17. Book of Freeing Slaves
١٧۔ كِتَابُ الْعِتْقِ
ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا يُعْتِقُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً، كُلُّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ بِعُضْوٍ مِنْهَا
[Machine] This sheikh told me about it, meaning Wathila. I asked, "What did he tell you?" He said, "We were with the Prophet ﷺ in the Battle of Tabuk when some people from the Banu Sulaym tribe came to him and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we have a companion who has incurred debt.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Free a slave for him, for Allah will free every limb of his from the Fire in return.'" He mentioned, "The name of my father is Abi Abilah Shimir ibn Yaqdhan ibn Amir ibn Abdullah."
حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ هَذَا الشَّيْخُ يَعْنِي وَاثِلَةَ قُلْتُ مَا حَدَّثَكَ؟ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ فَأَتَاهُ نَفَرٌ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ صَاحِبًا لَنَا قَدْ أَوْجَبَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «أَعْتِقُوا عَنْهُ رَقَبَةً يُعْتِقُ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهَا عُضْوًا مِنْهُ مِنَ النَّارِ» «اسْمُ أَبِي عَبْلَةَ شِمْرُ بْنُ يَقْظَانَ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ»
ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ هَذَا الْفَضْلُ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ إِذَا كَانَتِ الرَّقَبَةُ مُؤْمِنَةً
[Machine] The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever frees a believing slave, Allah will free from Hellfire every limb of theirs, freeing one limb per limb of the slave they have freed."
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «مَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً مُؤْمِنَةً أَعْتَقَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهَا عُضْوًا مِنْهُ مِنَ النَّارِ»
ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ هَذَا الْفَضْلَ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ إِذَا كَانَ الْمُعْتَقُ وَالْمُعْتَقَةُ جَمِيعًا مُسْلِمَيْنِ
Along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we besieged the palace of at-Ta'if. The narrator, Mutadh, said: I heard my father (sometimes) say: "Palace of at-Ta'if," and (sometimes) "Fort of at-Ta'if," which are the same. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: he who causes an arrow to hit its mark in Allah's cause will have it counted as a degree for him (in Paradise). He then transmitted the rest of the tradition. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: If a Muslim man emancipates a Muslim man, Allah, the Exalted, will make every bone of his protection for every bone of his emancipator from Hell; and if a Muslim woman emancipates a Muslim woman, Allah will make every bone of hers protection for every bone of her emancipator from Hell on the Day of Resurrection. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3965)
حَاصَرْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الطَّائِفَ وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ أَعْتَقَ رَجُلًا مُسْلِمًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا جَاعِلٌ وِقَاءَ كُلِّ عَظْمٍ مِنْ عِظَامِ مُحَرَّرِهِ عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ مَسْلَمَةٍ أَعْتَقَتِ امْرَأَةً مَسْلَمَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَلَا جَاعِلٌ وِقَاءَ كُلِّ عَظْمٍ مِنْ عِظَامِ مُحَرَّرِهَا عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهَا مِنَ النَّارِ»
ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ خَيْرَ الرِّقَابِ وَأَفْضَلَهَا مَا كَانَ ثَمَنُهَا أَعْلَا
I said: Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Belief in Allah and Jihad in His cause. I again asked: Who is the slave whose emancipation is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: One who is valuable for his master and whose price is high. I said: If I can't afford to do it? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Help an artisan or make anything for the unskilled (labourer). I (Abu Dharr) said: Messenger of Allah, you see that I am helpless in doing some of these deeds. He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Desist from doing mischief to the people. That is the charity of your person on your behalf. (Using translation from Muslim 84a)
قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ «الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِهِ» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَيُّ الرِّقَابِ أَفْضَلُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ «أَنْفَسُهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا وَأَكْثَرُهَا ثَمَنًا» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ أَفْعَلْ قَالَ «تُعِينُ ضَعِيفًا أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لِأَخْرَقَ» قَالَ قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ ضَعُفْتُ قَالَ «تَكُفُّ شَرَّكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ فَإِنَّهُ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْكَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ»