the expedition, he would say to his companion: "When you reach Wadi al-Qura (1), it is yours to deal with." This is because he gave it to him by way of assistance and provision, not by way of hiring; thus, the remainder belongs to him, just as if one were to bequeath that someone should perform Hajj on his behalf with a thousand. If he gave him something to spend in the path of Allah, or for military expeditions in general, and a portion remained, he must spend it on another expedition; because he gave him the entirety of it to spend in a specific category of piety, so he is obligated to spend the entirety of it therein, just as if he had bequeathed that Hajj be performed on his behalf with a thousand.
Section: Whoever is given something to assist (2) him in a military expedition, Ahmad said: He shall not leave any of it for his family, because he does not own it unless he reaches the end of his destination, at which point it becomes like his own wealth, so he may send some of it to his dependents. He should not dispose of it before departing, lest he fail to go on the expedition and thus not be entitled to what he spent, unless he uses it to buy weapons or equipment for the expedition. If he intended to give it to someone to go on an expedition with it, Ahmad said: He should not use it to prepare (3) a tray of food from which he feeds anyone, because he was only given it to spend in a specific category, which is Jihad.
1633 - Issue: He said: (And if a man is provided a mount, and when he returns from the expedition, it is his, unless he says: "It is habees (endowed/restricted)." It is then not permissible to sell it, unless it reaches a state where it is no longer suitable (1) for the expedition, then it may be sold and the proceeds placed into another habees. Similarly, a mosque, if it becomes too crowded for its people, or (2) is in a place where it is not being utilized, it is permissible to be sold and the proceeds placed in a place where it is utilized. Likewise, the sacrificial animal (udhiyah), if he replaces it with one that is better than it.)
His statement: "provided a man a mount," means he was given it so that he may perform an expedition on it. Once he has performed an expedition on it, he takes ownership of it, just as he takes ownership of the provisions given to him, unless it was a loan, in which case it belongs to its owner, or if it was a habees, in which case it remains...
(1) Wadi al-Qura: Between Medina and the Levant, among the districts of Medina, with many villages. Mu'jam al-Buldan 4/878. (2) In A: "yasta'in" (to assist). (3) In A: "minha" (from it). (1) Omitted from: The Original, A. (2) In M: "idha" (when).