"Do you have a servant?" "No," he replied. He said, "Come to us when we get some captives." The Prophet ﷺ was brought only two captives. Abu'l-Haytham came to him and the Prophet ﷺ said, "Choose between them." "Choose for me, Messenger of Allah," he replied. The Prophet ﷺ said, "The person who is consulted is in a position of trust. Take this one. I have seen him pray. Treat him well." Abu'l-Haytham's wife said, "You will not live up to the words of the Prophet ﷺ about him until you set him free." "He is free," he stated. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah did not send a Prophet or khalifa but that he has two confidants: a confidant who commands him to do what is correct and forbids what is bad, and a confidant who will not fall short in corrupting you. Anyone who is protected from the evil confidant has been protected."

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لأَبِي الْهَيْثَمِ هَلْ لَكَ خَادِمٌ؟ قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَإِذَا أَتَانَا سَبْيٌ فَأْتِنَا فَأُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِرَأْسَيْنِ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمَا ثَالِثٌ فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو الْهَيْثَمِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اخْتَرْ مِنْهُمَا قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اخْتَرْ لِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ الْمُسْتَشَارَ مُؤْتَمَنٌ خُذْ هَذَا فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يُصَلِّي وَاسْتَوْصِ بِهِ خَيْرًا فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ مَا أَنْتَ بِبَالِغٍ مَا قَالَ فِيهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلاَّ أَنْ تُعْتِقَهُ قَالَ فَهُوَ عَتِيقٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَبْعَثْ نَبِيًّا وَلاَ خَلِيفَةً إِلاَّ وَلَهُ بِطَانَتَانِ بِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَاهُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَبِطَانَةٌ لاَ تَأْلُوهُ خَبَالاً وَمَنْ يُوقَ بِطَانَةَ السُّوءِ فَقَدْ وُقِيَ