31. Manumission of Slaves
٣١۔ كتاب العتق
Return to your people ; if you like that I make payment for the purchase of your freedom on your behalf and I shall have the right to inherit from you, I shall do so. Barirah mentioned it to her people, but they refused and said: If she wants to purchase your freedom for reward from Allah, she may do so, but the right to inherit from her shall be ours. She mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Purchase her (freedom) and set her free, for the right of inheritance belongs to only to the one who set a person free. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then stood up and said: If anyone makes a condition which is not in Allah's Book, he has no right to it, even if he stipulates it hundred times. Allah's condition is more valid and binding.
أَنَّ بَرِيرَةَ جَاءَتْ عَائِشَةَ تَسْتَعِينُهَا فِي كِتَابَتِهَا وَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَضَتْ مِنْ كِتَابَتِهَا شَيْئًا فَقَالَتْ لَهَا عَائِشَةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى أَهْلِكِ فَإِنْ أَحَبُّوا أَنْ أَقْضِيَ عَنْكِ كِتَابَتَكِ وَيَكُونَ وَلاَؤُكِ لِي فَعَلْتُ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ بَرِيرَةُ لأَهْلِهَا فَأَبَوْا وَقَالُوا إِنْ شَاءَتْ أَنْ تَحْتَسِبَ عَلَيْكِ فَلْتَفْعَلْ وَيَكُونَ لَنَا وَلاَؤُكِ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ابْتَاعِي فَأَعْتِقِي فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ثُمَّ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَا بَالُ أُنَاسٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَتْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ وَإِنْ شَرَطَهُ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ شَرْطُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْثَقُ
Barirah came seeking my help to purchase her freedom. She said: I have arranged with my people to buy my freedom for nine 'uqiyahs: one to be paid annually. So help me. She ('Aishah) said: If your people are willing that I should count them ('uqiyahs) out to them all at one time and set you free and that I shall have the right to inherit from you, I shall do so. She then went to her people. The narrator then transmitted the rest of the tradition like the version of al-Zuhri. He added to the wordings of the Prophet ﷺ in the last: What is the matter with people that one of you says: Set free, O so-and-so, and the right of inheritance belongs to me. The right of inheritance belongs to the one who has set a person free.
إِنِّي كَاتَبْتُ أَهْلِي عَلَى تِسْعِ أَوَاقٍ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ أُوقِيَّةٌ فَأَعِينِينِي فَقَالَتْ إِنْ أَحَبَّ أَهْلُكِ أَنْ أَعُدَّهَا عَدَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأُعْتِقَكِ وَيَكُونَ وَلاَؤُكِ لِي فَعَلْتُ فَذَهَبَتْ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ نَحْوَ الزُّهْرِيِّ زَادَ فِي كَلاَمِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي آخِرِهِ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَعْتِقْ يَا فُلاَنُ وَالْوَلاَءُ لِي إِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ
Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith ibn al-Mustaliq, fell to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, or to her cousin. She entered into an agreement to purchase her freedom. She was a very beautiful woman, most attractive to the eye. Aisha said: She then came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him for the purchase of her freedom. When she was standing at the door, I looked at her with disapproval. I realised that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would look at her in the same way that I had looked. She said: Messenger of Allah, I am Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith, and something has happened to me, which is not hidden from you. I have fallen to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, and I have entered into an agreement to purchase of my freedom. I have come to you to seek assistance for the purchase of my freedom. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Are you inclined to that which is better? She asked: What is that, Messenger of Allah? He replied: I shall pay the price of your freedom on your behalf, and I shall marry you. She said: I shall do this. She (Aisha) said: The people then heard that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had married Juwayriyyah. They released the captives in their possession and set them free, and said: They are the relatives of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ by marriage. We did not see any woman greater than Juwayriyyah who brought blessings to her people. One hundred families of Banu al-Mustaliq were set free on account of her. Abu dawud said: This evidence shows that a Muslim ruler may marry a slave woman himself.
عَائِشَةُ ؓ فَجَاءَتْ تَسْأَلُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي كِتَابَتِهَا فَلَمَّا قَامَتْ عَلَى الْبَابِ فَرَأَيْتُهَا كَرِهْتُ مَكَانَهَا وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَيَرَى مِنْهَا مِثْلَ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَا جُوَيْرِيَةُ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي وَقَعْتُ فِي سَهْمِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ وَإِنِّي كَاتَبْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَجِئْتُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ فِي كِتَابَتِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَهَلْ لَكِ إِلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ قَالَتْ وَمَا هُوَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أُؤَدِّي عَنْكِ كِتَابَتَكِ وَأَتَزَوَّجُكِ قَالَتْ قَدْ فَعَلْتُ قَالَتْ فَتَسَامَعَ تَعْنِي النَّاسَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ تَزَوَّجَ جُوَيْرِيَةَ فَأَرْسَلُوا مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ مِنَ السَّبْىِ فَأَعْتَقُوهُمْ وَقَالُوا أَصْهَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَا رَأَيْنَا امْرَأَةً كَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ بَرَكَةً عَلَى قَوْمِهَا مِنْهَا أُعْتِقَ فِي سَبَبِهَا مِائَةُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ