الفيء

الفيء

Fay' in al-Baladhuri's usage is property God restored (afaa) to the Muslims from the People of the Book without combat: after Khaybar was taken by force the people of Fadak made peace with the Prophet on half their land with its soil, 'so half of Fadak was the Prophet's alone because the Muslims had not charged upon it with horse or camel'; and Umar is reported saying 'the Prophet had three safaya — the land of Banu al-Nadir as an endowment for his contingencies, Khaybar divided into three parts, and Fadak for the wayfarers' — the governing verse being al-Hashr 59:7 concerning Banu al-Nadir's property. Fay' thus contrasts with ghanima: what was charged upon with horse and camel was divided among the fighters, while what was restored without fighting was the Prophet's to place where God placed it.