Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/216)

That is, he paid the zakat of two years in advance. This is supported by what is established in the two Sahihs: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Umar to collect the zakat. He returned with those who were with him and said, ‘Ibn Jamil, Khalid ibn al-Walid, and al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib have withheld it’”—that is, they refused to give the zakat to the collectors. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “As for Khalid, you are wronging Khalid, for he has set aside his coats of mail and military equipment for the sake of Allah. As for Ibn Jamil, he resents nothing except that he was poor and Allah made him wealthy.” This is a case of reinforcing censure by means of what resembles praise, a well-known rhetorical device. An example is the poet’s words:

They have no fault, save that their swords
Bear notches from clashing with battalions.

“And as for al-Abbas, it is upon me, along with its like.” (1)

But does this hadith mean that al-Abbas had paid the zakat of two years in advance, or does it mean that, since al-Abbas’s apparent withholding seemed to be an attempt to avail himself of his kinship with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the Prophet wished to impose a double payment upon him? This would be like his statement concerning one who withholds zakat: “We shall take it, along with half of his wealth.” (2)

The answer is that what appears more correct to me is the latter, because al-Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him,

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in the Book of Zakah, chapter on the saying of Allah Most High, “and for freeing captives” (no. 1468); and by Muslim in the Book of Zakah, chapter on paying zakah in advance and withholding it (no. 983), on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. The wording is that of Muslim. (2) Its source has been cited previously, p. 200.

أي: قدم زكاة سنتين، ويعضده ما ثبت في الصحيحين «أن النبي ﷺ بعث عمر على الصدقة فرجع ومن معه فقالوا: منع ابن جميل، وخالد بن الوليد، والعباس بن عبد المطلب، أي: أبوا أن يعطوا السعاة الزكاة، فقال النبي ﷺ: «أما خالد فإنكم تظلمون خالداً فقد احتبس أدراعه وأعتاده في سبيل الله، وأما ابن جميل فما ينقم إلا أن كان فقيراً فأغناه الله» وهذا من باب تأكيد الذم بما يشبه المدح وهو أسلوب معروف ومنه قول الشاعر: ولا عيب فيهم غير أن سيوفهم بهن فلول من قراع الكتائب «وأما العباس فهي علي ومثلها» (١). لكن هذا الحديث هل المعنى فيه أن العباس قد عجل الصدقة سنتين، أو أن المعنى أن العباس ﵁ لما كان ظاهرُ منْعِهِ احتماءَهُ بقرابته من النبي ﷺ، فأراد أن يضاعف الغرم عليه، ويكون هذا مثلَ قولِهِ فيمن منع الزكاة: «إنا آخذوها وشطر ماله» (٢)؟ الجواب: الذي يظهر لي هو الثاني؛ لأن العباس ﵁

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الزكاة/ باب قول الله تعالى ﴿وَفِي الرِّقَابِ﴾ (١٤٦٨)؛ ومسلم في الزكاة/ باب في تقديم الزكاة ومنعها (٩٨٣) عن أبي هريرة ﵁، واللفظ لمسلم. (٢) سبق تخريجه ص (٢٠٠).