Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 220
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أُوَيْسٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُرَاوِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، قِيلَ: أَيُّ الأَعْمَالِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ: إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ، وَجِهَادٌ فِي سَبِيلِهِ، قِيلَ: فَأَيُّ الرِّقَابِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: أَغْلاَهَا ثَمَنًا، وَأَنْفَسُهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ بَعْضَ الْعَمَلِ؟ قَالَ: فَتُعِينُ ضَائِعًا، أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لأَخْرَقَ، قَالَ: أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ ضَعُفْتُ؟ قَالَ: تَدَعُ النَّاسَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ، فَإِنَّهَا صَدَقَةٌ تَصَدَّقُ بِهَا عَلَى نَفْسِكَ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Isma‘il ibn Uways narrated to us. He said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad narrated to me, from his father, from Urwa, from Abu Murawih, from Abu Dharr, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who was asked: ‘Which deeds are best?’ He replied: ‘Faith in Allah and striving in His path.’ He was asked: ‘Which enslaved people are best [to free]?’ He replied: ‘Those with the highest price and most valued by their owners.’ He was asked: ‘What if I cannot do some of these deeds?’ He replied: ‘Then help someone who is lost or in need, or make something for someone who is unskilled.’ He was asked: ‘What if I am too weak?’ He replied: ‘Then keep people safe from your harm, for that is charity you give to yourself.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic asks which ‘necks’ (a metonym for enslaved people) are best; ‘to free’ is understood from context but not stated in that question itself.
The words describing whom to help (da'i‘) and for whom to make something (akhraq) are uncommon and rendered contextually without specifying a particular task.
فَتُعِينُ ضَائِعًا، أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لأَخْرَقَ،
The two uncommon terms may refer to a person who is helpless/neglected and someone lacking skill; the Arabic does not specify the assistance or item.
Should these terms receive a specialist lexical note in a later review?
أَغْلاَهَا ثَمَنًا، وَأَنْفَسُهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا،
The phrase ‘most valued by their people’ does not explicitly identify those people beyond context.
Should ‘their owners’ remain as the contextual interpretation, or should the wording be kept more literal?