✦ Spoils of War in Previous Nations and the Sign of Divine Acceptance by Fire ✦
Did fire come down to consume and accept spoils of war in previous nations?
Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir (Hafizahullah)
Yes, in previous nations, particularly among the Children of Israel, the spoils of war (māl-e-ghanīmah) were accepted only when a fire descended from the sky and consumed them. This has been reported in Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith No. 3124), in a narration from Abu Hurairah (RA).
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
The Prophet Yushaʿ ibn Nun (AS) prepared his people for battle and gave clear instructions:
◈ Those who had just married,
◈ Built a new house,
◈ Or purchased a pregnant animal,
…were not to participate in the battle.
When the army approached the enemy territory, sunset was near. Yushaʿ (AS) prayed to Allah ﷻ to stop the sun, and Allah stopped it until the victory was achieved.
After the battle:
◈ The spoils of war were gathered.
◈ A fire descended from the sky to consume them—but did not.
◈ Yushaʿ (AS) announced that someone had committed theft from the spoils.
Upon investigation, it was found that a piece of gold had been stolen.
Once the gold was returned, the fire descended again and consumed the spoils, signifying divine acceptance.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"Then Allah made the spoils of war lawful for us because He saw our weakness and incapacity."
“ثُمَّ أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَنَا الغَنَائِمَ، رَأَى ضَعْفَنَا وَعَجْزَنَا فَأَحَلَّهَا لَنَا”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 3124)
Unlike previous nations, the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ was granted a special concession:
Spoils of war are lawful for us and do not require a supernatural sign (such as fire) for acceptance.
✔ In previous nations, spoils of war were only accepted when fire consumed them.
✔ Theft or deceit in these spoils prevented divine acceptance.
✔ For this Ummah, Allah ﷻ made spoils of war ḥalāl as a mercy and a divine ease, recognizing our weakness and limitations.
❖ Question:
Did fire come down to consume and accept spoils of war in previous nations?
❖ Answer by:
Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir (Hafizahullah)
❖ Historical Practice of Acceptance Through Fire
Yes, in previous nations, particularly among the Children of Israel, the spoils of war (māl-e-ghanīmah) were accepted only when a fire descended from the sky and consumed them. This has been reported in Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith No. 3124), in a narration from Abu Hurairah (RA).
❖ Summary of the Hadith:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
The Prophet Yushaʿ ibn Nun (AS) prepared his people for battle and gave clear instructions:
◈ Those who had just married,
◈ Built a new house,
◈ Or purchased a pregnant animal,
…were not to participate in the battle.
When the army approached the enemy territory, sunset was near. Yushaʿ (AS) prayed to Allah ﷻ to stop the sun, and Allah stopped it until the victory was achieved.
❖ Fire as a Sign of Divine Acceptance
After the battle:
◈ The spoils of war were gathered.
◈ A fire descended from the sky to consume them—but did not.
◈ Yushaʿ (AS) announced that someone had committed theft from the spoils.
Upon investigation, it was found that a piece of gold had been stolen.
Once the gold was returned, the fire descended again and consumed the spoils, signifying divine acceptance.
❖ Why Spoils of War Were Made Lawful for the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"Then Allah made the spoils of war lawful for us because He saw our weakness and incapacity."
“ثُمَّ أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَنَا الغَنَائِمَ، رَأَى ضَعْفَنَا وَعَجْزَنَا فَأَحَلَّهَا لَنَا”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 3124)
Unlike previous nations, the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ was granted a special concession:
Spoils of war are lawful for us and do not require a supernatural sign (such as fire) for acceptance.
❖ Key Points:
✔ In previous nations, spoils of war were only accepted when fire consumed them.
✔ Theft or deceit in these spoils prevented divine acceptance.
✔ For this Ummah, Allah ﷻ made spoils of war ḥalāl as a mercy and a divine ease, recognizing our weakness and limitations.
