How is money granted to a warrior for the purpose of campaigning to be handled if a surplus remains after the campaign?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Jihad
Primary text
If a person is given money to assist in a specific campaign, the surplus remaining after that campaign belongs to him. This is the opinion held by 'Ata', Mujahid, and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib. The reasoning is that the money was given as assistance and sustenance, not as wages for service. Ibn 'Umar's practice was to instruct his companion that if they reached Wadi al-Qura, the remaining amount was his to keep, treating it similarly to a bequest for Hajj where the surplus belongs to the designated person if the fixed amount was given for that specific act.
Supporting text
If the money is given to be spent generally in the cause of Allah or for campaigning without specifying a particular expedition, any surplus must be spent on another campaign, as the entire amount was given for a singular act of worship, requiring the whole sum to be spent therein.