And the recipients of the khums in the booty are the same as those entitled to the khums from fayʾ, as we have explained there. Ahmad said, according to a report transmitted by Abu Talib, when he was asked, “When they have gathered the spoils, should he grant them the nafal (bonus allotment)?” He replied: “He should not give them anything until he has taken the khums from all the booty. Once he has taken the khums from all the booty, he gives them the nafal.”

The khums also takes precedence over those entitled to radkh (discretionary allotments), namely those present at the battle who have no regular share: slaves, women, children, the sick, and dhimmis, according to the view that they have no share. Thus, the khums is taken before anything is allotted to them, and their radkh is not calculated as a proportionate share of the booty. No individual’s radkh may reach the share allotted to either a horseman or a foot soldier.

If the disqualifying status of one entitled to radkh is removed after he has attended the battle—for example, if a slave is emancipated, a child reaches maturity, or an unbeliever embraces Islam—then, if this occurs before the war has ended, he is assigned a regular share and is not given radkh. If it occurs after the war has ended, he is given radkh but not a regular share.

The booty is then divided, after the khums and radkh have been set aside, among those qualified for jihad who were present at the battle—namely, free, Muslim, healthy men. Both those who fought and those who did not fight share in it, because the noncombatant supports the combatant and serves as his reinforcement when needed. Their division of the booty is a division based on legal entitlement, not one left to the discretion of the distributor or the military commander. No one else who was not present at the battle may share in it.

The reports from Ahmad differ regarding whether some of them may be given preference over others. One report from him permits this, while another calls for equal distribution. When entitlement is restricted to those present at the battle, the horseman must be given preference over the foot soldier because of his greater contribution: the horseman receives three shares, while the foot soldier receives one. The horseman’s allotment is given only to those mounted on horses. Riders of mules and donkeys receive the shares of foot soldiers, while riders of camels and elephants receive the allotment assigned to a hybrid horse.