The share of al-safi

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: The delegation of Abd al-Qays came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Between us and you is this tribe of Mudar, and we can reach you only in the sacred month" (or he said: "in Rajab"), "so give us a command which we may hold to and to which we may invite those of our people we have left behind." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I command you to do four things and forbid you four things. I command you to bear witness that there is no god but Allah, to establish the prayer, to pay the zakah, and to give from the spoils of war the share of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and al-safi (the item the leader chooses for himself). And I forbid you al-dubba' (gourds), al-hantam (green glazed jars), al-muzaffat (pitch-coated vessels) and al-naqir (hollowed-out wooden vessels)."
Abu Hilal al-Rasibi alone narrated it with the mention of al-safi in it.

Yazid bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: We were sitting in al-Mirbad, and I think I was the youngest of the people. A man from the desert came to us, and when we saw him we said: "It seems this man is not from this town." He said: "Yes." He had with him a piece of leather with writing on it, and he said: "This was written for me by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." In it was written:
"Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). From Muhammad the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Banu Zuhayr bin Uqaysh, a clan of Ukl: If you establish the prayer, pay the zakah, separate yourselves from the polytheists, and give the khumus (one-fifth) from the spoils, then the share of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and al-safi (the chosen portion), then you are safe under the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)." They said: "Come, tell us, may Allah make you righteous, what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Fasting the month of patience and three days of every month removes much of the rancour of the chest." Qurrah says: I said to him: "Wagharu al-sadr (the heat of the chest)?" He said: "Waharu al-sadr (the rancour of the chest)." The people said: "Did you really hear this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He reached for his document, took it and went off quickly, then said: "Indeed, I see that you fear that I am lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). By Allah! I will not narrate any hadith to you today."

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that on the day of Badr the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took his sword Dhu al-Fiqar as an extra share (nafl) from the spoils.

Amir al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a share called al-safi (the chosen portion); if he wished a slave, a slave-girl or a horse, he would choose it before the khumus (one-fifth).

Ibn Awn (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I asked Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) about the share of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and al-safi. He said: "A share was allotted to him (peace and blessings be upon him) along with the Muslims even if he was not present, and for al-safi, one head was taken for him from the khumus (one-fifth) before anything else."

It is narrated from Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself took part in a battle, he had a chosen share which he would take from wherever he wished; Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was from that share. And when he did not go out to battle himself, a share was allotted to him, but he did not choose.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was from al-safi (the chosen portion).

It is narrated from Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Find me one of your boys to serve me until I go out to Khaybar." So Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) took me, riding behind him on his mount, and I was a boy close to puberty. I used to serve the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped, and I often heard him (peace and blessings be upon him) say this supplication: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hammi wal-hazan, wal-'ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dala'i al-dayn, wa ghalabat al-rijal' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from grief and helplessness, from laziness, miserliness and cowardice, from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by oppressors).
Then we came to Khaybar. When Allah Almighty granted him (peace and blessings be upon him) victory over the fortress, the beauty of Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) was mentioned to him; her husband had been killed, and she was a new bride. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) chose her for himself. He (peace and blessings be upon him) set off with her until, when we reached al-Sahba', she became pure from her menses, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) consummated the marriage with her. After that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had hays (a sweet dish) prepared and placed on a small leather mat, and he ordered me to invite the people around me; that was the wedding feast (walimah) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for his marriage to Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her). Then we set out for Madinah, and I saw that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had made a screen with his cloak behind him for the sake of Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her). When Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was about to mount, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would sit beside his camel and raise his knee, and Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) would put her foot on the knee of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and mount. We travelled on like this, and when we came near Madinah, he (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at the mountain of Uhud and said: "This is a mountain that loves us and we love it." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) looked towards Madinah and said: "O Allah! I declare sacred the area between its two lava plains, just as Ibrahim declared Makkah sacred. O Allah! Bless the people of Madinah in their mudd and their sa' (measures)."

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that a slave-girl fell to the share of Dihyah, and it was said: "O Messenger of Allah! A beautiful slave-girl has fallen to the share of Dihyah." Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) bought her in exchange for seven persons, then handed her over to Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) to prepare her. The narrator says: I think he said that she observed her waiting period ('iddah) in her house, and she was Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her).