Al-Miqdam heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "What you feed yourself is sadaqa. What you feed your child, your wife and your servant is sadaqa."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best sadaqa is that which leaves you free of want. The upper hand is better than the lower hand. Begin with those you look after. Your wife says, 'Spend on me or divorce me.' Your slave says, 'Spend on me or sell me.' Your child asks, 'On whom can we rely?'"

Abu Hurayra said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded sadaqa. A man said, 'I have a dinar.' He said, 'Spend it on yourself.' He said, 'I have another.' He said, 'Spend it on your wife.' He said, 'I have another.' He said, 'Spend it on your servant and then on whomever you see fit.'"

Ibn Jurayj related that Abu'z-Zubayr heard him ask Jabir about when a man's servant has finished his work and heat (i.e. cooking). Did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, command that the servant be invited to eat? "Yes," he replied. If one of you dislikes to have his servant eat with him, he should give him his food by his own hand.'"

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, advised that slaves be well treated. He said, 'Feed them from what you eat and clothe them from what you wear and do not punish Allah's creation.'"

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When one of your servants brings you food, he should sit with him. If you do not accept that, then you should give it to him.'"

Abu Mahdhura said, "I was sitting with 'Umar when Safwan ibn Umayya brought him a bowl which some people were carrying in a robe. They set it down in front of 'Umar. 'Umar then invited some poor people and some slaves belonging to the people around him and they ate with him. Then he aid, 'Allah will do a people - or else he said, 'Allah will curse a people' - who dislike having their slaves eat with them.' Safwan said, 'By Allah, we do not dislike them, but we prefer ourselves to them, and by Allah, we do not find good food which we can eat and feed it to them as well.'"

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the slave advises his master and is assiduous in the worship of his Lord, he receives a double reward."

'Three have a double reward: one ofthe People of the Book who believes in his Prophet and then believes inMuhammad has two rewards. When a slave carries out the due of Allah andthe due of his master, he has a double reward. And (the third is) a manwho has a slavegirl with whom he has intercourse and teaches her well andinstructs her well and then sets her free and marries her. He has two rewards.'"

Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The slave who is excellent in the worship of his Lord and fulfils the duties of obedience and counsel which he owes to his master, has two rewards."

Abu Burda reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The slave has two rewards when he carries out Allah's due in worship (or he said that he is excellent in his worship) and the right of his owner who owns him."

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. The amir of a people is a shepherd and he is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible for his flock. A man's slave is the shepherd of his master's property and he is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock."

Abu Hurayra said, "When a slave obeys his master, he has obeyed Allah Almighty. When he rebels against his master, he rebels against Allah Almighty."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the Muslim slave performs the due of Allah and the due of his master, he will have two rewards."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "None of you should say, 'My slave ('abdi)' or 'my slavegirl (amati)' All of you are slaves of Allah and all of your women are slaves of Allah. Rather you should say, 'My boy (ghulami)', my slavegirl (jariyyati)', 'my lad (fatayi)' or 'my girl (fatati).'"

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "None of you should say 'my slave ('abdi or amati)' and a slave should not say, 'my lord (rabbi or rabbati)'. They should say, 'my boy' or 'my girl' (fatayi and fatati) and 'my master' or 'mistress' (sayyidi and sayyidati)'. All of you are slaves, and the Lord is Allah, Almighty and Exalted."

Mutarrif reported that his father said, "I went in the delegation of the Banu 'Amir to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They said, 'You are our master.' He said, 'The Master is Allah.' They said, 'The best of us in excellence and the greatest of us in generosity.' He said, 'Say what you like, but do not let Shaytan provoke you.'"