Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 41

41. And know that whatever spoils of war you acquire, a fifth of it is for Allah, the Messenger, his near relatives [43], the needy, and the traveler—if you believe in Allah and in what We sent down to Our servant [43.1] on the Day of Criterion, the day when the two armies met. And Allah is capable of all things.

[43]
How will the fifth share of Allah and His Messenger be distributed?

In this verse, a detailed answer is being given to the question with which this surah began. There, only this much was answered: since this victory was achieved purely as a result of Allah’s help, therefore all surplus wealth (including spoils of war) belongs to Allah and His Messenger. Therefore, you should immediately stop your mutual disputes, and the detailed answer is that one-fifth of the spoils of war is for Allah and His Messenger, and the remaining four-fifths is for the Mujahideen. Thus, all the spoils were gathered in one place, and four-fifths of it was distributed equally among those who participated in the jihad. Now, as for the fifth share belonging to Allah and His Messenger, its five avenues of expenditure have been stated. However, the increase or decrease in these shares and their distribution was left to the discretion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The share that is for Allah, that is, one-fifth of the fifth, would be spent on the needs of jihad and the construction and maintenance of mosques, and the share of the Messenger was allocated for his household or domestic needs, because due to religious engagements, you ﷺ could not do any other work. The third share was for his relatives, i.e., Banu Hashim or Banu Abd Manaf, and among them, you would give to whomever you considered deserving and as much as you deemed appropriate. This was because Banu Hashim had greatly supported and aided Islam in difficult times, and also because it was forbidden for these people to take zakat. The fourth and fifth avenues were to fulfill the needs of the needy and travelers. Some scholars believe that after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, the share of the Prophet and his relatives ended, and only three avenues remained. Others believe that the share of the Prophet ﷺ now goes to the current Amir al-Mu’minin, and the share of the relatives is for the needy among the family of the Prophet, because it is forbidden for them to take zakat. In our view, the matter is not just this, but circumstances have changed greatly, and accordingly, changes will be made in these matters as per the decision of the Shura. For example, in the Prophetic era, the Companions would go out for jihad voluntarily or considering it obligatory, arranging their own mounts and weapons, for which they would receive a share. But today, the military department itself is separate, and this began in the era of Umar Farooq ؓ. These soldiers or Mujahideen are salaried, and the arrangement of weapons and mounts is the responsibility of the government. Therefore, now jihad is not obligatory on common Muslims, and due to salaries, the matter of such distribution among Mujahideen has also ended, as has the share of the Amir, because he himself is a salaried official of the state treasury, and fulfilling the needs of the poor, etc., is already a duty of an Islamic government. Most importantly, the entire method of warfare has completely changed.

The Need for Ijtihad Regarding the Prohibition of Sadaqat for Banu Hashim:

Here, a question arises that due to such changes in the distribution of spoils of war, the issue of aiding the needy among Banu Hashim has ended, and sadaqat, especially zakat, is already forbidden for them, so what is the way to aid the needy among Banu Hashim today, especially in a situation where there is no Islamic system established in any country? According to some scholars, the reason for the prohibition of sadaqat and zakat for Banu Hashim was that the distribution of sadaqat and zakat was in the hands of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as the leader of the nation. Although he ﷺ declared sadaqat forbidden for his family, still the hypocrites continued to accuse you ﷺ regarding the distribution of sadaqat. Therefore, today, the prohibition of these sadaqat will apply to the Muslim ruler and his family. Similarly, those who are nowadays called the descendants of Banu Hashim or Sayyid, the prohibition of sadaqat and zakat for them should also end. Therefore, it is necessary to exercise ijtihad in these matters: in the present era, in which countries of the world are the descendants of Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib found, and by what means is it possible to aid their needy?
[43۔ 1]
How was the Battle of Badr the Day of Distinction (Yawm al-Furqan)?

This was the Day of Distinction in the sense that this battle decided which party was with the truth and which party was upon falsehood. And this was the day of Jumu’ah, the 17th of Ramadan, 2 AH, and it was a Friday. As for what Allah Almighty sent down upon His servant Muhammad ﷺ on that day, it could refer to rain, or to the angels, or to other forms of divine support, most of which have already been mentioned and some are mentioned ahead. And all these things and means were created so that Allah Almighty may show that He has complete power over all apparent and hidden means. Incidentally, from this verse it is also known that whoever does not accept the descent of angels, or the blinding of the disbelievers by his ﷺ throwing of sand or dust, or similar other miracles, or interprets them away, does not have complete faith in Allah.