Aslam

First stage: In this stage of highest piety, the rightly guided Caliphs and a party of extremely pious men did not accept anything from the state Treasure and rulers. The allowance which Hazrat Abu Bakr received from the state Treasury as a ruler amounted to six thousand dirhams after accounting. He afterwards deposited it in the Treasury. Once when Hazrat Omar was counting the wealth of the State Treasury, his young daughter concealed a dirham therefrom. When he found it on enquiry, he deposited it in Baitual Mai. Hazrat ABuMusa Ash'ari found dirham at the time of sweeping the house of the Treasury and gave it to the young daughter of Hazrat Omar . The latter took it from her and deposited it in the Treasury. Hazrat Omar said in connection with the wealth of State Exchequer : I see myself in connection with this wealth as a care taker of an orphan's property. If I am solvent, I refrain from taking anything from it. If I am in want, I enjoy from it in a just manner.

Second stage: Take from the ruler when you know that his wealth is legal. He will not suffer if anything unlawful in it is disclosed afterwards. This is supported by the companions. The companion Ibn Omar said about the tyrant ruler Hajjaj : I have not eaten to my satisfaction since he captured the seat of Khilafat till to-day . It is related of Hazrat Ali that he had some wheat in a sealed cup out of which he used to- eat and drink. On being questioned, he said : I don't wish to fill up my belly except t with pure things.

Third stage: You can accept the gifts from a ruler and give them in charity to the poor or divide them among those who are entitled to them, even though the ruler is a tyrant. For this reason, many persons used to accept gifts from the rulers. Whatever Ibn Omar got from the rulers was distributed by him among the poor. One day he distributed sixty thousand dirhams among the poor. After this, a poor man came to him and he gave him some dirhams after taking loan from a man. Hazrat Ayesha also used to do like that. Imam Shafeyi accepted gifts from Caliph Harun

80 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II

Rashid and distributed them among his relatives without keeping anything for him.

Fourth stage : In this stage , the properties of the rulers have been established to be illegal and therefore can not be accepted, nor can be given in charity. Accept from the rulers such properties as are mostly lawful.