Qays bin Muslim says: I asked Hasan bin Muhammad about this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "And know that whatever you obtain as spoils of war, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Messenger" [Al-Anfal: 41] . He said: This is the opening of the speech; to Allah alone belongs everything in this world and the Hereafter. He related that after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the people differed about these two shares (the share of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the share of the near relatives). Some said: The share of "the near relatives" is for the relatives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Some said: It is for the relatives of the caliph. And some said that the share of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) belongs to the caliph after him. Then they all agreed that these two shares should be spent on horses and war equipment in the way of Allah, and this was acted upon during the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed me in charge of "the fifth of the fifth" (the management of the fifth share), so I spent it in its proper places during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and during the lifetimes of Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyidah Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was part of the "safi" (that is, the portion which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would select for himself before the distribution). This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.