The Incident of Ali and the Slave-Girl from the Khums
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ مَنْجُوفٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلِيًّا إِلَى خَالِدٍ لِيَقْبِضَ الْخُمُسَ وَكُنْتُ أُبْغِضُ عَلِيًّا، وَقَدِ اغْتَسَلَ، فَقُلْتُ لِخَالِدٍ أَلاَ تَرَى إِلَى هَذَا فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ " يَا بُرَيْدَةُ أَتُبْغِضُ عَلِيًّا ". فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ. قَالَ " لاَ تُبْغِضْهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ فِي الْخُمُسِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ".
Narrated Buraida: The Prophet (ﷺ) sent `Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (of the booty) and I hated `Ali, and `Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act with a slave-girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, "Don't you see this (i.e. `Ali)?" When we reached the Prophet (ﷺ) I mentioned that to him. He said, "O Buraida! Do you hate `Ali?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do you hate him, for he deserves more than that from the Khumlus."
Sahih al-Bukhari 4350
The text is a narration of an incident that happened during the time of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). It involves three companions of the Prophet: Ali, Khalid and Buraida. The Prophet had sent Ali and Khalid to Yemen to collect the Khums, which is a religious tax that Muslims have to pay on certain types of wealth.
According to some sources, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) sent Ali and Khalid to Yemen in the year 9 AH (630 CE) to invite the Yemenites to Islam and collect the Khums from them. This was after the conquest of Mecca and the submission of many tribes around Mecca and Medina. Yemen was a region with a long history of civilization and culture, and it had a large population of Christians and Jews. Khalid bin Walid, who was a brave warrior but not a skilled preacher, failed to make any progress in Yemen. He was recalled by the Prophet and replaced by Ali, who was more knowledgeable and eloquent in conveying the message of Islam. Ali succeeded in converting many Yemenites to Islam and collecting the Khums from them. He also appointed governors and judges in Yemen before returning to Medina.
Some additional facts about the text are:
- Khums literally means one-fifth or 20%, and it is mentioned in the Quran as a share of the spoils of war that belongs to Allah, His Messenger (ﷺ), the relatives, the orphans, the needy and the wayfarer (Quran 8:41).
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُۥ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْفُرْقَانِ يَوْمَ ٱلْتَقَى ٱلْجَمْعَانِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler, if you have believed in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our Servant on the day of criterion - the day when the two armies met. And Allah, over all things, is competent.
- Buraida was a member of the tribe of Bani al-Mustaliq, who converted to Islam after being defeated by Muhammad (ﷺ) in a battle.
Bani al-Mustaliq were involved in a battle with the Muslims in the year 5 or 6 AH (626 or 627 CE), when they were preparing to attack Medina. The Muslims defeated them at a place called al-Muraysi’ and captured many of them, including their chief al-Harith and his daughter Juwayriya, who later married the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Buraida was one prominent member of Bani al-Mustaliq who hated Ali and accused him of misconduct. He participated in some expeditions with Muhammad (ﷺ) and his companions, but he was also known for his hostility towards Ali and his family.
Buraida, who accompanied them, disliked Ali and accused him of having a sexual relation with a slave-girl from the Khums. When they returned to the Prophet (ﷺ), Buraida reported this to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) rebuked Buraida and defended Ali, saying that he deserved more than that from the Khums.
Ali’s relation with the slave-girl from the Khums was not a sin or a crime.