Kitab Al Amwal – كتاب الاموال

Abū Ja’far Ahmad Ibn Nasr Al Dāūdī

Paperback, 236 Pages, Black & White
6.69 x 9.61 Inches
Qadeem Press

An edited and annotated English translation of a hitherto unpublished treatise on Islamic finance written by a scholar of the tenth century, Abu Jafar Ahmad Ibn Nasr Al-Daudi Al-Maliki Al-Asadi (d. 402/1011).

The text has been edited on the basis of a unique manuscript, preserved in the Escurial Library, Madrid (MS No.1165).

It deals (from the Maliki point of view) with the broad principles of:

• State revenues
• Military administration
• International law of war and peace,
• The author’s verdicts ( fatawa ) on the settlements of lands in Al-Ifraqiyaah, Al-Maghrib, Spain and Sicily.
• It also deals with the administration of the properties acquired unlawfully and those abandoned with no legal owners.

The work throws light on various kinds of earnings and suggests methods to maintain balance in society between various groups or rich and poor people.

About The Author

Abu Jafar Ahmad ibn Nasr al-Daudi lived in the fourth-fifth Hijri, eleventh century CE in North Africa. Although we do not have an excellent chronological account of his life and career, we have at our disposal some authentic and valuable data about his life, his students, and his works in the writings of his near contemporary and later authors like the biographer Qadl ‘Iyad (476/1084-544/1150), Ibn Khayr (502/1108-575/il79), Ibni Bushkuwal (494/1101-578/1185) and Ibn Farhun (720/1321-799/397), which when pieced together give us an integrated view of our author.

Qadi Abu’l-Fadl ‘Iyad ibn Musa ibn ‘Iyad (476/1084-544/1150), mentions al-Da’udi, belonging to Banu Asad, as an Imam of the Malikl school of law in al-Maghrib. According to him, al-Da’udi hailed from al-Masilah or Biskarah. He lived in Tripoli (Trabulus) where he wrote his book, Fi Sharh al-Muwatta’. After that, he moved to Tlemcen (Tilimsan). Qadi ‘Iyad further adds that al-Da’udi was a very learned jurist and scholar in various branches of knowledge and an excellent author. He had a good command of Arabic language, Hadith and speculative science.

Part One

Chapter I – On properties that fall into the hands Of the rulers who possess them for the  people, and discussion of one-fifth of  the booty (al-khums)

Chapter 2 -on what is awarded by the imam as Additional share (al-nafal) before Fighting

Chapter 3- on the method of division of one-fifth Of the booty (al-khums) and on Determination of ‘near relations’ (dhawu’l qurba)

Chapter 4 – On the spoils of war that belonged to The prophet and on the wealth he left behind

Chapter 5 – on the policy regarding the enemy lands captured by the muslims

Chapter 6 – on the terms according to which ‘umar Retained the land

Chapter 7 – What is owned by the tillers of the Land and what is inherited from them, and on the rule concerning their women

Chapter 8 – On the founding of towns, grant of lands As fiefs (iqta’) and revival of ‘dead’ lands (mawat)

Chapter 9 – On the boundary of wells, on herbage, water, fire, fire-wood, and salt

Chapter 10 on cultivating kharaj lands, appropriating these by the rulers (umara’) in the later period, and on Their turning the property of allah

into their private estates

Part two 

Chapter 1 – On register (al-diwan) and receiving  state-allowances

Chapter 2 – On anfal, fay’, ghanimah and ushr of  lands

Chapter 3 – On ifriqiyyah, spain and sicily Chapter iv on renunciation of allowances (ata’)  paid by those who turned god’s

property (mal allah) into private  estates, their transaction, demand for  payment, their petty trade and profits accruing here from

Part three 

Chapter 1 – On execution, releasing on grace and On ransom

Chapter 2 – On discussion of truce and, on  apprehension of betrayal by one whose settlement lies in between the muslims

and the disbelievers

Chapter 3 – On the conquest of makkah, ruling About its inhabitants, its properties, lost And found, and, on, all its Relevant affairs

Chapter 4 – On the stipulated wages (ja’a’il) and on The allowances fixed for the fighters

Chapter 5 – On jizyah and banu taghlib

Chapter 6 – On the presents offered by the Disbelievers to the muslim rulers; on the Presents offered by the rulers; on Defrauding; and on the permissibility of taking food and fodder

Chapter 7 – On the wealth of the muslims found in the booty; on one who embraces islam while he has in his possession the wealth of another muslim; on one who embraces islam but finds in the hand of a muslim all that was taken away from him as booty; and also on a person as well who pays up the ransom for a muslim or offers ransom for the slave of a muslim

Chapter 8 – On the inhabitants of the enemy territory who enter the muslim territory with the pledge of security while they hold in their possession muslim individuals free or slave;

Chapter 9 – On inviting (to islam) before fighting; on entering the enemy-territory, and on settling at frontier-towns                                      146

Chapter 10 – On al-zakah

Chapter 11 – On the wealth liable for zakah; and on the rates of zakah; and on other dues on wealth

Part four 

Chapter 1 – On the wealth the owners of which are Not known;

Chapter 2 – On solicitation of aid (mas’alah)

Chapter 3 – On sufficiency, poverty and wealth