a group of scholars (1) from among Ahmad’s followers and others.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also gave one man’s estate to another man from his village (2). The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his successors exercised broad discretion in giving a deceased person’s estate to someone who had some connection to him (3), as we have mentioned.
He levied nothing upon the Muslims except zakat, and he commanded them to strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives, as Allah Most High commanded in His Book.
During his time and that of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), there was no consolidated register of the funds received and distributed. Rather, the wealth was distributed little by little. By the time of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), however, wealth had increased, the territories had expanded, and the population had grown, so he established a register of stipends for soldiers and others.
(1) The words “among the scholars” appear in the base manuscript.
(2) Its wording is: “Ā’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that a client of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) died, leaving some property but no child or close relative. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Give his estate to a man from his village.’” Reported by Ahmad (25054), Abū Dāwūd (2902)—whose wording is quoted here—al-Tirmidhī (2105), Ibn Māja (2733), and al-Bayhaqī, 6/243. Al-Tirmidhī said: “This is a hasan hadith.”
Commenting on this hadith, al-Baghawī said: “According to the scholars, this does not mean that the residents of the village or members of the tribe inherit the estate. Rather, the property of someone who has no heir belongs to the Muslims collectively, and the ruler disposes of it as he deems conducive to the public interest. It was on this basis that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) assigned it to members of the deceased’s tribe.” End quote. Sharh al-Sunna, 8/361–362.
(3) The base manuscript and (B) read “kinship.” The reading adopted here, “connection,” is from (Y) and (L), and was preferred by al-Uthaymīn in his Sharh, p. 128. Manuscript (Y) adds: “the slightest connection.”