Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 188
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُبَشِّرٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ يَقُولُ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُوصِي بِالْمَمْلُوكِينَ خَيْرًا وَيَقُولُ: أَطْعِمُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ، وَأَلْبِسُوهُمْ مِنْ لَبُوسِكُمْ، وَلاَ تُعَذِّبُوا خَلْقَ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Sa‘id ibn Sulayman narrated to us. He said: Marwan ibn Mu‘awiya narrated to us. He said: al-Fadl ibn Mubashshir narrated to us, saying: I heard Jabir ibn Abd Allah say: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to urge kind treatment of those under one’s authority and say: ‘Feed them from what you eat, clothe them from your own clothing, and do not torment the creatures of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic uses the broad term al-mamlukin for people under ownership or authority in this historical context; the translation avoids softening the underlying status while rendering the instruction in contemporary English.
The final phrase literally says not to torment the creation of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.