such as al-Khiraqī. As for Mālik, Abū Hanīfah, Ahmad, the majority of Ahmad’s companions, and all the other leading Muslim scholars, they do not hold that the fay’ should be divided into fifths. The fay’ is whatever is taken from the polytheists without fighting, such as the jizyah and land tax.
A second group of scholars said:
Rather (1), this ascription does not entail that the wealth belongs to the Messenger as his personal property. Instead, it entails that its disposal rests with Allah and the Messenger. The Messenger therefore spends it as Allah commanded him [to do] (2).
It is established in Sahīh al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“By Allah, I neither give to anyone nor withhold from anyone. I am only a distributor, assigning it wherever I am commanded.” (3)
He also said in an authentic hadith:
“Name yourselves (4) after me, but do not adopt (5) my kunyah (honorific name), for I am only a distributor, distributing among you.” (6)
(1) “Rather” is absent from A and B.
(2) N and M: “in accordance with what Allah commanded”; S, R, H, and W: “in accordance with what Allah commanded him.”
(3) This hadith was cited earlier at 2/206, where I noted that the hadith from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—is recorded in *al-Bukhārī*, 4/85. Its wording there is: “I neither give to you nor withhold from you. I am a distributor, placing things wherever I am commanded.” It is also related from him in *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī edition), 2/482, with the wording: “By Allah, I neither give to you nor withhold from you. I am only a distributor, placing it wherever I am commanded.” Commenting on the hadith in *al-Bukhārī*, Ibn Hajar states in *Fath al-Bārī*, 6/218: “Abū Dāwūd also related it through Hammām, from Abū Hurayrah, with the wording: ‘I am only a custodian.’” Another hadith from Muāwiyah—may Allah be pleased with him—has the wording: “When Allah wills good for someone, He grants him understanding of the religion. I am only a distributor, and Allah gives…”—to the end of the hadith. See also what I stated concerning it in *Dar’ Ta‘ārud al-‘Aql wa-l-Naql*, 8/278 (T [0–9]).
(4) B: *sammū* (“name [others]”).
(5) A and B: *wa-lā taktanū* (“and do not adopt [my *kunyah*]”).
(6) This hadith is related with similar wording from Jābir ibn Abd Allah—may Allah be pleased with him—in *al-Bukhārī*, 4/84–85 (“The Book of the Obligation of the One-Fifth Share,” “Chapter on the Statement of Allah Most High: ‘A fifth thereof belongs to Allah’”), and *Muslim*, 3/1682–1683 (“The Book of Manners,” “Chapter on the Prohibition of Adopting the *Kunyah* Abū al-Qāsim”). It is also transmitted in abbreviated form from Alī, Anas, Jābir, and Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with them—with the wording: “Name others after me (*sammū*; variant: *tasammaw*), but do not adopt my *kunyah* (*takannaw*; variant: *taktanū*).” There are also hadiths permitting the combination of the name and the *kunyah*. See *al-Bukhārī*, 4/1860 (“The Book of Merits,” “Chapter on the Prophet’s *Kunyah*—may Allah bless him and grant him peace”); *Muslim*, 3/1682–1684 (the preceding reference); *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 4/399–401 (“The Book of Manners,” “Chapter on a Man Who Adopts the *Kunyah* Abū al-Qāsim,” “Chapter on Those Who Held That the Two Should Not Be Combined,” and “Chapter on the Concession Permitting Them to Be Combined”); *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 4/214–215 (“The Book of Manners,” “Chapter on Reports Concerning the Dislike of Combining the Name and *Kunyah* of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace”); *al-Musnad* (al-Ma‘ārif edition), nos. 730, 7371, 7372, and 8094; and *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī edition), 2/455, 3/450, and 5/364.