18. Freeing Slaves
كُنْتُ جَالِسًا بِأَرِيحَا فَمَرَّ بِي وَاثِلَةُ بْنُ الْأَسْقَعِ مُتَوَكِّئًا عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الدَّيْلَمِيِّ فَأَجْلَسَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ عَجِبْتُ مِمَّا
✧ I was sitting in Ariha when Wathila b. al-Asqa` passed by me, leaning on `Abd Allah b. al-Daylami. He seated him, then came to me and said, 'I wondered about...'
«مَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً مُؤْمِنَةً أَعْتَقَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهَا عُضْوًا مِنْهُ مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ Whoever frees a believing slave, Allah will free from the Fire a limb of his for every limb of the slave.
حَاصَرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الطَّائِفَ وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَعْتَقَ رَجُلًا مُسْلِمًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا جَاعِلٌ وِقَاءَ كُلِّ عَظْمٍ مِنْ عِظَامِ مُحَرَّرِهِ عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ مَسْلَمَةٍ أَعْتَقَتِ امْرَأَةً مَسْلَمَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا جَاعِلٌ وِقَاءَ كُلِّ عَظْمٍ مِنْ عِظَامِ مُحَرَّرِهَا عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهَا مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ We besieged al-Ta'if with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'Any Muslim man who frees a Muslim man, Allah, Mighty and Exalted, will make each bone of the freed man's bones a shield for his bones from the Fire; and any Muslim woman who frees a Muslim woman, Allah, Mighty and Exalted, will make each bone of the freed woman's bones a shield for her bones from the Fire.'
Sahih Ibn Hibban 4310No grade recorded
قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ «الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِهِ» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَيُّ الرِّقَابِ أَفْضَلُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ «أَنْفَسُهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا وَأَكْثَرُهَا ثَمَنًا» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَفْعَلْ قَالَ «تُعِينُ ضَعِيفًا أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لِأَخْرَقَ» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ ضَعُفْتُ قَالَ «تَكُفُّ شَرَّكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ فَإِنَّهُ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْكَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ»
✧ I said, 'O Prophet of Allah, which deed is best?' He said, 'Faith in Allah and jihad in His path.' He said, 'I said, which slaves are best, O Prophet of Allah?' He said, 'The most precious to their owners and the highest in price.' He said, 'I said, what if I do not do that?' He said, 'You help a weak person or make something for an unskilled person.' He said, 'I said, what if I am too weak?' He said, 'Refrain from harming people, for it is charity from you to yourself.'
أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهَا غُلَامٌ وَجَارِيَةٌ زَوْجٌ فَأَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَعْتِقَهُمَا فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنْ أَعْتَقْتِيهِمَا فَابْدَئِي بِالْغُلَامِ قَبْلَ الْجَارِيَةِ»
✧ She had a male slave and a female slave who were married. She wanted to free them, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to her: 'If you free them, begin with the male slave before the female slave.'
«مَا خَفَّفْتَ عَنْ خَادِمِكَ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ كَانَ لَكَ أَجْرًا فِي مَوَازِينِكَ»
✧ Whatever you lighten from your servant's work, it will be a reward for you in your scales.
«عُرِضَ عَلَيَّ أَوَّلُ ثَلَاثَةٍ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ الشَّهِيدُ وَعَبْدٌ مَمْلُوكٌ أَحْسَنَ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ وَنَصَحَ لِسَيِّدِهِ وَعَفِيفٌ مُتَعَفِّفٌ ذُو عِيَالٍ»
That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I was shown the first of (every) three to enter Paradise: A martyr, an 'Atif, who is a Muta'affif, and a slave who perfected his worship of Allah, and was sincere to his masters." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 1642)
«لِلْمَمْلُوكِ طَعَامُهُ وَكِسْوَتُهُ وَلَا يُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا مَا يُطِيقُ فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ وَلَا تُعَذِّبُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ خَلْقًا أَمْثَالَكُمْ»
✧ A slave is entitled to his food and clothing, and should not be burdened except with what he can bear. If you burden them, then help them, and do not torment Allah's servants, creatures like yourselves.
«مَنْ أَعْتَقَ شِرْكًا لَهُ فِي عَبْدٍ فَكَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ يَبْلُغُ ثَمَنَ الْعَبْدِ قُوِّمَ عَلَيْهِ قِيمَةَ الْعَدْلِ وَأَعْطَى شُرَكَاءَهُ حِصَصَهُمْ وَأَعْتَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْعَبْدُ وَإِلَّا فَقَدْ عَتَقَ مِنْهُ مَا عَتَقَ»
✧ Whoever frees his share in a slave and has wealth reaching the price of the slave, the slave is assessed at a fair value against him, and he gives his partners their shares and the slave is freed. Otherwise, he has freed what he freed.
«مَنْ أَعْتَقَ عَبْدًا وَلَهُ فِيهِ شَرِيكٌ وَلَهُ وَفَاءٌ فَهُوَ حُرٌّ وَيَضْمَنُ نَصِيبَ شُرَكَائِهِ بِقِيمَةِ عَدْلٍ لِمَا أَسَاءَ مُشَارَكَتَهُمْ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ شَيْءٌ»
✧ Whoever frees a slave in whom he has a partner, and he has sufficient means, the slave is free, and he guarantees his partners their shares at a fair value because he harmed their partnership, and the slave owes nothing.
«أَيُّمَا عَبْدٌ كَانَ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَأَعْتَقَ أَحَدُهُمَا نَصِيبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ مُوسِرًا قُوِّمَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُعْسِرًا اسْتُسْعِيَ الْعَبْدُ غَيْرَ مَشْقُوقٍ عَلَيْهِ»
✧ Any slave jointly owned by two people, if one of them frees his share, then if he is wealthy, the slave's value is assessed and he pays the other partner; and if he is poor, the slave is required to work to earn his freedom without being overburdened.
«مَنْ أَعْتَقَ شِقْصًا فِي مَمْلُوكٍ فَعَلَيْهِ خَلَاصُهُ فِي مَالِهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَالٌ قُوِّمَ الْعَبْدُ قِيمَةَ عَدْلٍ ثُمَّ يُسْتَسْعَى فِي نَصِيبِ الَّذِي لَمْ يُعْتِقْ غَيْرَ مَشْقُوقٍ عَلَيْهِ»
✧ Whoever frees a share in a slave, he is responsible for completing the freeing of the slave from his own wealth if he has wealth. If he has no wealth, the slave is assessed at a fair value, then the slave is required to work to earn the share of the one who did not free him, without being overburdened.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 4315No grade recorded
«أَيُّمَا مَمْلُوكٍ كَانَ بَيْنَ شُرَكَاءَ فَأَعْتَقَ أَحَدُهُمْ نَصِيبَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُقَوَّمُ فِي مَالِ الَّذِي أَعْتَقَ قِيمَةَ عَدْلٍ فَيُعْتَقُ إِنْ بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مَالُهُ»
✧ Any slave owned by partners, if one of them frees his share, then it is assessed at a fair value from the wealth of the one who freed, and the slave is freed if his wealth reaches that.
«أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ لَهُ سِتَّةُ أَعْبُدٍ فَأَعْتَقَهُمْ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَالٌ غَيْرُهُمْ فَرُفِعَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَكَرِهَهُ وَجَزَّأَهُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَجْزَاءٍ فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَعْتَقَ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَرَقَّ أَرْبَعَةً»
✧ A man had six slaves and freed them at his death, and he had no property besides them. The matter was brought to the Prophet ﷺ, and he disliked it. He divided them into three portions and cast lots among them; then he freed two and kept four as slaves.
أَنَّ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ كَاتَبَتْهُ فَبَقِيَ مِنْ كِتَابَتِهِ أَلْفَا دِرْهَمٍ قَالَ نَبْهَانُ كُنْتُ أَمْسِكُهَا لِكَيْ لَا تَحْتَجِبَ عَنِّي أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ فَحَجَجْتُ فَرَأَيْتُهَا بِالْبَيْدَاءِ فَقَالَتْ لِي مَنْ ذَا؟ فَقُلْتُ أَنَا أَبُو يَحْيَى فَقَالَتْ لِي أَيْ بُنَيَّ تَدْعُو إِلَيَّ ابْنَ أَخِي مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ وَتُعْطِي فِي نِكَاحِهِ الَّذِي لِي عَلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ السَّلَامَ قَالَ فَبَكَيْتُ وَصِحْتُ وَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لَا أَدْفَعُهَا إِلَيْهِ أَبَدًا فَقَالَتْ أَيْ بُنَيَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ مُكَاتَبِ إِحْدَاكُنَّ مَا يَقْضِي عَنْهُ فَاحْتَجِبِي فَوَاللَّهِ لَا تَرَانِي إِلَّا أَنْ تَرَانِي فِي الْآخِرَةِ»
✧ Umm Salamah made a mukataba contract with him (Nabhan), and there remained of his contract two thousand dirhams. Nabhan said: I used to withhold it so that Umm Salamah would not veil herself from me. He said: I performed the pilgrimage, and I saw her at al-Bayda'. She said to me: "Who is this?" I said: "I am Abu Yahya." She said to me: "O my son, call to me my brother's son Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah b. Abi Umayyah and give him what I am owed from you for his marriage, and I convey my greetings to you." He said: I wept and cried out and said: "By Allah, I will never give it to him." She said: "O my son, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'When one of you has a mukatab who has enough to pay off his contract, then veil yourself from him. By Allah, you will not see me again except that you will see me in the Hereafter.'"
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ أَحَادِيثَ أَفَتَأْذَنُ لَنَا أَنْ نَكْتُبَهَا؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ»
✧ O Messenger of Allah, we hear hadiths from you; will you permit us to write them down? He said: "Yes."
«كُنَّا نَبِيعُ أُمَّهَاتِ الْأَوْلَادِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَلَمَّا كَانَ عُمَرُ نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِهِنَّ»
✧ We used to sell slave mothers during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr. When it was the time of Umar, he prohibited their sale.
«كُنَّا نَبِيعُ سَرَارِينَا أُمَّهَاتِ الْأَوْلَادِ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَيٌّ فِينَا فَلَا يَرَى بِذَلِكَ بَأْسًا»
✧ We used to sell our slave women who were mothers of children while the Prophet ﷺ was alive among us, and he saw no harm in that.
Sahih Ibn Hibban 4326No grade recorded
أَنَّ بَرِيرَةَ جَاءَتْ تَسْتَعِينُ عَائِشَةَ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلُكِ أَنْ أَصُبَّ لَهُمْ عَنْكِ صَبَّةً فَأُعْتِقَكِ فَعَلْتُ وَيَكُونُ لِي وَلَاؤُكِ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ بَرِيرَةُ لِأَهْلِهَا فَقَالُوا لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْوَلَاءُ لَنَا قَالَ يَحْيَى فَزَعَمَتْ عَمْرَةُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «» لَا يَمْنَعُكِ ذَلِكَ اشْتَرِيهَا وَأَعْتِقِيهَا فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ
✧ "That I pour for them a drink from you, then I will free you." So, I did it and I said, "And may I have your loyalty in return?" Barirah mentioned that to her family and they said, "We will not accept the loyalty unless it is for us." Yahya said, "Ummrah claimed that Aishah mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said, 'That should not prevent you. Buy her and free her, for loyalty is only for the one who frees.'"
«مَنْ تَوَلَّى إِلَى غَيْرِ مَوَالِيهِ فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ»
✧ Whoever takes as patrons other than his patrons, let him take his seat in the Fire.
جَاءَتْنِي بَرِيرَةُ فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي كَاتَبْتُ أَهْلِي عَلَى تِسْعِ أَوَاقٍ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ أُوقِيَّةٌ فَأَعِينِينِي فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلُكِ أَنْ أَعُدَّهَا لَهُمْ عَدَدْتُهَا لَهُمْ وَيَكُونُ لِي وَلَاؤُكِ فَذَهَبَتْ بَرِيرَةُ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا فَقَالَتْ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهَا فَجَاءَتْ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَهْلِهَا وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي قَدْ عَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ ذَلِكَ فَأَبَوْا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْوَلَاءُ لَهُمْ فَسَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلَهَا فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ عَائِشَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «خُذِيهَا وَاشْتَرِطِي لَهُمُ الْوَلَاءَ فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ» قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ثُمَّ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي النَّاسِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «أَمَا بَعْدُ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَتْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ مِنْ شَرْطٍ لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِائَةُ شَرْطٍ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ وَشَرْطُ اللَّهِ أَوْثَقُ وَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ»
✧ Barirah came to me and said: "I have contracted with my owners for nine uqiyyahs, one uqiyyah each year, so help me." Aishah said: "If your owners wish, I will pay them the full amount at once, and your wala' will be mine." Barirah went to her owners and told them that, but they refused. She came from her owners while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting, and she said: "I offered that to them, but they refused unless the wala' is for them." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard it and asked her, and Aishah informed him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Take her and stipulate the wala' for them, for the wala' belongs only to the one who frees." Aishah said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up among the people and praised and extolled Allah, then said: "Now then, what is the matter with men who impose conditions not in the Book of Allah? Whatever condition is not in the Book of Allah is void, even if it be a hundred conditions. The decree of Allah is more deserving and the condition of Allah is more binding, and the wala' belongs only to the one who frees."