 إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى جَعَلَ الدُّنْيَا كُلَّهَا بِأَسْرِهَا لِخَلِيفَتِهِ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الارْضِ خَلِيفَةً فَكَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا بِأَسْرِهَا لآِدَمَ وَصَارَتْ بَعْدَهُ لابْرَارِ وُلْدِهِ وَخُلَفَائِهِ فَمَا غَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ أَعْدَاؤُهُمْ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِحَرْبٍ أَوْ غَلَبَةٍ سُمِّيَ فَيْئاً وَهُوَ أَنْ يَفِي‏ءَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِغَلَبَةٍ وَحَرْبٍ وَكَانَ حُكْمُهُ فِيهِ مَا قَالَ الله تَعَالَى وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّما غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَأَنَّ لله خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبى‏ وَالْيَتامى‏ وَالْمَساكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُوَ لله وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِقَرَابَةِ الرَّسُولِ فَهَذَا هُوَ الْفَيْ‏ءُ الرَّاجِعُ وَإِنَّمَا يَكُونُ الرَّاجِعُ مَا كَانَ فِي يَدِ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأُخِذَ مِنْهُمْ بِالسَّيْفِ وَأَمَّا مَا رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يُوجَفَ عَلَيْهِ بِخَيْلٍ وَلا رِكَابٍ فَهُوَ الانْفَالُ هُوَ لله وَلِلرَّسُولِ خَاصَّةً لَيْسَ لاحَدٍ فِيهِ الشِّرْكَةُ وَإِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الشِّرْكَةُ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ قُوتِلَ عَلَيْهِ فَجُعِلَ لِمَنْ قَاتَلَ مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَلِلرَّسُولِ سَهْمٌ وَالَّذِي لِلرَّسُولِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) يَقْسِمُهُ عَلَى سِتَّةِ أَسْهُمٍ ثَلاثَةٌ لَهُ وَثَلاثَةٌ لِلْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَأَمَّا الانْفَالُ فَلَيْسَ هَذِهِ سَبِيلَهَا كَانَ لِلرَّسُولِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) خَاصَّةً وَكَانَتْ فَدَكُ لِرَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) خَاصَّةً لانَّهُ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَتَحَهَا وَأَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُمَا أَحَدٌ فَزَالَ عَنْهَا اسْمُ الْفَيْ‏ءِ وَلَزِمَهَا اسْمُ الانْفَالِ وَكَذَلِكَ الاجَامُ وَالْمَعَادِنُ وَالْبِحَارُ وَالْمَفَاوِزُ هِيَ لِلامَامِ خَاصَّةً فَإِنْ عَمِلَ فِيهَا قَوْمٌ بِإِذْنِ الامَامِ فَلَهُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ أَخْمَاسٍ وَلِلامَامِ خُمُسٌ وَالَّذِي لِلامَامِ يَجْرِي مَجْرَى الْخُمُسِ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ الامَامِ فَالامَامُ يَأْخُذُهُ كُلَّهُ لَيْسَ لاحَدٍ فِيهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ عَمَرَ شَيْئاً أَوْ أَجْرَى قَنَاةً أَوْ عَمِلَ فِي أَرْضٍ خَرَابٍ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ صَاحِبِ الارْضِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَإِنْ شَاءَ أَخَذَهَا مِنْهُ كُلَّهَا وَإِنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهَا فِي يَدِهِ.
 Al-Kulayni, may grant him blessings has said the following. “Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has invented the whole world for His deputy as He has said to His angels. “When your Lord said to the angels, “I am appointing someone as my deputy on earth, . .” (2:30) The whole world was for Adam and after him it belonged to the good ones among his descendants and his successors. Whatever their enemies had taken away from them came back to them through war or conquest that is called Fay’. It is the propety that would come to the as a result of conquest or war. The rules for such properties in it (the book) is as Allah has said, “Know that whatever property you may gain, one fifth belongs to God, the Messenger, the kindred, orphans, the needy and those who need money while on a journey. . .” (8:41) Such properties belong to Allah, the Messenger and the relatives of the Messenger. Such properties are called al-Fay’ (taken back). It is the property taken back from others by force. However, whatever would come to them without the use of force and resources such as horses and man it is called al-Anfal. This kind of properties belong to Allah and the Messenger only and no one else woill have any share in it. Others can have shares only in what is acquired through blood shed and fighting. All those who would take part in the struggle will have certain shares. Properties taken in such way is divided into four portions out of which one would belong to the Messeenger. The portion that belongs to the Messenger is divided into six portions. Three will be for him and the other three for the orphans. The destitute and those left without means on a journey. However, the case of al-Anfal is different. It belongs to the Messenger only. Of such properties was Fadak that belonged to the Messenger of Allah only. It is because he and Amir al-Mu’minin  conquered it and there no one else took part. The name al-Fay’ therefore does not apply to it. Al-Anfal applies to it. Similar to al-Anfal are such properties as the marshes, mines, oceans and the wilderness. They all belong to Imam exclusively. If people would work in them by the permission of the Imam four fifth will belong to them for labor and one fifth would belong to the Imam. Such one fifth is like al-Khums. If people would work in such properties without the permission of the Imam, the Imam will have all of it and no one would have any thing in them. The same would be the case if someone would work, revive, improve, develop and build on a land without the permission of the Imam. It would be up to the Imam to leave it with him or take it away from him or settle it differently.”