The Book of Emancipating Slaves

كتاب العتق

Chapter 1: One who frees his share of a slave

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger may peace be upon him) as saying

If anyone emancipates his share ina slave and has enough money to pay the full price for him, a fair price for the slave should be fixed, his partners given their shares, and the slave be thus emancipated, otherwise he is emancipated only to the extent of the first man's share.

Chapter 2: A slave working to pay off the other half

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The slave who is jointly owned by two persons, and is emancipated by one of them, (this one) has liability (upon him to secure complete freedom for that slave).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sa'id b. Abu 'Aruba with the same chain of transmitters but with the addition

" If he (one of the joint owners emancipating the slave) has not (enough) money (to secure freedom for the other half) a fair price for the slave should be fixed, and he will be required to work to pay for his freedom, but must not be over-burdened.

Chapter 3: Al-Wala' (Right of inheritance) belongs to the one who manumits the slave

Ibn Umar reported that 'A'isha decided to buy a slave-girl and then set her free, but her masters said

We are prepared to sell her to you on the condition that her right of inheritance would vest with you. She (Hadrat A'isha) made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) whereupon he said: This should not stand in your way. The right of inheritance vests in one who emancipates.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported

Barira came to me and said: My family (owners) have made contract with me (for granting freedom) for nine 'uqiyas (of silver) payable in nine years, one 'uqiya every year. Help me (in making this payment). I said to her: If your family so desires, I am prepared to make them the full payment in one instalment, and thus secure freedom for you, but the right of inheritance will vest in me, if I do so. She (Barira) made a mention of that to her family, but they refused (except) on the condition that the right of inheritance would vest in them. She came to me and made mention of if She ('A'isha) said: I scolded her. She (Barira) said: By Allah, it is not possible (they will never agree to it). And as she was saying it, Allah's messenger (ﷺ) heard, and he asked me, I informed him and he said: Buy her and emancipate her, and let the right of inherit- ance vest in them, for they cannot claim it (rightfully) since the right of inherritance vests with one who emancipates (the slave; therefore, these people have no right to lay such false claims). And I did so. She ('A'isha) said: Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) delivered a sermon in the evening. He extolled Allah and praised Him with what He deserves, and then said afterwards,: What has happened to the people that they lay down conditions which are not found in the Book of Allah? And the condition which is not found in the Book of Allah is invalid, even if its number is one hundred. The Book of Allah is more true (than any other deed) and the condition laid down by Allah is more binding (than any other condition). What has happened to the people among you that someone among you says:" Emancipate so and so, but the right of inheritance vests in me"? Verily, the right of inheritance vests in one who emancipates.

Chapter 6: The virtue of manumitting slaves

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

If anyone emancipates a Muslim slave, Allah will set free from Hell an organ of his body for every organ of his (slave's) body.

Chapter 2: A slave working to pay off the other half

A hadith like this is reported on the authority of the same chain of transmitters but with a slight change of words.

Chapter 3: Al-Wala' (Right of inheritance) belongs to the one who manumits the slave

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported

'A'isha (Allah be pleated with her) thought of buying a slave-girl and emancipating her, but her owners refused to (sell her but on the condition) that the right of inheritance would vest in them. She made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). whereupon he said: Let this (condition) not stand in your way for the right of inheritance vests with one who emancipates.

Chapter 4: The prohibition of selling or giving away the wala'

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) forbade the selling and making a gift of the right of inheritance of a slave. Imam Muslim said

All the persons depend upon Abdullah b. Dinar in regard to this hadith.

Chapter 7: The virtue of manumitting one's father

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Suhail with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 1: One who frees his share of a slave

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Ibn 'Umar through another chain of transmitters.

Chapter 3: Al-Wala' (Right of inheritance) belongs to the one who manumits the slave

'A'isha (Allah be pjeased with her) reported that Barira came to her in order to seek her help in securing freedom, but she had (so far) paid nothing out of that sum stipulated in the contract. 'A'isba said to her. Go to your family (who owns you), and if they like that I should pay the amount (of the contract) on your behalf (for purchasing your freedom), then I shall have the right in your inheritance. (If they accepted it) I am prepared (to make this payment). Barira made a mention of that to the (members of) her family, but they refused and said

If she (Hadrat 'A'isha) wants to do good to You for the sake of Allah, she may do it, but the right of inheritance will be ours. She (Hadrat 'A'isha) made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and he said to her: Buy her, and emancipate her, for the right of inheritance vests with one who emancipates (the slave). Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him) then stood up and said: What has happened to the people that they lay down conditions which are not (found) in the Book of Allah? And he who laid down a condition not found in the Book of Allah, that is not valid. even if it is laid down hundred times. The condition laid down by Allah is the most weighty and the most valid.

'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported

Barira came to me and said: 'A'isha, I have entered into contract for securing freedom with my family (who owns me) for nine 'uqiyas (of silver), one 'uqiya every year The rest of the hadith is the same (but with this addition):" This (the problem of the right of inheritance) should not stand in your way. Buy her, and set her free. He said in a hadith: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up among men, extolled Allah, praised Him, and then said:" for......"

Hisham b. 'Urwa narrated a hadith like this with the same chain of trans- mitters except (with this change) that in the hadith transmitted on the authority of jartr (the words are)

Her (Barira's) husband was a slave, so Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave her the option (either to retain her matrimonial relation with her husband or sever it off). She opted to break off (and secure freedom for her even from the matrimonial alliance). And if he were free he would not have given her the option. In the hadith narrated on the authority (of this chain of transmitters) these words are not found: Amma ba'du.

'Abd al-Rahman b. al. Qasim reported on the authority of his father

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said: There were three issues which were clarified in case of Barira: her owners had decided to sell her on the condition that the right of her inheritance would vest with them. She ('A'isha) said: I made a mention of that to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and he said: Buy her and emancipate her, for verily the right of inheritance vests with one who emancipates. She said that she emancipated (her) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave her the option (either to retain her matrimonial alliance or break it after emancipation). She (taking advantage of the option) opted for herself (the severing of matrimonial alliance). 'A'isha said: The people used to give her charity and she gave us that as gift. I made a mention of it to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), whereupon he said: That is charity for her but gift for you, so take that.

'A'isha (Allah's be pleased with her) reported that she had bought Barira from the people of Ansar, but they laid down the condition that the right of inheritance (would vest in them), whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

The right of inheritance vests with one who shows favour (who emancipates) and Allah's Messenger (may peacebe upon him) gave her the choice (either to retain) her matrimonial alliance or break it). Her husband was a slave. She (Barira also) gave 'A'isha some meat as gift. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I wish you could prepare (cook) for us out of this meat. 'A'isha said, It has been given as charity to Barira, whereupon he said: That is charity for her and gift for us.

Chapter 4: The prohibition of selling or giving away the wala'

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) through another chain of transmitters but with this change that in tba hadith narrated by al-Thaqafi from Ubaidullah there is only a mention of selling (or right of inheritance, al-Wala' ) but not that of making a gift.

Chapter 5: The prohibition of a manumitted slave taking anyone as a Mawla except the one who manumitted him

Ibrahim al-Taimi reported on the authority of his father

'Ali b. Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) addressed us and said: He who thinks that we (the members of the Prophet's family) read anything else besides the Book of Allah and this Sahifa (and he said that Sahifa was tied to the scabbard of the sword) tells a lie. (This Sahifa) contains (problems) pertaining to the ages of the camels and (the recompense) of the injuries, and it also records the words of the Prophet (ﷺ): Medina is a sacred territory from 'Ayr to Thaur (it is most probably Uhud). He who innovates (an act or practice) or gives protection to an innovator, there is a curse of Allah and that of His angels and that of the whole humanity upon him. Allah will not accdpt from him (as a recompense) any obligatory act or supererogatory act, and the responsibility of the Muslims is a joint responsibility; even the lowest in rank can undertake the responsibility (on behalf of others), and he who claims anyone else as his father besides his own father or makes one his ally other than the one (who freed him), there is a curse of Allah. that of His angels and that of the wholemankind upon him. Allah will not accept the obligatory act of the supererogatery act (as a recompense) from him.