What is the ruling on war spoils in previous nations?
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The student: ...... regarding what came before?
The Shaykh : Regarding what came before, there were war spoils, but they were not lawful for the fighters.
The student: And what was done with them?
The Shaykh : What was done with them was that they were gathered, and then fire came down from the sky and burned them. Yes, and if there was any theft in them, the fire would not come down. Glory be to Allah, it would not come down until nothing was lost. If something was lost, the fire would come down and burn it. Shall we begin the lesson?
The student: What is the wisdom behind burning the war spoils?
The Shaykh : The wisdom behind it is to sever attachment to them completely, because if they remained, people would take them by buying, selling, and benefiting from them, and they would become their property.
The Shaykh : Regarding what came before, there were war spoils, but they were not lawful for the fighters.
The student: And what was done with them?
The Shaykh : What was done with them was that they were gathered, and then fire came down from the sky and burned them. Yes, and if there was any theft in them, the fire would not come down. Glory be to Allah, it would not come down until nothing was lost. If something was lost, the fire would come down and burn it. Shall we begin the lesson?
The student: What is the wisdom behind burning the war spoils?
The Shaykh : The wisdom behind it is to sever attachment to them completely, because if they remained, people would take them by buying, selling, and benefiting from them, and they would become their property.