If someone cannot go forth to fight himself, the duty of striving with his wealth remains binding in the soundest view of the scholars; this is also one of the two reports from Ahmad. Allah has repeatedly enjoined jihad by both wealth and life in the Qur’an, and He says, “So be mindful of Allah as best you can” (64:16). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ likewise said, “When I command you to do something, carry out of it whatever you are able,” and this was recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.1

Therefore, a person who lacks the strength to fight physically is not excused from contributing financially, just as one who lacks wealth is still required to fight in person. Anyone who obliges an incapacitated individual to pay for someone else to perform Hajj on his behalf, yet contends that Hajj is due only from whoever personally possesses the means, is plainly contradicting himself.

The same principle applies when the public needs people to grind their grain or bake their bread because they can no longer do so at home. In the Prophet’s time the people of Medina had no millers or bakers for hire, nor did anyone sell flour or bread. They would buy grain, then grind and bake it in their own houses, so there was no need for price controls. Whoever brought grain to town simply sold it, and the townsfolk bought directly from the suppliers. For this the Prophet ﷺ said, “The one who brings goods to market is blessed with provision, whereas the hoarder is accursed.”2 He also said, “No one hoards except a sinner,” recorded by Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.3

As for the report attributed to the Prophet ﷺ that “he forbade the miller’s qafīz,” it is weak—indeed fabricated—for there were no professional millers or bakers in Medina, the people having no need for them. Likewise, when the Muslims conquered other lands all the farmers were still unbelievers, because the Muslims themselves were occupied with jihad.

For that reason, when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Khaybar he left it in the hands of its Jewish inhabitants to farm, because the Companions were unable to cultivate it—doing so required permanent residence there. Those who took Khaybar were the people of the Pledge of Riḍwān who had sworn allegiance beneath the tree; they numbered about 1,400, and were later joined by the passengers of Jaʿfar’s ship. It was to this group that the Prophet ﷺ distributed the land of Khaybar. Had