The first funds the Muslims gained –after permission was given to them by Allah (swt) to fight, following the Hijra of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to Madinah, and after he built his mosque and began building the Islamic State brick by brick –was the booty of the caravan belonging to Abdullah b. Jahsh. This booty was some of the camels belonging to Quraysh and loaded with leathers and trading goods, taken during Jumada Al-Akhirah in the second year of Hijra. In the same year, during Ramadhan, the battle of Badr took place, where the Muslims acquired much wealth and weaponry but disputed in its distribution, so Allah (swt) revealed Surah Al-Anfal, saying:

“They ask you concerning (the) spoils of war. Say: “(Such) spoils are at the disposal of Allah (swt) and the Messenger (saw)...” [Al-Anfal:1]

Thus, Allah (swt) made it’s distribution the responsibility of the Messenger of Allah (saw) , who divided it, without taking out the fifth. Then the Muslims seized the booty of Bani Qaynuqa’, after having violated the covenant, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) banished them to Azra’rat in Ash-Sham. This followed Badr by one month, so he divided the booty and took out the fifth in accordance to the Ayah regarding the spoils of war, revealed after Badr:

“And know that out of all the booty that you may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah (swt) and to the Messenger (saw), and to the close relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer.” [Al-Anfal: 41]

The first land opened by the Messenger (saw) was the land of Bani Al- Nadheer, after having violated the covenant, following the battle of Uhud. So he besieged them for fifteen nights, then made peace with them on condition that they leave Madinah, taking only what they can load onto their camels, excluding the arms and the various weaponry. The Messenger of Allah (saw) divided their wealth, excluding their lands, between the early Muhajireen, giving none to the Ansar, except for Sahl b. Hunaif and Abu Dajana Samak b. Kharsha, since they mentioned their state of poverty, so he gave them of the booty. He reserved the lands, taking from it a year’s worth of sustenance to his family, dedicating what remained of that to the animals used for war and the weaponry used for Jihad. In this battle Surat Al- Hashr was revealed, where Allah (swt) said:

“What Allah (swt) has bestowed on His Messenger (saw) from them, for this you made no expedition with either cavalry or camels, but Allah (swt) gives power to His Messenger (saw)s over any He pleases; and Allah (swt) has power over all things.” [Al-Hashr: 6]

Thus, Allah (swt) dedicated all of it to the Messenger (saw) alone. After this was the battle of Bani Qurayzha, after they had violated the covenant, betrayed the Muslims, and sided with the opposing tribes in the battle of Al-Khandaq (The Ditch). So the Messenger of Allah (saw) divided their wealth between the Muslims and dedicated to each rider three shares and to each footman one share. Later on the battle of Khaybar came, after the Prophet (saw) concluded the peace treaty with Quraysh in Hudaybia, thus Allah (swt) opened Khaybar for His Messenger (saw) and the Muslims by force, giving them ownership over their land, homes and wealth. The Prophet (saw) then divided the spoils and lands taking out the fifth. He divided the land into 1800 shares and 18 sections, each section having 100 shares, and agreed with its people to take half of what the land produced of fruits and grains. After the victory of Khaybar, the people of Fadak came to the Prophet of Allah (saw) where he made peace with them, on condition that he take half of their land and date trees, on which they continue to work and he leaves the other half for them to keep. So half of Fadak was made completely for the Messenger of Allah (saw) , because it was gained without force, and he used to spend whatever would come to him of it as charity. Similarly with the people of Wadi Al-Qura, he made peace with them after he opened their land by force, on condition that he keeps their land under their control, similar to what he concluded with the people of Khaybar. As for the people of Tima’, they made peace with the Prophet (saw) by paying him Jizya, keeping their country and land to them.

After the conquering of Makkah came the battle of Hunayn, where the Messenger of Allah (saw) divided their wealth and released their women and children, after envoys from Hawazin appealed for this. And in the battle of Tabuk, the Prophet (saw) made peace with Yahya b. Ru’ba, the leader of Al- Aqaba, –and he was a Christian –on the condition that he pays the Jizya, and he made peace with the people of Azrah and Jarba and Maqna –and they were Jews –on the condition that they pay the Jizya as well. He also made peace with Akidra, the Christian head of Domat-Al-Jandal, on paying the Jizya after being arrested by Khalid b. Al-Walid and forgiven by the Prophet (saw).

Then came the envoys of Najran and Al-Yemen, where whoever of them became Muslim was enjoined to pay Zakat, and whoever remained a Christian or a Jew were obliged to pay the Jizya, after the verse regarding the Jizya was revealed, and Zakat became obligatory. During these battles the Messenger of Allah (saw) reserved the (Naqi’) for the camels of charity and the camels and steeds of war for Jihad. He also designated the minerals, water, the produce of grazing land and fire as public property for all Muslims. After the Messenger of Allah (saw) passed away and Abu Bakr took over, then ‘Umar, the conquests followed and brought great wealth, from spoils of war, Jizya and Kharaj, all pouring into the Bait ul-mal of the Muslims in Madinah.

In this quick summary we can get a picture of the type of funds that reached the Bait ul-mal of the Muslims, and which Allah (swt) has made permissible for them, and made the right due to the Bait ul-Mal, to be spent on whatever the divine rules decreed. This was according to the Ijtihad of the Khalifah regarding what he sees most fitting for the interest of the Muslims and for looking after their affairs.

Thereupon, funds in the Khilafah State are made up of the following types:

u The booties and the spoils of war, Al-Fai’ and the fifth.

u Al-Kharaj. u Al-Jizya.

u Public property (in all its forms).

u State property of land, buildings, utilities and their revenues.

u Al-‘Ushur.

u Money attained illegaly by the rulers, the employees of the State, illicit money and money from penalties.

u The fifth of Al-Rikaz (hidden treasures) and minerals.

u The inheritance property of the one who has no inheritors.

u The property of apostates.

u Tax funds. u Charity funds – Zakat.

We will discuss each of these different types to understand its reality, who is entitled to dispose of it, the manner of expenditure, the area of its expenditure and who are eligible of it.