Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ ordered (a person) to collect Zakat, and that person returned and told him ﷺ that Ibn Jameel, Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, and al-`Abbas ibn `Abdul Muttalib had refused to give Zakat." The Prophet ﷺ said, "What is the matter with Ibn Jameel?! He was a poor man and was made wealthy by Allah and His Messenger! As for Khaalid, you are being unfair to him because he is keeping his armors and weapons to use them in fighting for Allah's Cause. As for al-`Abbas ibn `Abdul Muttalib - the uncle of Allah's Messenger ﷺ - it is incumbent upon him to pay it and an equal amount along with it.".
Commentary :
Allah, Exalted be He, clarified to His Messenger ﷺ all the rulings and details pertaining to the obligation of zakat so that the wealthy is neither subjected to injustice nor the poor’s rights are overlooked. The Imaam (i.e., head of state or the ruler) is the one responsible for collecting the zakat from people, reminding people of its due time, encouraging those who are acting slack about it, and forcing those who withhold the zakat, so they pay it, and fight them if necessary.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ ordered the collection of zakat from Muslims. According to the report in Saheeh Muslim, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah e pleased with him) was the one that the Prophet ﷺ assigned to collect zakat from people. After the collectors of zakat returned, they informed the Prophet ﷺ that collection three persons refused to pay the zakat, and they were: Ibn Jameel; it has been said that his name was ‘Abdullah and that he is from al-Ansaar, Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, and al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with all of them. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said: “What is the matter with Ibn Jameel?” i.e., there is nothing that he dislikes except that he was a poor man but then he has become wealthy because of war bounties that Allah has made lawful for the Muslims to have after He has made it for His Messenger ﷺ. Had it not been allowed for the Prophet ﷺ, no other person would have received any share from the spoils of war. For this reason, he has no right whatsoever to withhold it because not only is it not how a person should appreciate and thank Allah for His blessings, but also it is a form of denying the favours of Allah upon him, causing him to respond to goodness with evil. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ did not give him benefit of doubt. It has been said that Ibn Jameel was one of the hypocrites but afterwards he repented. Then, the Prophet ﷺ said: “You are being unfair to him” when you accused him of withholding the zakat. This is because he allocated his armours and weapons for fighting for Allah’s sake; thus, they are not subject to zakat. The weapons here include whatever supplies used in war such as weapons, horses, etc.
The statement of the Prophet ﷺ was directed to the collectors of the zakat because they did not know that he endowed all his armours and war supplies to the Muslim army to use them in fighting for the cause of Allah before one year has elapsed, and presumed they were intended for the purpose of business; thus, they demanded him to pay zakat. It is possible that the Prophet ﷺ intended to say that if Khaalid knew he has what he is to pay zakat on, he would have paid it without hesitation, because a person who gives away all his property for the sake of Allah willingly, it is impossible that he would withhold that which is obligatory upon him.
As for the paternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that he will pay the obligatory zakat and an equal amount of it out of his generosity for he will never withhold it as he is not a miser. It has been said that al-‘Abbaas asked the Prophet ﷺ to allow him to pay his zakat before its due time and he ﷺ approved it, as reported in Sunan Aboo Dawood and Sunan al-Tirmithee and Sunan Ibn Majah. As such, the meaning of his statement, “it is incumbent upon him to pay it an equal amount along with it,” should be that it is obligatory upon al-‘Abbaas, but he paid it before its due time, and he even paid it double to cover the zakat of next year in advance.
In another version of the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim, it reads: “and as for al-'Abbas, I shall be responsible for it and an equal amount along with it. He ﷺ then said to 'Umar: Do not you know that the paternal uncle of a person is like his father.”
This hadeeth reminds the heedless of the bounties and blessings of Allah upon them who made him wealthy after he was poor so he fulfills Allah’s right.
It shows that one should give valid excuses to justify a particular action.
It highlights the merit of Khaalid ibn al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him). .