Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi): Hadith 542

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَتْرُكَ آخِرَ النَّاسِ بَبَّانًا لَيْسَ لَهُمْ شَىْءٌ، مَا فُتِحَتْ عَلَىَّ قَرْيَةٌ إِلاَّ قَسَمْتُهَا كَمَا قَسَمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَيْبَرَ، وَلَكِنِّي أَتْرُكُهَا خِزَانَةً لَهُمْ يَقْتَسِمُونَهَا‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, were I not afraid that the other Muslims might be left in poverty, I would divide (the land of) whatever village I may conquer (among the fighters), as the Prophet divided the land of Khaibar. But I prefer to leave it as a (source of) a common treasury for them to distribute it revenue amongst themselves.