the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, unlike wealth whose beneficiaries were specified, such as inheritances. Hence, in the year of Hunayn, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“I am entitled to nothing of the spoils Allah has granted you except one-fifth, and that fifth is returned to you.”

That is, only the fifth was his to distribute according to his own judgment and discretion. Hence his words:

“And it is returned to you.”

This differs from the remaining four-fifths of the spoils, which belong to those who took part in the battle. Thus, commanders would distribute the spoils among those who had acquired them, while the fifth would be sent to the rightly guided caliphs who succeeded the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in leading his community, to be distributed at their command. As for the four-fifths, the caliphs were consulted only to ascertain the ruling of Allah and His Messenger, just as someone seeks a legal opinion, and just as they were consulted concerning prescribed punishments to determine what religious law required.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave those whose hearts were to be won over what he gave them from the spoils of Hunayn. It has been said that this came from the fifth, and it has also been said that it came from the spoils as a whole. According to the latter view, he did so because the believers willingly accepted it. Hence, he answered those of the Ansār who expressed resentment in a way that dispelled their resentment, and he intended to compensate them for it. Some hold that, before their distribution, the spoils do not yet belong to those who acquired them, and that the ruler may dispose of them according to his judgment, as discussed elsewhere.

The purpose here is to explain the condition of someone who is wholly Allah’s servant: he worships Him and seeks His help, acting for His sake and seeking His assistance, thereby putting His words into practice:

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

This affirms Allah’s oneness in worship and His oneness in lordship. Although