Aʿtād: singular ʿatād (with a fatḥa on the ʿayn); al-aʿtād are the implements of war—arms and the like.
“Ṣinw abīh” (his father’s counterpart): a metaphor for two or more brothers who share the same father. They are his offshoots, like two or more palm-trees that branch from one root. The word ṣinw, with a kasra on the ṣād, means “equal” or “counterpart.”
Ibn Jamīl: the jīm is pronounced with fatḥa, followed by a mīm with kasra. Some sources call him Ḥusayn, others ʿAbd Allāh.
Overall meaning:
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb—as he regularly did with the revenue officers—to collect the zakat. ʿUmar approached al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and Ibn Jamīl to demand the payment, but they refused.
ʿUmar then returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and complained about those three.
He ﷺ said, “As for Ibn Jamīl, he has no excuse for withholding it except that he was poor and Allah enriched him; he met Allah’s favour with ingratitude and His blessing with denial.
“As for Khālid, you do him wrong when you say he withholds zakat. He has set aside his coats of mail and his weaponry for the sake of Allah. How could a man who draws near to Allah by spending what is not obligatory upon him then refuse to pay what Allah has made obligatory? That is far-fetched.
“Or perhaps he regards them as personal equipment used in battle, and property kept for personal use carries no zakat, for it is not productive wealth like trade goods and the like.
“As for al-ʿAbbās, I have undertaken it on his behalf.”
It is possible that this was out of regard for his rank and status, as indicated by the Prophet’s words: “Do you not know that a man’s paternal uncle is the counterpart of his father?”
Or it may be because he had already paid his zakat two years in advance, which the Prophet ﷺ had accepted. This is supported by the report—though with a weak chain—from Ibn Masʿūd: “The Prophet ﷺ collected al-ʿAbbās’s charity two years early.”
Points derived from the hadith:
- It is lawful for the ruler to dispatch agents to collect zakat.
- One may complain about someone who refuses to pay zakat to the authority able to compel him; by analogy, the same applies to anyone who neglects a duty or commits a forbidden act.
- Denying Allah’s blessing is reprehensible both legally and rationally.
- Property endowed for the cause of Allah, or kept for personal use, is not subject to zakat. Khālid’s excuse lay either in endowing it for Allah’s cause or in retaining it as personal equipment and possession.