That deed, then, rested on the covenant of the Messenger of Allah—may blessings and peace be upon him—although it was carried out after his death and appeared to depart from what he himself had done.

In the same vein he, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Accept the stipend so long as it is truly a stipend; but if it is offered to buy your religion, then do not accept it.”

When rulers began distributing Allah’s wealth to people who would assist them in the pursuit of their own desires—even when those desires were sinful—whoever refused such money was actually adhering to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Although, in ordinary usage, declining the ruler’s grant was something novel, once the rulers introduced their innovation, the Sunnah provided a fresh ruling to counter it.

Similarly, the Prophet handed Ahabān ibn Ṣayfī a sword and said to him, “Fight the polytheists with it; but if you should see Muslims fighting one another, then break it.” Thus, when he later broke his sword—an unprecedented act, for Muslims had never been in the habit of shattering their weapons—it was nonetheless undertaken in obedience to the Prophet’s command.