It further indicates that whoever commits ghulul did not enter the battle intending to strive in the path of Allah so that His word be exalted; rather, he was motivated by the booty—and actions are judged only by their intentions.

2 – Ghulul is a disgrace, for it is a blemish and public scandal before the Muslims and their leaders. It is also “fire,” for it incurs punishment in the Hereafter. The compilers of the Sunan and Ahmad relate—on the authority of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani—that a man from the Muslims died at Khaybar. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Pray over your companion.” The people’s faces changed at this, and when he noticed what affected them he said, “Your companion has misappropriated something in the cause of Allah.” They searched his belongings and found a string of beads belonging to the Jews, worth no more than two dirhams.

3 – Illicitly taking from state funds or the treasury of the Muslims falls under the same ruling as ghulul. Anyone entrusted with handling public monies who appropriates something by unlawful means is a perpetrator of ghulul.

4 – The commentator on Bulugh explains: “Disgrace (ʿār) is the scandal that befalls a person in this world when his deed is exposed; as for the Hereafter, disgrace appears to be what is described in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from the ḥadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood, mentioned ghulul, and magnified its seriousness. He said, “Let me not find anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection with a bleating sheep draped across his neck, or a neighing horse across his neck, crying, ‘Messenger of Allah, rescue me!’ and I will say, ‘I possess nothing for you with Allah; I have conveyed (the message) to you.’”’ This, most likely, is the disgrace of the Hereafter.

5 – One infers from this ḥadith that such a sin is not remitted through intercession, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “I possess nothing for you with Allah.” It is also possible that this wording was intended as a severe warning and deterrent.

Ghulul, in principle, encompasses every infringement upon people’s rights.

Ibn al-Mundhir stated: “The scholars unanimously agree that the person who steals from the spoils must return what he took before the division.”