Last week we had some very interesting discussions regarding slaves and because there are still some points left, we will discuss them this week.

On Friday we discussed the importance of treating slaves correctly with honour and dignity.

At the same time we should understand that just like every human has his dignity and abusing that right warrants punishment and chastisement, so, in the same way a slave also has his dignity and abusing that right is regarded as sinful in the Divine Court of Allah.

So, today we take a look at some of the warnings against abusing the rights of slaves.

Last words of Prophet Muhammed ﷺ

Narrated by Ali Ibn Abu Talib RA:

الصَّلاَةَ الصَّلاَةَ وما مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ

The last words before his death the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke were: Prayer, prayer; fear Allah about those whom your right hands possess (ie, slaves under you). [Abu Dawud – 5156]

Prohibiting others from hitting slaves

Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari RA reported:

قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيُّ كُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ غُلاَمًا لِي بِالسَّوْطِ فَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنْ خَلْفِي اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ‏.‏ فَلَمْ أَفْهَمِ الصَّوْتَ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ – قَالَ – فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنِّي إِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا هُوَ يَقُولُ ‏ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَلْقَيْتُ السَّوْطَ مِنْ يَدِي فَقَالَ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَى هَذَا الْغُلاَمِ.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَضْرِبُ مَمْلُوكًا بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا

I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me: Understand, Abu Masud; but I did not recognise the voice due to intense anger. He (Abu Mas’ud) reported: As he came near me (I found) that he was the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was saying: Bear in mind, Abu Mas’ud; bear in mind. Abu Mas’ud. He said: I threw the whip from my hand. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Bear in mind, Abu Mas’ud; verily Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave. I (then) said: I would never beat my servant in future.

In fact, in another narration it is mentioned:

When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me (saying): Abu Mas’ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have upon him. I turned and (found him) to be Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). I said: Allah’s Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you. [Muslim – 1659]

It was narrated that ‘Aishah RA said:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ مَا ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ خَادِمًا لَهُ وَلاَ امْرَأَةً وَلاَ ضَرَبَ بِيَدِهِ شَيْئًا

“The Messenger of Allah never beat any of his servants, or wives, and his hand never hit anything.”  [Ibn Majah – 1984]

Expiation of freeing slave for those who slap or beat them

Zadhan Abi Umar R reported:

عَنْ زَاذَانَ أَبِي عُمَرَ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ وَقَدْ أَعْتَقَ مَمْلُوكًا – قَالَ – فَأَخَذَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ عُودًا أَوْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مَا يَسْوَى هَذَا إِلاَّ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ‏ مَنْ لَطَمَ مَمْلُوكَهُ أَوْ ضَرَبَهُ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ أَنْ يُعْتِقَهُ

I came to Ibn ‘Umar RA as he had granted freedom to a slave. He (the narrator further) said: He took hold of a wood or something like it from the earth and said: It (freedom of a slave) has not the reward Evert equal to it, but the fact that I heard Allah’s Messenger (way peace be upon him) say: He who slaps his slave or beats him, the expiation for it is that he should set him free. [Muslim – 1657]

Usage of correct words for Slaves

Abu Huraira RA reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ عَبْدِي وَأَمَتِي ‏.‏ كُلُّكُمْ عَبِيدُ اللَّهِ وَكُلُّ نِسَائِكُمْ إِمَاءُ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ غُلاَمِي وَجَارِيَتِي وَفَتَاىَ وَفَتَاتِي

None of you should say: My bondsman and my slave-girl, for all of you are the bondsmen of Allah, and all your women are the slave-girls of Allah; but say: My servant, my girl, and my young man and my young girl. [Muslim – 2249]

Prohibition of cursing them

Jabir Bin Abdullah RA reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

لاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَوْلاَدِكُمْ وَلاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى خَدَمِكُمْ وَلاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ لاَ تُوَافِقُوا مِنَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى سَاعَةَ نَيْلٍ فِيهَا عَطَاءٌ فَيَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُمْ

Do not invoke curse on yourselves, and do not invoke curse on your children, and do not invoke curse on your servants, and do not invoke curse on your property, lest you happen to do it at a time when Allah is asked for something and grants your request. [Abu Dawud – 1532]

Encouragement on forgiveness

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَمْ نَعْفُو عَنِ الْخَادِمِ فَصَمَتَ ثُمَّ أَعَادَ عَلَيْهِ الْكَلاَمَ فَصَمَتَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ قَالَ اعْفُوا عَنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked: Messenger of Allah! How often shall I forgive a servant? He gave no reply, so the man repeated what he had said, but he still kept silence. When he asked a third time, he ﷺ replied: Forgive him seventy times daily. [Abu Dawud – 5164]