Reconciliation of hearts (al-mu'allafa qulubuhum)
المؤلفة قلوبهم
A legal category of recipients of zakat and spoils established in Islamic law to reconcile hearts to the faith and cement communal stability; widely applied by the Prophet at al-Ji'rana through major grants of camels and silver to Meccan and Najdi tribal chiefs.
At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Laws of war and peacePeace-making and coexistence
Summary
A category among the disposals of fay' and zakat in Islamic law, legislated to win hearts over, fix them upon Islam and turn harm away from the Muslim community; its broad prophetic application stood out at al-Ji'rana when the Prophet singled out Quraysh's chiefs and Najd's tribes with generous gifts 1.
Its origin in the Sira
After Hunayn the Prophet divided Hawazin's spoils at al-Ji'rana, giving Mecca's nobles and the chiefs of Najd's tribes — Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Uyayna ibn Hisn, al-Aqra' ibn Habis and Suhayl ibn Amr — a hundred camels each, to comfort their hearts and settle their recent Islam 2.
When the Ansar took the matter back to the Prophet, he explained his political and educative wisdom: "A trifle of this world by which I have reconciled people to Islam, while I entrust you to your Islam" 3.
For young visitors
A wise principle in dealing with people: the Prophet gave the new tribal chiefs much wealth and many camels to win their hearts, gain their love, and fix them on good and peace.
Connections
- Based on
- The distribution of Hunayn spoils at al-Ji'rana
- Practiced in
- al-Ji'rana
People and things also explored
Prohibition of misappropriating spoils (ghulul)The Prophet's address to the Ansar at al-Ji'ranaThe distribution of Hunayn spoils at al-Ji'ranaal-Ji'ranaThe Hawazin delegation and the amnesty of captivesThe Prophet's speech to the Ansar at al-Ji'ranaAbu Sufyan ibn HarbSuhayl ibn Amr
Sources
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/135-138
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/135-136
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936), 4/142
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Reconciliation of hearts (al-mu'allafa qulubuhum)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/al-muallafa-qulubuhum/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.