ʿUmar would swear an oath three times, saying: By Allah, no one has more right to this wealth than anyone else, I have no more right to it than anyone else; there is no Muslim who does not have a share in this wealth, except a slave, but it is to be divided according to our categories in the light of the Book of Allah and our closeness to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thus it is to be given on the basis of a manʿs efforts for the sake of lslam, his seniority in Islam, his support for Islam, and his need. By Allah, if I live, a shepherd in the mountains of San‘a’ will get his share of that wealth when he is tending his flock.

عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَوْسِ بْنِ الْحَدَثَانِ قَالَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَحْلِفُ عَلَى أَيْمَانٍ ثَلاثٍ يَقُولُ وَاللهِ مَا أَحَدٌ أَحَقَّ بِهَذَا الْمَالِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ وَمَا أَنَا بِأَحَقَّ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ وَاللهِ مَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا وَلَهُ فِي هَذَا الْمَالِ نَصِيبٌ إِلَّا عَبْدًا مَمْلُوكًا وَلَكِنَّا عَلَى مَنَازِلِنَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ وَقَسْمِنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَالرَّجُلُ وَبَلاؤُهُ فِي الْإِسْلامِ وَالرَّجُلُ وَقَدَمُهُ فِي الْإِسْلامِ وَالرَّجُلُ وَغَنَاؤُهُ فِي الْإِسْلامِ وَالرَّجُلُ وَحَاجَتُهُ وَوَاللهِ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ لَهُمْ لَيَأْتِيَنَّ الرَّاعِيَ بِجَبَلِ صَنْعَاءَ حَظُّهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ وَهُوَ يَرْعَى مَكَانَهُ