The Book of Oaths

كتاب الأيمان

Chapter 7: The vow of a disbeliever, and what he should do about it if he becomes a muslim

This hadith is transmitted on the authority of Ibn Umar with a slight variation of words.

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that 'Umar b. Khattab asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as he was at ji'rana (a town near Mecca) on his way back from Ta'if

Messenger of Allah, I had taken a vow during the days of Ignorance that I would observe I'tikaf for one day in the Sacred Mosque. So what is your opinion? He said: Go and observe I'tikaf for a day. And Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave him a slave girl out of the one-fifth (of the spoils of war meant for the Holy Prophet). And when Allah's Messenger (inay peace be upon him) set the war prisoners free. 'Umar b. Khattab heard their voice as they were saying: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has set as free. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: What is this? They said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has set free the prisoners of war (which had fallen to the lot of people). Thereupon he (Hadrat 'Umar) said: Abdullah, go to that slave-girl and set her free.

lbn 'Umar reported

When Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) came back from the Battle of Hunain, Umar asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the vow he had taken during the days of Ignorance that he would observe I'tikaf for a day. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Nafi' reported

A mention of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observing 'Umra from ja'rina was made before Ibn 'Umar. He said: He did not enter into the state of Ihram from that (place), and Umar had taken a vow of observing I'tikaf for a night during the days of Ignorance. The rest of the hadith is the same.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Umar through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of words.

Chapter 8: Treatment of slaves, and the expiation of one who slaps his slave

Zadhan Abl Umar reported

I came to Ibn 'Umar as he had granted freedom to a stave. 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.

Zadhan reported that Ibn Umar called his slave and he found the marks (of beating) upon his back. He said to him

I have caused you pain. He said: No. But he (Ibn Umar) said: You are free. He then took hold of something from the earth and said: There is no reward for me even to the weight equal to it. I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who beats a slave without cognizable offence of his or slaps him (without any serious fault), then expiation for it is that he should set him free.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters with a slight variation of words.

Mu'awiya b. Suwaid reported

I slapped a slave belonging to us and then fled away. I came back just before noon and offered prayer behind my father. He called him (the slave) and me and said: Do as he has done to you. He granted pardon. He (my father) then said: We belonged to the family of Muqarrin during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him. and had only one slave-girl and one of us slapped her. This news reached Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and he said: Set her free. They (the members of the family) said: There is no other servant except she. Thereupon he said: Then employ her and when you can afford to dispense with her services, then set her free.

Hilal b. Yasaf reported that a person got angry and slapped his slave-girl. Thereupon Suwaid b. Muqarrin said to him

You could find no other part (to slap) but the prominent part of her face. See I was one of the seven sons of Muqarrin, and we had but only one slave-girl. The youngest of us slapped her, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded us to set her free. 2097

Hilal b. Yasaf reported

We used to sell cloth in the house of Suwaid b. Muqarrin, the brother of Nu'man b. Muqarrin. There came out a slave-girl, and she said something to a person amongst us, and he slapped her. Suwaid was enraged-the rest of the hadlth is the same.

Suwaid b. Muqarrin reported that he had a slave-girl and a person (one of the members of the family) slapped her, whereupon Suwaid said to him

Don't you know that it is forbidden (to strike the) face. He said: You see I was the seventh one amongst my brothers during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and we had but only one servant. One of us got enraged and slapped him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded us to set him free.

Wahb b. Jarir reported

Shu'ba informed that Muhammad b. Munkadir said to me: What is your name? The rest of the hadith is the same.

Abu Mas'ud al-Badri reported

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 (Aba Maslad) said: 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.

This hadith has been narrated on the authorityo A'mash but with this variation of words

" There fell from my hand the whip on account of his (the Prophet's) awe."

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported

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.

Abu Mas'ud reported that he had been beating his slave and he had been saying

I seek refuge with Allah, but he continued beating him, whereupon he said: I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger, and he spared him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Allah, God has more dominance over you than you have over him (the slave). He said that he set him free.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters, but made no mention of (these words) of his

I seek refuge with Allah, I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).

Chapter 9: Stern warning against accusing a slave of fornication

Abu Huraira reported that Abu'l-Qasim (one of the names of Allah's Messenger [may peace be upon him]) said

He who accused his slave of adultery, punishment would be imposed upon him on the Day of Resurrection, except in case the accusation was as he had said.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Ghazwan (and the words are)

" I heard Abu'l-Qasim (ﷺ) as the Prophet of repentance."