Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gained booty he ordered Bilal to make a public announcement. He made a public announcement, and when the people brought their booty, he would take a fifth and divide it. Thereafter a man brought a halter of hair and said: Messenger of Allah, this is a part of the booty we got. He asked: Have you heard Bilal making announcement three times? He replied: Yes. He asked: What did prevent you from bringing it? He made some excuse, to which he said: Be (as you are), you may bring it on the Day of Judgment, for I shall not accept it from you.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊
In general matters, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was extremely gentle and tender-hearted.
But in matters concerning the limits set by Allah and the rights of people, he was extremely strict.
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No matter how severe the punishment in this world may be, it is somewhat lighter and comes to an end when compared to the torment of the Hereafter.
And the punishment of the Hereafter is unimaginably severe.
➌
The refusal to accept the statement of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was intended to clarify the heinousness and repulsiveness of this crime.
This does not mean that his repentance was unacceptable or that it was impossible to deliver that wealth to its rightful recipients.
And some have explained it in this way:
That in this war booty (mal ghaneemah), all the fighters had a share.
And all of them had dispersed.
It was impossible to deliver each one his share from it.
Therefore, that share was left with him so that its burden would fall upon him.
And he alone would bear its punishment.
In this too, there is an aspect of severe warning.
(‘Awn)
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 2712