Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
وعن خولة الأنصارية رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
إن رجالًا يتخوَّضون في مال الله بغير حقٍّ، فلهم النار يوم القيامة
[أخرجه البخاري]
Narrated by Khawlah al-Anṣāriyyah (رضي الله عنها):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, some people interfere in Allah’s wealth without right; for them is the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Related by al-Bukhārī)
Authentication and References:
Vocabulary Insight:
➊ What Is Meant by “Allah’s Wealth”?
Allah’s wealth here refers to:
Any wealth designated by Allah for collective or religious purposes falls under this category. It is sacred and must be handled with utmost justice and care.
A. By the Authorities (Amīr or Government):
An amīr (leader) betrays this trust when he:
Such actions are warned against in this ḥadīth, and their punishment is the Fire.
B. By the Public (Rāʿiyyah):
The common people are also warned. Unauthorized interference includes:
Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
A man gifted the Prophet ﷺ a slave named Midaʿm. One day, while Midaʿm was removing the Prophet’s saddle from his camel, he was struck by a stray arrow and killed.
The people said: “Congratulations to him! Paradise is his.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Never! By the One in whose hand is my soul, the cloak he took on the Day of Khaybar, before the spoils were distributed, is now burning him in the Fire.”
Hearing this, one man returned a strap or two to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A strap or two of fire.”
[Agreed upon. Mishkāt: Bāb Qismat al-Ghanā’im]
Not just war booty — all wealth given to humans by Allah is in reality Allah’s wealth. Man is only a trustee (amīn) of this wealth and must:
Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ
[At-Tawbah: 111]
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.”
So, if one uses Allah’s entrusted wealth according to his own whims rather than Allah’s will, the consequence will be Hellfire.
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
Hadith Reference:
وعن خولة الأنصارية رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:
إن رجالًا يتخوَّضون في مال الله بغير حقٍّ، فلهم النار يوم القيامة
[أخرجه البخاري]
Narrated by Khawlah al-Anṣāriyyah (رضي الله عنها):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Indeed, some people interfere in Allah’s wealth without right; for them is the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Related by al-Bukhārī)
Authentication and References:- [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3118]
- Also see Tuhfat al-Ashrāf [11/300]
Vocabulary Insight:- يَتَخَوَّضُونَ — From the root خَاضَ يَخُوضُ, originally meaning "to enter into water," and then extended to mean to interfere, tamper, or handle something arbitrarily and without right.
✦ Key Insights and Explanations
➊ What Is Meant by “Allah’s Wealth”?
Allah’s wealth here refers to:
- War booty (Māl al-Ghanīmah)
- Bayt al-Māl (public treasury)
- Zakat
- Kharāj, etc.
Any wealth designated by Allah for collective or religious purposes falls under this category. It is sacred and must be handled with utmost justice and care.
Forms of Unauthorized Interference in Allah’s Wealth:
A. By the Authorities (Amīr or Government):
An amīr (leader) betrays this trust when he:
- Spends public wealth as if it were his personal property
- Uses it to fulfill personal desires rather than divine instructions
- Fails to distribute four-fifths of war booty among Mujāhidīn
- Misuses the one-fifth share (Khums), which is designated for Allah, the Messenger ﷺ, relatives, orphans, the needy, and travelers
- Spends zakat in inappropriate channels
- Shows favoritism to relatives instead of giving to the rightful needy
Such actions are warned against in this ḥadīth, and their punishment is the Fire.
B. By the Public (Rāʿiyyah):
The common people are also warned. Unauthorized interference includes:
- Taking any part of war booty before distribution
- Seizing public wealth without permission from rightful authorities
A Grave Example from the Life of the Prophet ﷺ
Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
A man gifted the Prophet ﷺ a slave named Midaʿm. One day, while Midaʿm was removing the Prophet’s saddle from his camel, he was struck by a stray arrow and killed.
The people said: “Congratulations to him! Paradise is his.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Never! By the One in whose hand is my soul, the cloak he took on the Day of Khaybar, before the spoils were distributed, is now burning him in the Fire.”
Hearing this, one man returned a strap or two to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A strap or two of fire.”
[Agreed upon. Mishkāt: Bāb Qismat al-Ghanā’im]
A Broader Perspective: All Wealth Belongs to Allah
Not just war booty — all wealth given to humans by Allah is in reality Allah’s wealth. Man is only a trustee (amīn) of this wealth and must:
- Earn it from permissible sources
- Spend it in ways approved by Allah
Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ
[At-Tawbah: 111]
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise.”
So, if one uses Allah’s entrusted wealth according to his own whims rather than Allah’s will, the consequence will be Hellfire.
