Ja'iza (Battle Prize)
الجائزة
The ja'iza, a prize a commander offers for a feat of daring; its first naming: al-Hajjaj's governor Qatn ibn Qabisa reached a river his men could not cross — 'who crosses, a thousand dirhams' — they crossed, he paid, and al-Ja''af sang 'they first established the jaw'iz among Ma'add'.
At a glance
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Overview
In al-Baladhuri, the jaiza (reward) is a gift that a commander gives to whoever ventures into a hard task. 1
When the name first arose
He reports that the first day the name jaiza was used was the day al-Hajjaj appointed Qutn ibn Qabisa ibn Mukhariq al-Hilali governor of Fars and Kirman. He reached a river that his companions could not cross, and he said: "Whoever crosses shall have a thousand dirhams." They crossed, and he kept his word to them. 1
Al-Ju'af ibn Hakim recited a verse whose meaning is that it was they who established rewards among Mudar. 1
What is not recorded here
The report comes from a single source and does not contain a date. It needs a further source.
Sources
- Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Ja'iza (Battle Prize)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/jaiza/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.