Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (8/32)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

His statement, “All his baggage is to be burned”: the apparent meaning of his words is that this is obligatory; that is, all his baggage must be burned.

His statement, “except for weapons”: such as a sword, a gun, and the like.

His statement, “and a copy of the Quran”: out of respect for it.

“And whatever has a living soul...”

His statement, “and whatever has a living soul”: because a living creature is not to be punished with fire, such as a camel or a horse. Everything else, however, is burned: such as dirhams—which, like our dirhams today, are paper currency—utensils, a camel’s pack-saddle, a saddle, a lead rope, and the like.

Here we may ask: Why should it be burned? Would it not be better to add it to the booty? Or would it not be better to discipline its owner, for example by beating him, while the property remains his?

The answer is no, because the purpose of this burning is to make an example of the man. The benefit of making an example of him is greater than the benefit of the wealth that would be added to the public treasury or to the booty. Thus, this serves a greater interest than the financial benefit that would have been gained had it not been burned. As for why it is burned rather than destroyed by some other means or given in charity, this is because it is what has been reported from the Companions. Yazid ibn Jabir said: “The sunnah concerning one who unlawfully takes from the booty is that his baggage is burned.” (1)

(1) In al-Mughni (13/168), it is attributed to Said ibn Mansur, but we did not find it in his Sunan. Amr ibn Shuayb narrated from his father, from his grandfather, that “the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, burned the possessions of one who had committed ghulul (misappropriation of war booty).” It was recorded by Abu Dawud, Jihad, Chapter: The Punishment of One Who Commits Ghulul, no. 2715; al-Hakim, 2/131; and al-Bayhaqi, 9/102. Al-Hakim said, “It is an uncommon, authentic report.” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taghliq (3/466), “Zuhayr ibn Muhammad is weak in hadith, and the established report from Amr ibn Shuayb is his own statement.” It was also narrated from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “If you find a man who has committed ghulul, burn his possessions and beat him.” It was recorded by Abu Dawud, no. 2713; al-Hakim, 1/127; and al-Bayhaqi, 9/102. Abu Dawud, al-Bayhaqi, and al-Hafiz in al-Taghliq (3/264) graded it weak.

قوله: «يحرق رحله كله» ظاهر كلامه أن هذا واجب، أي: يجب أن يحرق رحله كله. قوله: «إلا السلاح» كالسيف والبندق وما أشبه ذلك. قوله: «والمصحف» لاحترامه. وَمَا فِيهِ رُوْحٌ .................. قوله: «وما فيه روح» لأن ما فيه روح لا يعذب بالنار، مثل البعير والفرس، وما عدا ذلك فإنه يحرق مثل الدراهم التي كدراهمنا الآن وهي أوراق، والأواني، وشداد البعير، والسَّرْج، والمِقْوَد، وما أشبه ذلك. وهنا نقول: لماذا يحرق؟ أفلا يكون من الأحسن أن يضاف إلى الغنيمة؟ أو من الأحسن أن يؤدب صاحبه بالضرب مثلاً، ويكون المال له؟. الجواب: لا؛ لأن المقصود بهذا التحريق هو التنكيل بهذا الرجل، ومصلحة التنكيل أكبر من مصلحة ما يُضم إلى بيت المال أو إلى الغنيمة من المال، فيكون في هذا مصلحة أكبر من مصلحة المال الذي يحصل لو لم يُحرق، وأما كونه يُحرق ولا يُتلف بنوع آخر أو يُتصدق به فلأن هذا هو الوارد عن الصحابة ﵃، وقال يزيد بن جابر: السنّة في الذي يغلّ أن يحرق رحله (١).

(١) عزاه في «المغني» (١٣/ ١٦٨) إلى سعيد بن منصور، ولم نقف عليه في «سننه»، وروى عمرو بن شعيب عن أبيه عن جده: «أن رسول الله ﷺ وأبا بكر وعمر ﵄ حرقوا متاع الغال». أخرجه أبو داود في الجهاد/ باب في عقوبة الغال (٢٧١٥)؛ والحاكم (٢/ ١٣١)؛ والبيهقي (٩/ ١٠٢)، قال الحاكم: «غريب صحيح»، وقال الحافظ في «التغليق» (٣/ ٤٦٦): «زهير بن محمد ضعيف الحديث والمحفوظ عن عمرو بن شعيب قوله: «وروي عن عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ عن النبي ﷺ: «إذا وجدتم الرجل قد غل فأحرقوا متاعه واضربوه». أخرجه أبو داود (٢٧١٣)؛ والحاكم (١/ ١٢٧)؛ والبيهقي (٩/ ١٠٢). وضعفه أبو داود والبيهقي والحافظ في «التغليق» (٣/ ٢٦٤).