booty was very large and the division of it led to much dispute. A beautiful
red vestment disappeared and some of the Munafiqun said that Muhammad had taken
it, but this charge, according to Tirmidhi,1 was rebutted by a
special revelation:
It is not for the Prophet to cheat. 2 Sura Al-'Imran (iii) 155.
The Traditionist Rawi says3 that to clear the Prophet of the
imputation cast upon him this verse came:
Shall he who hath followed the good pleasure of God be as he who hath
brought upon himself wrath from God. Sura Al-'Imran (iii) 156.
In order to put an end to the murmuring about the division of the spoil, the
will of God was indicated in the following verses which were now revealed:
They will question thee about the spoils; say, the spoils are God's and the
Apostle's. Therefore, fear God and settle this among yourselves, and obey God
and His Apostle, if ye are believers. Sura Al-Anfal (viii) 1.
Having thus laid down his absolute right to the booty, the Prophet somewhat
modifies the claim and says:
When ye have taken any booty, a fifth part belongeth to God and to the
Apostle, and to the near of kin,