Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ ثنا الْحَسَنُ ثنا يَحْيَى ثنا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنِ ابْنِ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ عُمَرُ إِلَى سَعْدٍ ؓ حِينَ افْتَتَحَ الْعِرَاقَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي كِتَابُكَ تَذْكُرُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ سَأَلُوكَ أَنْ تَقْسِمَ بَيْنَهُمْ مَغَانِمَهُمْ وَمَا أَفَاءَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا جَاءَكَ كِتَابِي هَذَا فَانْظُرْ مَا أَجْلَبَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْكَ إِلَى الْعَسْكَرِ مِنْ كُرَاعٍ أَوْ مَالٍ فَاقْسِمْهُ بَيْنَ مَنْ حَضَرَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاتْرُكِ الْأَرَضِينَ وَالْأَنْهَارَ لِعُمَّالِهَا فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ فِي أَعْطِيَاتِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ قَسَمْتَهَا بَيْنَ مَنْ حَضَرَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِمَنْ بَقِيَ بَعْدَهُمْ شَيْءٌ
English Translation
Abu Sa'id informed us from Abu al-Abbas, from al-Hasan, from Yahya, from Ibn al-Mubarak, from Ibn Lahi'a, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib who said: Umar wrote to Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) when he conquered Iraq: As for what follows, your letter has reached me in which you mention that the people asked you to divide among them their spoils and what Allah has bestowed upon them. When this letter of mine reaches you, look at what the people have brought to the camp of livestock and property, and divide it among those Muslims who are present. Leave the lands and rivers for their workers so that this may go toward the stipends of the Muslims, for if you divide it among those present, there will be nothing left for those who come after them.