We went to Abu Dharr (Ghifari) in Rabadha and he had a mantle over him, and his slave had one like it. We said: Abu Dharr, had you joined them together, it would have been a complete garment. Thereupon he said: There was an altercation between me and one of the persons among my brothers. His mother was a non-Arab. I reproached him for his mother. He complained against me to Allah's Apostle ﷺ. As I met Allah's Apostle ﷺ he said: Abu Dharr, you are a person who still has (in him the remnants) of the days (of Ignorance). Thereupon I said: Messenger of Allah, he who abuses (other) persons, they abuse (in return) his father and mother. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Abu Dharr, you are a person who still has (the remnants) of Ignorance in him They (your servants and slaves) are your brothers. Allah has put them in your care, so feed them with what you eat, clothe them with what you wear. and do not burden them beyond their capacities; but if you burden them (with an unbearable burden), then help them (by sharing their extra burden).  

مَرَرْنَا بِأَبِي ذَرٍّ بِالرَّبَذَةِ وَعَلَيْهِ بُرْدٌ وَعَلَى غُلاَمِهِ مِثْلُهُ فَقُلْنَا يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ لَوْ جَمَعْتَ بَيْنَهُمَا كَانَتْ حُلَّةً فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ إِخْوَانِي كَلاَمٌ وَكَانَتْ أَمُّهُ أَعْجَمِيَّةً فَعَيَّرْتُهُ بِأُمِّهِ فَشَكَانِي إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَلَقِيتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ سَبَّ الرِّجَالَ سَبُّوا أَبَاهُ وَأُمُّهُ قَالَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ هُمْ إِخْوَانُكُمْ جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ فَأَطْعِمُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ وَأَلْبِسُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَلْبَسُونَ وَلاَ تُكَلِّفُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ  

" You are a person having the remnants of Ignorance in him." (these words also occur, that Abu Dharr) said: Even up to this time of my old age? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. In the tradition transmitted on the authority of Abu Mu'awiya (the words are):" Yes, in this time of your old age." In the tradition transmitted on the authority of 'Isa (the words are):" If you burden him (with an unbearable burden), you should sell him (and get another slave who can easily undertake this burden)." In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Zuhair (the words are):" Help him in that (work)." In the hadith transmitted by Abu Mu'awiya (separately) there is no such word: Then sell him or help him." This hadith concludes with these words:" Do not burden him beyond his capacity."  

عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَزَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ زُهَيْرٍ وَأَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ عَلَى حَالِ سَاعَتِي مِنَ الْكِبَرِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ نَعَمْ عَلَى حَالِ سَاعَتِكَ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ وَفِي حَدِيثِ عِيسَى فَإِنْ كَلَّفَهُ مَا يَغْلِبُهُ فَلْيَبِعْهُ وَفِي حَدِيثِ زُهَيْرٍ فَلْيُعِنْهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ فَلْيَبِعْهُ وَلاَ فَلْيُعِنْهُ انْتَهَى عِنْدَ قَوْلِهِ وَلاَ يُكَلِّفْهُ مَا يَغْلِبُهُ  

I saw Abu Dharr wearing clothes, and his slave wearing similar ones. I asked him about it, and he narrated that he had abused a person during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah (may peace be upoe. him) and he reproached him for his mother. That person came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and made mention of that to him. Thereupon Allah's Apostle ﷺ said: You are a person who has (remnants of) Ignorance in him. Your slaves are brothers of yours. Allah has placed them in your hand, and he who has his brother under him, he should feed him with what he eats, and dress him with what he dresses himself, and do not burden them beyond their capacities, and if you burden them, (beyond their capacities), then help them.  

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَعَلَيْهِ حُلَّةٌ وَعَلَى غُلاَمِهِ مِثْلُهَا فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ سَابَّ رَجُلاً عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَيَّرَهُ بِأُمِّهِ قَالَ فَأَتَى الرَّجُلُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ إِخْوَانُكُمْ وَخَوَلُكُمْ جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ فَمَنْ كَانَ أَخُوهُ تَحْتَ يَدَيْهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ وَلْيُلْبِسْهُ مِمَّا يَلْبَسُ وَلاَ تُكَلِّفُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ عَلَيْهِ  

It is essential to feed the slave, clothe him (properly) and not burden him with work which is beyond his power.  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِلْمَمْلُوكِ طَعَامُهُ وَكِسْوَتُهُ وَلاَ يُكَلَّفُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ إِلاَّ مَا يُطِيقُ  

When the slave of anyone amongst you prepares food for him and he serves him after having sat close to (and undergoing the hardship of) heat and smoke, he should make him (the slave) sit along with him and make him eat (along with him), and if the food seems to run short, then he should spare some portion for him (from his own share) - (another narrator) Dawud said:" i. e. a morsel or two". 4097  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَنَعَ لأَحَدِكُمْ خَادِمُهُ طَعَامَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ بِهِ وَقَدْ وَلِيَ حَرَّهُ وَدُخَانَهُ فَلْيُقْعِدْهُ مَعَهُ فَلْيَأْكُلْ فَإِنْ كَانَ الطَّعَامُ مَشْفُوهًا قَلِيلاً فَلْيَضَعْ فِي يَدِهِ مِنْهُ أُكْلَةً أَوْ أُكْلَتَيْنِ قَالَ دَاوُدُ يَعْنِي لُقْمَةً أَوْ لُقْمَتَيْنِ