوعبت هذه الآية المسلمين عامة، فليس أحد إلا له حق، ثم قال: لئن عشت ليأتين الراعي وهو يسير حُمُرَه نصيبهُ، لم يعرق فيها جبينه. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، قال: ثنا معمر في قوله: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى ) حتى (3) بلغني أنها الجزية، والخراج: خَراج أهل القرى. وقال آخرون: عنى بذلك الغنيمة التي يصيبها المسلمون من عدوّهم من أهل الحرب بالقتال عنوة. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حُميد، قال: ثنا سلمة، عن ابن إسحاق، عن يزيد بن رومان ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ ) ما يوجف عليه المسلمون بالخيل والركاب، وفتح بالحرب عنوة، ( فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ ) قال: هذا قسم آخر فيما أصيب بالحرب بين المسلمين على ما وضعه الله عليه. وقال آخرون: عنى بذلك الغنيمة التي أوجف عليها المسلمون بالخيل والركاب، وأخذت بالغلبة، وقالوا كانت الغنائم في بدوّ الإسلام لهؤلاء الذين سماهم الله في هذه الآيات دون المرجفين عليها، ثم نسخ ذلك بالآية التي في سورة الأنفال. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا محمد بن بشار، قال: ثنا عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، في قوله: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ) قال: كان الفيء في هؤلاء، ثم نسخ ذلك في سورة الأنفال، فقال: وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فنسخت هذه ما كان قبلها في سورة الأنفال، وجعل الخمس لمن كان له الفيء في سورة الحشر، وكانت الغنيمة تقسم خمسة أخماس، فأربعة أخماس لمن قاتل عليها، ويقسم الخمس الباقي على خمسة أخماس، فخمس لله وللرسول، وخمس لقرابة رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم في حياته، وخمس لليتامى، وخمس للمساكين، وخمس لابن السبيل؛ فلما قضى رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم وجه أَبو بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما هذين السهمين: سهم رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، وسهم قرابته، فحملا عليه في سبيل الله صدقة عن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم. وقال آخرون: عنى بذلك: ما صالح عليه أهل الحرب المسلمين من أموالهم، وقالوا: قوله: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ ) ... الآيات، بيان قسم المال الذي ذكره الله في الآية التي قبل هذه الآية، وذلك قوله: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) وهذا قول كان يقوله بعض المتفقهة من المتأخرين. والصواب من القول في ذلك عندي أن هذه الآية حكمها غير حكم الآية التي قبلها، وذلك أن الآية التي قبلها مال جعله الله عزّ وجلّ لرسوله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم خاصة دون غيره، لم يجعل فيه لأحد نصيبًا، وبذلك جاء الأثر عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال: ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن الزهري، عن مالك بن أوس بن الحدثان، قال: أرسل إليّ عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه، فدخلت عليه، فقال: إنه قد حضر أهل أبيات من قومك وإنا قد أمرنا لهم برضخ، فاقسمه بينهم، فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين مر بذلك غيري، قال: اقبضه أيها المرء فبينا أنا كذلك، إذ جاء يرفأ مولاه، فقال: عبد الرحمن بن عوف، والزبير، وعثمان، وسعد يستأذنون، فقال: ائذن لهم؛ ثم مكث ساعة، ثم جاء فقال: هذا عليّ والعباس يستأذنان، فقال: ائذن لهما؛ فلما دخل العباس قال: يا أمير المؤمنين اقض بيني وبين هذا الغادر الخائن الفاجر، وهما جاءا يختصمان فيما أفاء الله على رسوله من أعمال بني النضير، فقال القوم: اقض بينهما يا أمير المؤمنين، وأرح كلّ واحد منهما من صاحبه، فقد طالت خصومتهما، فقال: أنشدكم الله الذي بإذنه تقوم السماوات والأرض، أتعلمون أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قال: " لا نُورَثُ ما تَرَكْنَاهْ صَدَقَةٌ" قالوا: قد قال ذلك؛ ثم قال لهما: أتعلمان أن رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قال ذلك؟ قالا نعم؛ قال: فسأخبركم بهذا الفيء، إن الله خصّ نبيه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم بشيء لم يعطه غيره، فقال: ( مَا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ مِنْهُمْ فَمَا أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ ) فكانت هذه لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خاصة، فوالله ما احتازها دونكم، ولا استأثر بها دونكم، ولقد قسمها عليكم حتى بقي منها هذا المال، فكان رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ينفق على أهله منه سنتهم، ثم يجعل ما بقي في مال الله، فإذَا كانت هذه الآية التي قبلها مضت، وذكر المال الذي خصّ الله به رسوله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، ولم يجعل لأحد معه شيئًا، وكانت هذه الآية خبرًا عن المال الذي جعله الله لأصناف شتى، كان معلومًا بذلك أن المال الذي جعله لأصناف من خلقه غير المال الذي جعله للنبيّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم خاصة، ولم يجعل له شريكًا. وقوله: ( وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى ) يقول: ولذي قرابة رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم من بني هاشم وبني المطلب واليتامى، وهم أهل الحاجة من أطفال المسلمين الذين لا مال لهم؛ والمساكين: وهم الجامعون فاقة وذلّ المسألة؛ وابن السبيل: وهم المنقطع بهم من المسافرين في غير معصية الله عزّ وجلّ. وقد ذكرنا الرواية التي جاءت عن أهل التأويل بتأويل ذلك فيما مضى من كتابنا. وقوله: ( كَيْ لا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ ) يقول جلّ ثناؤه. وجعلنا ما أفاء على رسوله من أهل القرى لهذه الأصناف، كيلا يكون ذلك الفيء دُولة يتداوله الأغنياء منكم بينهم، يصرفه هذا مرّة في حاجات نفسه، وهذا مرّة في أبواب البرّ وسُبلُ الخير، فيجعلون ذلك حيث شاءوا، ولكننا سننا فيه سنة لا تُغير ولا تُبدّل. واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة ذلك، فقرأته عامة قرّاء الأمصار سِوى أَبي جعفر القارئ( كَيْ لا يَكُونَ )( دُولَةً ) نصبًا على ما وصفت من المعنى، وأن يكون ذكر الفيء. وقوله: ( دُولَةً ) نصب خبر يكون، وقرأ ذلك أَبو جعفر القارئ( كَيْلا تَكُونَ دُولَةٌ ) على رفع الدولة مرفوعة بتكون، والخبر قوله: ( بَيْنَ الأغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمْ )، وبضمّ الدال من ( دُولَةً ) قرأ جميع قرّاء الأمصار، غير أنه حُكي عن أَبي عبد الرحمن الفتح فيها. وقد اختلف أهل المعرفة بكلام العرب في معنى ذلك، إذا ضمت الدال أو فُتحت، فقال بعض الكوفيين: معنى ذلك: إذا فتحت الدولة وتكون للجيش يهزم هذا هذا، ثم يهزم الهازم، فيقال: قد رجعت الدولة على هؤلاء؛ قال: والدولة برفع الدال في الملك والسنين التي تغير وتبدّل على الدهر، فتلك الدولة والدول. وقال بعضهم: فرق ما بين الضمّ والفتح أن الدولة: هي اسم الشيء الذي يتداول بعينه، والدولة الفعل. والقراءة التي لا أستجيز غيرها في ذلك: ( كَيْ لا يَكُونَ ) بالياء ( دُولَةً )، بضم الدال ونصب الدولة على المعنى الذي ذكرت في ذلك لإجماع الحجة عليه، والفرق بين الدُّولة والدَّولة بضم الدال وفتحها ما ذكرت عن الكوفيّ في ذلك. وقوله: ( وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وما أعطاكم رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم مما أفاء عليه من أهل القرى فخذوه ( وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ )، من الغلول وغيره من الأمور ( فَانْتَهُوا ). وكان بعض أهل العلم يقول نحو قولنا في ذلك، غير أنه كان يوجه معنى قوله: ( وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ ) إلى ما آتاكم من الغنائم. * ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن بشار، قال: ثنا ابن عديّ، عن عوف، عن الحسن، في قوله: ( وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا ) قال: يؤتيهم الغنائم ويمنعهم الغلول. وقوله: ( وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ) يقول: وخافوا الله، واحذروا عقابه في خلافكم على رسوله بالتقدّم على ما نهاكم عنه، ومعصيتكم إياه ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ )، يقول: إن الله شديد عقابه لمن عاقبه من أهل معصيته لرسوله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم.