Surah Al Imran Tafseer

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ

It is not for any Prophet to illegally take a part of the booty,

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Al-Hasan said that the Ayah means,

"It is not for a Prophet to breach the trust."

Ibn Jarir recorded that, Ibn Abbas said that,

this Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ

(It is not for any Prophet to illegally take a part of the booty), was revealed in connection with a red robe that was missing from the spoils of war of Badr. Some people said that the Messenger of Allah might have taken it. When this rumor circulated, Allah sent down,

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَبِيٍّ أَن يَغُلَّ وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

It is not for any Prophet to illegally take a part of the booty, and whosoever is deceitful with the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took.

This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who said "Hasan Gharib".

This Ayah exonerates the Messenger of Allah of all types of deceit and treachery, be it returning what was entrusted with him, dividing the spoils of war, etc.

Allah then said,

وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

and whosoever is deceitful with the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took. Then every person shall be paid in full what he has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.

This Ayah contains a stern warning and threat against Ghulul (stealing from the booty), and there are also Hadiths, that prohibit such practice.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ashjai said that the Prophet said,

أَعْظَمُ الْغُلُولِ عِنْدَ اللهِ ذِرَاعٌ مِنَ الاَْرْضِ تَجِدُون الرَّجُلَيْنِ جَارَيْنِ فِي الاَْرْضِ أو فِي الدَّارِ فَيَقْطَعُ أَحَدُهُمَا مِنْ حَظِّ صَاحِبِه ذِرَاعًا فَإِذَا اقْتَطَعَهُ طُوِّقَهُ مِنْ سَبْعِ أَرَضِينَ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَة

The worst Ghulul (i.e. stealing) with Allah is a yard of land, that is, when you find two neighbors in a land or home and one of them illegally acquires a yard of his neighbor's land. When he does, he will be tied with it from the seven earths until the Day of Resurrection.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Humayd As-Sa`idi said,

"The Prophet appointed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd, called Ibn Al-Lutbiyyah, to collect the Zakah. When he returned he said, `This (portion) is for you and this has been given to me as a gift.'

The Prophet stood on the Minbar and said,

مَا بَالُ الْعَامِلِ نَبْعَثُهُ فَيَجِي فَيَقُولُ هَذَا لَكُمْ وَهَذَا أُهْدِيَ لِي أَفَلَا جَلَسَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ فَيَنْظُرُ أَيُهْدَى إِلَيْهِ أَمْ لَاا وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَاا يَأْتِي أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنْهَا بِشَيْءٍ إِلاَّ جَاءَ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلى رَقَبَتِهِ إِنْ كَانَ بَعِيرًا لَهُ رُغَاءٌ أَوْ بَقَرَةٌ لَهَا خُوَارٌ أَوْ شَاةٌ تَيْعَر

What is the matter with a man whom we appoint to collect Zakah, when he returns he said, `This is for you and this has been given to me as a gift.' Why hadn't he stayed in his father's or mother's house to see whether he would be given presents or not! By Him in Whose Hand my life is, whoever takes anything from the resources of the Zakah (unlawfully), he will carry it on his neck on the Day of Resurrection; if it be a camel, it will be grunting; if a cow, it will be mooing; and if a sheep, it will be bleating.

The Prophet then raised his hands till we saw the whiteness of his armpits, and he said thrice,

اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْت

`O Allah! Haven't I conveyed Your Message."'

Hisham bin Urwah added that Abu Humayd said,

"I have seen him with my eyes and heard him with my ears, and ask Zayd bin Thabit."

This is recorded in the Two Sahihs .

In the book of Ahkam of his Sunan, Abu Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Mu`adh bin Jabal said,

"The Messenger of Allah sent me to Yemen, but when I started on the journey, he sent for me to come back and said,

أَتَدْرِي لِمَ بَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكَ

لَاا تُصِيبَنَّ شَيْيًا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِي فَإِنَّهُ غُلُول

Do you know why I summoned you back?

Do not take anything without my permission, for if you do, it will be Ghulul.

وَمَن يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

(and whosoever deceives his companions over the booty, he shall bring forth on the Day of Resurrection that which he took).

لِهذَا دَعَوْتُكَ فَامْضِ لِعَمَلِك

This is why I summoned you, so now go and fulfill your mission."

At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Gharib."

In addition, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said,

"The Prophet got up among us and mentioned Ghulul and emphasized its magnitude. He then said,

لَاا أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَجِيءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلى رَقَبَتِهِ بَعِيرٌ لَهُ رُغَاءٌ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَغِثْنِي فَأَقُولُ لَاا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْيًا قَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكَ

I will not like to see anyone among you on the Day of Resurrection, carrying a grunting camel over his neck. Such a man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger! Intercede on my behalf,' and I will say, 'I can't intercede for you with Allah, for I have conveyed (Allah's Message) to you.'

لَاا أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَجِيءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلى رَقَبَتِهِ فَرَسٌ لَهَا حَمْحَمَةٌ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَغِثْنِي فَأَقُولُ لَاا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْيًا قَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكَ

I will not like to see any of you coming on the Day of Resurrection while carrying a neighing horse over his neck. Such a man will be saying, `O Allah's Messenger! Intercede on my behalf,' and I will reply, 'I can't intercede for you with Allah, for I have conveyed (Allah's Message) to you.'

لَاا أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَجِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلى رَقَبَتِهِ رِقَاعٌ تَخْفِقُ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَغِثْنِي فَأَقُولُ لَاا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْيًا قَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكَ

I will not like to see any of you coming on the Day of Resurrection while carrying clothes that will be fluttering, and the man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger! Intercede (with Allah) for me, ' and I will say, 'I can't help you with Allah, for I have conveyed (Allah's Message) to you.'

لَاا أُلْفِيَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَجِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلى رَقَبَتِهِ صَامِتٌ فَيقُولُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَغِثْنِي فَأَقُولُ لَاا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْيًا قَدْ أَبْلَغْتُك

I will not like to see any of you coming on the Day of Resurrection while carrying gold and silver on his neck. This person will say, 'O Allah's Messenger! Intercede (with Allah) for me.' And I will say, 'I can't help you with Allah, for I have conveyed (Allah's Message) to you."'

This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Umar bin Al-Khattab said,

"During the day (battle) of Khyber, several Companions of the Messenger of Allah came to him and said, `So-and-so died as a martyr, so-and-so died as a martyr.' When they mentioned a certain man that died as a martyr, the Messenger of Allah said,

كَلَّ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ فِي النَّارِ فِي بُرْدَةٍ غَلَّهَا أَوْ عَبَاءَةٍ

No. I have seen him in the Fire because of a robe that he stole (from the booty).

The Messenger of Allah then said,

يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ اذْهَبْ فَنَادِ فِي النَّاسِ إِنَّهُ لَاا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ الْمُوْمِنُون

O Ibn Al-Khattab! Go and announce to the people that only the faithful shall enter Paradise.

So I went out and proclaimed that none except the faithful shall enter Paradise."

This was recorded by Muslim and At-Tirmidhi, who said "Hasan Sahih".

The Honest and Dishonest are Not Similar

Allah said,

أَفَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ كَمَن بَاء بِسَخْطٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِيْسَ الْمَصِيرُ