The Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote a letter to the people of Yemen containing rulings on inheritance, religious practices, and blood-money, and sent it with Amr bin Hazm. It was read aloud to the people of Yemen, and this is its text.From Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, to Shurahbil bin Abd Kulal, Harith bin Abd Kulal, and Naeem bin Abd Kulal, leaders of Dhu Ruayn, Maafir, and Hamdan.To proceed, your messenger has returned, and you have given the fifth share belonging to Allah from the spoils of war, along with what Allah has prescribed upon the believers as the tithe on land produce. On crops watered by rain, flowing streams, or absorbed groundwater, the tithe is due once the produce reaches five wasqs. On crops watered by drawn buckets or irrigation animals, half the tithe is due once it reaches five wasqs.For every five grazing camels, one sheep is due, up to twenty-four. When the number exceeds twenty-four by one, a one-year-old female camel is due. If no such female is available, a two-year-old male camel may be given, up to thirty-five. If the number exceeds thirty-five, a two-year-old female camel is due, up to forty-five. If it exceeds forty-five, a three-year-old female camel fit for breeding is due, up to sixty. If it exceeds sixty by one, a four-year-old female camel is due, up to seventy-five. If it exceeds seventy-five by one, two two-year-old female camels are due, up to ninety. If it exceeds ninety by one, two three-year-old female camels fit for breeding are due, up to one hundred and twenty. Beyond that, for every forty camels a two-year-old female is due, and for every fifty a three-year-old female fit for breeding. For every thirty cattle, one cow is due.For every forty grazing sheep, one sheep is due, up to one hundred and twenty. If they exceed one hundred and twenty by one, two sheep are due, up to two hundred. If they exceed two hundred by one, three sheep are due, up to three hundred. Beyond that, one sheep is due for every hundred.In zakat, no aged animal, no emaciated one, no defective one, and no male goat used for breeding is to be taken. Scattered animals are not to be combined, nor are combined ones to be separated, out of fear of zakat. When zakat is taken from two partners, they settle with one another equitably.For every five ounces of silver, five dirhams are due. Beyond that, for every forty dirhams, one dirham is due. Nothing is due on less than five ounces. For every forty dinars, one dinar is due.Charity is not lawful for Muhammad nor for the people of his household. It is zakat, by which people purify themselves, given to the poor among the believers or spent in the way of Allah.Nothing is due on slaves, on cultivated land, or on its workers, when its tithe is being paid from the produce. Nothing is due on a Muslim's slave or on his horse.The greatest of the major sins before Allah on the Day of Resurrection are associating partners with Allah, killing a believing soul without right, fleeing on the day of battle in the way of Allah, disobedience to parents, falsely accusing a chaste woman, learning sorcery, consuming usury, and consuming the property of an orphan.Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage. None shall touch the Quran except one who is pure. There is no divorce before marriage, and no manumission of a slave until one owns him.None of you shall pray in a single garment with no part of it on his shoulder. None shall sit wrapping himself in a single garment with nothing between himself and the sky. None of you shall pray in a single garment with his side exposed. And none of you shall pray with his hair tied up.Whoever wantonly kills a believer, when this is established by clear evidence, shall be subject to retaliation, unless the family of the slain agrees otherwise.For a life, the blood-money is one hundred camels. For the nose, when completely cut off, the full blood-money is due. For the tongue, the full blood-money. For the two lips, the full blood-money. For the two testicles, the full blood-money. For the male organ, the full blood-money. For the spine, the full blood-money. For the two eyes, the full blood-money. For one leg, half the blood-money. For a wound reaching the brain membrane, one-third of the blood-money. For a wound penetrating the body cavity, one-third of the blood-money. For a wound that displaces bone, fifteen camels. For each finger of the hand or foot, ten camels. For a tooth, five camels. For a wound that exposes the bone, five camels.A man is to be killed in retaliation for a woman. Upon those who deal in gold, the blood-money is one thousand dinars.
أن رسول الله ﷺ كتب إلى أهل اليمن بكتاب فيه الفرائض والسنن والديات، وبعث به مع عمرو بن حزم، فقرئت على أهل اليمن، وهذه نسختها: من محمد النبي الله ﷺ إلى شرحبيل بن عبد كلال، والحارث بن عبد كلال، ونعيم بن عبد كلال، قيل ذي رعين ومعافر و همدان: أما بعد، فقد رجع رسولكم، وأعطيتم من الغنائم خمس الله، وما كتب الله على المؤمنين من العشر في العقار، وما سقت السماء أو كان سيحا أو بعلا، ففيه العشر إذا بلغ خمسة أوسق، وما سقي بالرشاء، والدالية، ففيه نصف العشر إذا بلغ خمسة أوسق. وفي كل خمس من الإبل سائمة شاة إلى أن تبلغ أربعا وعشرين، فإذا زادت واحدة على أربع وعشرين ففيها ابنة مخاض، فإن لم توجد بنت مخاض، فابن لبون ذكر إلى أن تبلغ خمسا وثلاثين، فإذا زادت على خمس وثلاثين، ففيها ابنة لبون إلى أن تبلغ خمسا وأربعين، فإذا زادت على خمس وأربعين، ففيها حقة طروقة إلى أن تبلغ ستين، فإن زادت على ستين واحدة، ففيها جذعة إلى أن تبلغ خمسة وسبعين، فإن زادت على خمس وسبعين واحدة، ففيها ابنتا لبون إلى أن تبلغ تسعين، فإن زادت على تسعين واحدة، ففيها حقتان طروقتا الجمل، إلى أن تبلغ عشرين ومائة، فما زاد ففي كل أربعين ابنة لبون، وفي كل خمسين حقة طروقة الجمل، وفي كل ثلاثين باقورة بقرة. وفي كل أربعين شاة سائمة شاة إلى أن تبلغ عشرين ومائة، فإن زادت على عشرين واحدة، ففيها شاتان إلى أن تبلغ مائتين، فإن زادت واحدة، فثلاثة شياه إلى أن تبلغ ثلاث مائة، فما زاد ففي كل مائة شاة شاة. ولا تؤخذ في الصدقة هرمة، ولا عجفاء، ولا ذات عوار، ولا تيس الغنم، ولا يجمع بين متفرق، ولا يفرق بين مجتمع خيفة الصدقة، وما أخذ من الخليطين، فإنهما يتراجعان بينهما بالسوية. وفي كل خمس أواق من الورق خمسة دراهم فما زاد ففي كل أربعين در هما درهم، وليس فيها دون خمس أواق شيء، وفي كل أربعين دينارا دينار. وإن الصدقة لا تحل لمحمد ولا لأهل بيته، وإنما هي الزكاة تزكى بها أنفسهم في فقراء المؤمنين، أو في سبيل الله. وليس في رقيق ولا مزرعة ولا عمالها شيء، إذا كانت تؤدى صدقتها من العشر. وليس في عبد المسلم ولا فرسه شيء. وإن أكبر الكبائر عند الله يوم القيامة الإشراك بالله، وقتل النفس المؤمنة بغير الحق، والفرار في سبيل الله يوم الزحف، وعقوق الوالدين، ورمي المحصنة، وتعلم السحر، وأكل الربا، وأكل مال اليتيم. وإن العمرة الحج الأصغر. ولا يمس القرآن إلا طاهر. ولا طلاق قبل املاك، ولا عتق حتى يبتاع. ولا يصلين أحدكم في ثوب واحد ليس على منكبه منه شيء، ولا يحتبين في ثوب واحد ليس بينه وبين السماء شيء، ولا يصلين أحدكم في ثوب واحد وشقه باد. ولا يصلين أحدكم عاقصا شعره. وإن من اعتبط مؤمنا قتلا عن بينة، فهو قود إلا أن يرضى أولياء المقتول. وإن في النفس الدية مائة من الإبل، وفي الأنف إذا أوعب جدعه الدية، وفي اللسان الدية، وفي الشفتين الدية، وفي البيضتين الدية، وفي الذكر الدية، وفي الصلب الدية، وفي العينين الدية، وفي الرجل الواحدة نصف الدية، وفي المأمومة ثلث الدية، وفي الجائفة ثلث الدية، وفي المنقلة خمس عشرة من الإبل، وفي كل أصبع من الأصابع من اليد والرجل عشر من الإبل، وفي السن خمس من الإبل، وفي الموضحة خمس من الإبل، وإن الرجل يقتل بالمرأة، وعلى أهل الذهب ألف دينار.
Ibn Hibban (6559) narrated it, and this is his wording, as did Hakim (1/395-396) and Bayhaqi (4/89) at length. Nasai (4853) and Darimi (1661, 1668, 1675) narrated it in abbreviated and fragmented form, all of them through chains going back to Hakam bin Musa, who said, Yahya bin Hamza narrated to us, from Sulayman bin Dawud, who said, Zuhri narrated to me, from Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm, from his father, from his grandfather, and he mentioned it.Hakim said, "This is a sahih hadith, extensive and detailed on this subject. The Commander of the Faithful, Umar bin Abdul-Aziz, attests to it, and the scholars of his era established Muhammad bin Muslim Zuhri's reliability, as I have already mentioned. Sulayman bin Dawud Dimashqi Khawlani is known through Zuhri, and although Yahya bin Main criticized him, others have declared him trustworthy. This was reported to me by Abu Ahmad Husayn bin Ali, who said, Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Hatim narrated to us, saying, I heard my father asked about the hadith of Amr bin Hazm concerning the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he wrote for him regarding the alms, and he said, Sulayman bin Dawud Khawlani is, in our view, among those about whom there is no harm. Abu Muhammad bin Abu Hatim said, and I heard Abu Zura say the same." Hakim said, "It is among the foundations of Islam." End of quote.Ibn Jawzi in Tahqiq (113), and Bayhaqi in Sunan (4/90), reported from Imam Ahmad that he was asked about the hadith of the alms narrated by Yahya bin Hamza, is it sahih? He said, "I hope it is sahih."Bayhaqi said, "A number of hadith scholars have praised Sulayman bin Dawud Khawlani, among them Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Hatim and Abu Zura the two from Rayy, Uthman bin Saeed Darimi, and Ibn Adi the hadith master." He said, "This hadith of his agrees with the narration of those who transmitted it as mursal, and it agrees with the narration of those who transmitted it as connected through Anas bin Malik and others."I say, all of this rests on the assumption that Sulayman's father's name was Dawud, that is, Khawlani. However, Nasai (4854) narrated it through another route, through Muhammad bin Bakkar bin Bilal, who said, Yahya narrated to us, Sulayman bin Arqam narrated to us, who said, Zuhri narrated to me, from Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm, from his father, from his grandfather, and he mentioned it in abbreviated form.Nasai said, "This is closer to being correct. Sulayman bin Arqam's hadith is abandoned. Yunus has narrated this hadith from Zuhri as mursal." End of quote.I say, this is what many of the imams have said, and they judged that Hakam bin Musa erred in it, saying that he mistook the name of Sulayman's father, saying Dawud, when the correct name is Arqam. Abu Dawud drew attention to this in his Marasil (247).Abu Hatim was initially uncertain, saying, "I do not know which of the two he is." Then he said, "I do not think he is this Dimashqi," meaning Sulayman bin Dawud Khawlani Dimashqi, "and it is said that they encountered this hadith in Iraq through the narration of Sulayman bin Arqam." Ilal (1/222).The summary regarding the hadith of Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm, from his father, from his grandfather, is that it revolves between being daif and being mursal. The one who raised it to marfu status is Sulayman bin Arqam, and the scholars are unanimous in declaring him daif. So the correct judgment is that it is munqati.Zuhri said, "Abu Bakr bin Hazm came to me with a letter on a piece of parchment, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." He then mentioned some of the text of the letter concerning blood money. Nasai (4856) narrated it from Ahmad bin Abdul-Wahid, who said, Marwan bin Muhammad narrated to us, who said, Saeed, that is, Ibn Abdul-Aziz, narrated to us, from Zuhri, and he mentioned it.Bayhaqi appears to hold the view that the text of the letter narrated by Dawud bin Sulayman, or Ibn Arqam, agrees with what others have narrated as mursal, though I have not come across the complete text of the letter in the narration of those who transmitted it as mursal. If Bayhaqi's statement is correct, then whoever contradicts any part of this text is shadhdh or munkar. The conclusion is that the scholars accepted the letter of Abu Bakr bin Hazm, whether it is marfu or mursal, and it also agrees with the letter of Abu Bakr Siddiq , as Bayhaqi said.Zaylai said in Nasb Raya (2/342), "Some of the later hadith masters have said, the copy of the letter of Amr bin Hazm was accepted by the four imams and has been transmitted from generation to generation, like the copy of Amr bin Shuayb from his father from his grandfather. It revolves around Sulayman bin Arqam, and Sulayman bin Abu Dawud Khawlani, from Zuhri, from Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm, from his father, from his grandfather, and both are daif. In fact, the preferred view in their narration is Sulayman bin Arqam, who is abandoned. However, Shafii said in Risalah, 'They did not accept it until it was established with them that it was the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.'"Ahmad
said, "I hope this hadith is sahih." Yaqub bin Sufyan Fasawi said, "I do not know of anything more sahih among all the transmitted writings than this. The companions of the Prophet ﷺ and the successors used to refer back to it and abandon their own opinions." End of quote.I say, this letter was also mentioned by Muhammad bin Ishaq, who said, Abdullah bin Abu Bakr narrated to us, from his father Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin Amr bin Hazm, who said, "This is the letter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that we have, which he wrote for Amr bin Hazm," and he mentioned the letter at length. Bayhaqi extracted it in Dalail (5/413), and in Sunan al-Kubra (9/194) in abbreviated form, through the route of Yunus bin Bukayr, from Ibn Ishaq with his chain, and it is found in Sirat bin Hisham (2/594-596) at length, except that he omitted the chain. It contains a break, as Bayhaqi said, but it is of the type of wijadah, which is one of the methods of transmission, and for this reason the majority of the scholars accepted it.I say, on this subject there is also a hadith from Abu Dharr, marfu, "On camels there is their due alms, on sheep there is their due alms, on cattle there is their due alms, and on merchandise, or wealth in general, there is its due alms." This is a daif hadith. Its sourcing may be examined in the chapter on merchandise goods on which zakat is due.