Sunan Abi Dawud

‘Ali said “If I survive for the Christians of Banu Taghlib I shall kill fighters and captivate children for I had written a document between them and the Prophet(ﷺ) to the effect that they would not make their children Christian. Abu Dawud said “This is rejected (munkar) tradition and it has reached me from Ahmad (bin Hanbal) that he used to reject this tradition seriously. Abu ‘Ali said “Abu Dawud did not present this (tradition) in this second reading.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) concluded peace with the people of Najran on condition that they would pay to Muslims two thousand suits of garments, half of Safar, and the rest in Rajab, and they would lend (Muslims) thirty coats of mail, thirty horses, thirty camels, and thirty weapons of each type used in battle. Muslims will stand surely for them until they return them in case there is any plot or treachery in the Yemen. No church of theirs will be demolished and no clergyman of theirs will be turned out. There will be no interruption in their religion until they bring something new or take usury. Isma'il said: They took usury. Abu Dawud said: If they violate any provision of the treaty, they will be deemed as bringing something new.

Ibn ‘Abbas said “When the Prophet of the Persians dies, Iblis (satan) led them to Mazdaism.”

Amr ibn Aws and AbulSha'tha' reported that Bujalah said: I was secretary to Jaz' ibn Mu'awiyah, the uncle of Ahnaf ibn Qays. A letter came to us from Umar one year before his death, saying: Kill every magician, separate the relatives of prohibited degrees from the Magians, and forbid them to murmur (before eating). So we killed three magicians in one day, and separated from a Magian husband his wife of a prohibited degree according to the Book of Allah. He prepared abundant food and called them, and placed the sword on his thigh. They ate (the food) but did not murmur. They threw (on the ground) one or two mule-loads of silver. Umar did not take jizyah from Magians until AbdurRahman ibn Awf witnessed that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had taken jizyah from the Magians of Hajar.

A man belonging to Usbadhiyin of the people of Bahrayn, who were the Magians of Hajar, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and remained with him (for some time), and then came out. I asked him: What have Allah and His Messenger of Allah decided for you? He replied: Evil. I said: Silent. He said: Islam or killing. AbdurRahman ibn Awf said: He accepted jizyah from them. Ibn Abbas said: The people followed the statement of AbdurRahman ibn Awf, and they left that which I heard from the Usbadhi.

‘Urwa bin Al Zubair said “Hisham bin Halim bin Hizam found a man who was the governor of Hims making some Copts stand in the sun for the payment of jizyah. He said “What is this?” I heard the Apostle (ﷺ) as saying “Allaah Most High will punish those who punish the people in this world.”

Harb ibn Ubaydullah told on the authority of his grandfather, his mother's father, that he had it on the authority of his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Tithes are to be levied on Jews and Christians, but not on Muslims.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Harb bin ‘Ubaid Allah from the Prophet (ﷺ) to the same effect through a different chain of narrators. This version has the word kharaj(land tax) instead of ‘ushr (tithes).

A man reported from Bakr bin Wa’il on the authority of his maternal uncle as saying, I said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) may I levy tithe on my people.?” He replied “Tithes are to be levied on Jews and Christians.”

Harb ibn Ubaydullah ibn Umayr ath-Thaqafi told on the authority of his grandfather, a man of Banu Taghlib: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ), embraced Islam, and he taught me Islam. He also taught me how I should take sadaqah from my people who had become Muslim. I then returned to him and said: Messenger of Allah, I remembered whatever you taught me except the sadaqah. Should I levy tithe on them? He replied: No, tithes are to be levied on Christians and Jews.

We alighted with the Prophet (ﷺ) at Khaybar, and he had his companions with him. The chief of Khaybar was a defiant and abominable man. He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Is it proper for you, Muhammad, that you slaughter our donkeys, eat our fruit, and beat our women? The Prophet (ﷺ) became angry and said: Ibn Awf, ride your horse, and call loudly: Beware, Paradise is lawful only for a believer, and that they (the people) should gather for prayer. They gathered and the Prophet (ﷺ) led them in prayer, stood up and said: Does any of you, while reclining on his couch, imagine that Allah has prohibited only that which is to be found in this Qur'an? By Allah, I have preached, commanded and prohibited various matters as numerous as that which is found in the Qur'an, or more numerous. Allah has not permitted you to enter the houses of the people of the Book without permission, or beat their women, or eat their fruits when they give you that which is imposed on them.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Probably you will fight with a people, you will dominate them, and they will save themselves and their children by their property. The version of Sa'id has You will then conclude peace with them. The agreed version goes: Then do no take anything from them more than that, for it is not proper for you.

Safwan reported from a number of Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the authority of their fathers who were relatives of each other. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Beware, if anyone wrongs a contracting man, or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for him on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Jizyah is not to be levied on a Muslim.

Muhammad bin Kathir said “Sufyan was asked to explain the tradition mentioned above.” He said “When he embraces Islam, no jizyah will be levied on him.”

I met Bilal, the Mu'adhdhin of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Aleppo, and said: Bilal, tell me, what was the financial position of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: He had nothing. It was I who managed it on his behalf since the day Allah made him Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) until he died. When a Muslim man came to him and he found him naked, he ordered me (to clothe him). I would go, borrow (some money), and purchase a cloak for him. I would then clothe him and feed him. A man from the polytheists met me and said: I am well off, Bilal. Do not borrow money from anyone except me. So I did accordingly. One day when I performed ablution and stood up to make call to prayer, the same polytheist came along with a body of merchants. When he saw me, he said: O Abyssinian. I said: I am at your service. He met me with unpleasant looks and said harsh words to me. He asked me: Do you know how many days remain in the completion of this month? I replied: The time is near. He said: Only four days remain in the completion of this month. I shall then take that which is due from you (i.e. loan), and then shall return you to tend the sheep as you did before. I began to think in my mind what people think in their minds (on such occasions). When I offered the night prayer, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned to his family. I sought permission from him and he gave me permission. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you, the polytheist from whom I used to borrow money said to me such-and-such. Neither you nor I have anything to pay him for me, and he will disgrace me. So give me permission to run away to some of those tribes who have recently embraced Islam until Allah gives His Apostle (ﷺ) something with which he can pay (the debt) for me. So I came out and reached my house. I placed my sword, waterskin (or sheath), shoes and shield near my head. When dawn broke, I intended to be on my way. All of a sudden I saw a man running towards me and calling: Bilal, return to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So I went till I reached him. I found four mounts kneeling on the ground with loads on them. I sought permission. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: Be glad, Allah has made arrangements for the payment (of your debt). He then asked: Have you not seen the four mounts kneeling on the ground? I replied: Yes. He said: You may have these mounts and what they have on them. There are clothes and food on them, presented to me by the ruler of Fadak. Take them away and pay off your debt. I did so. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition. I then went to the mosque and found that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting there. I greeted him. He asked: What benefit did you have from your property? I replied: Allah Most High paid everything which was due from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Nothing remains now. He asked: Did anything remain (from that property)? I said: Yes. He said: Look, if you can give me some comfort from it, for I shall not visit any member of my family until you give me some comfort from it. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the night prayer, he called me and said: What is the position of that which you had with you (i.e. property)? I said: I still have it, no one came to me. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed the night in the mosque. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. Next day when he offered the night prayer, he called me and asked: What is the position of that which you had (i.e. the rest of the property)? I replied: Allah has given you comfort from it, Messenger of Allah. He said: Allah is Most Great, and praised Allah, fearing lest he should die while it was with him. I then followed him until he came to his wives and greeted each one of them and finally he came to his place where he had to pass the night. This is all for which you asked me.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Mu’awiyah through a different chain of narrators to the same effect as narrated by Abu Taubah. This version has “I have nothing to pay from me. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) thereupon kept silence and this displeased me.”

I presented a she-camel to the Prophet (ﷺ). He asked: Have you embraced Islam? I replied: No. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I have been prohibited to accept the present of polytheists.

The Prophet (ﷺ) bestowed land in Hadramawt as fief.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by ‘Alqamah bin Wa’il through a different chain of narrators.”