18. Emancipation of Slaves
١٨۔ كِتَابُ الْعِتْقِ
"Barirah made a contract that she would be freed in return for nine Awaq, one Uqiyyah to be paid each year." She came to 'Aishah asking for help and she said: "No, not unless they agree to accept the sum in one payment, and that the Wala' will go to me." Barirah went and spoke to her masters but they insisted that the Wala' should be for them. She came to 'Aishah and the Messenger of Allah came, and she told her what her masters had said. She said: "No, by Allah, not unless Wala' is to me." The Messenger of Allah said: "What is this?" She said: "O Messenger of Allah, Barirah came to me and asked me to help her with her contract of manumission, and I said no, not unless they agree to accept the sum in one payment, and that the Wala' will be for me. She mentioned that to her masters and they insisted that the Wala' should be for them." The Messenger of Allah said: "Buy her, and stipulate that the Wala' is for the one who sets the slave free." Then he stood up and addressed the people and said: "What is the matter with people who stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime? They say: 'I set so-and-so free but the Wala' will be to me.' Every condition that is not in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is a false condition, even if there are a hundred conditions." And the Messenger of Allah gave her the choice with regard to her husband who was still a slave, and she chose herself. 'Urwah said: "If he had been free the Messenger of Allah would not have given her the choice." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3451)
كَاتَبَتْ بَرِيرَةُ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا بِتِسْعِ أَوَاقٍ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ أُوقِيَّةٌ فَأَتَتْ عَائِشَةَ تَسْتَعِينُهَا فَقَالَتْ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءُوا أَنْ أَعُدَّهَا لَهُمْ عَدَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَيَكُونُ الْوَلَاءُ لِي فَذَهَبَتْ بَرِيرَةُ فَكَلَّمَتْ بِذَلِكَ أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْوَلَاءُ لَهُمْ فَجَاءَتْ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ وَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَتْ لَهَا مَا قَالَ أَهْلُهَا فَقَالَتْ لَاهَا اللهُ إِذَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْوَلَاءُ لِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَا هَذَا؟» فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ بَرِيرَةَ أَتَتْنِي تَسْتَعِينُ بِي عَلَى كِتَابَتِهَا فَقُلْتُ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءُوا أَنْ أَعُدَّهَا عَدَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَيَكُونُ الْوَلَاءُ لِي فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لِأَهْلِهَا فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْوَلَاءُ لَهُمْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «ابْتَاعِيهَا وَاشْتَرِطِي لَهُمُ الْوَلَاءَ فَإِنَّ الْوَلَاءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ» ثُمَّ قَامَ فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ يَقُولُونَ أُعْتِقُ فُلَانًا وَالْوَلَاءُ لِي كِتَابُ اللهِ أَحَقُّ وَشَرْطُ اللهِ أَوْثَقُ وَكُلُّ شَرْطٍ لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ فَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ» فَخَيَّرَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مِنْ زَوْجِهَا وَكَانَ عَبْدًا فَاخْتَارَتْ نَفْسَهَا قَالَ عُرْوَةُ وَلَوْ كَانَ حُرًّا مَا خَيَّرَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ
"Barirah came to me and said: 'O 'Sishah, I have drawn up a contract of manumission with my master, (to buy my freedom) in return for nine Uwqiyah, one Uwqiyah to be paid each year; help me,' she had not yet paid anything toward her contract of manumission.' 'Aishah, who liked her and wanted to help her, said: 'Go back to your masters and if they agree to let me pay the whole sum and that your loyalty will be to me, I will do it.' So Barirah went to her masters and suggested that to them, but they refused and said: 'if she wants to seek reward (with Allah) by freeing you, let her do so, but (you loyalty) will be to us, 'Aishah told the Messenger of Allah about that and he said: 'Do not let that stop you. Buy her and set her free, and loyalty belongs to the one who sets the slave free.; so she did that, then the Messenger of Allah stood up before the people, praised and glorified Allah, then said: 'What is the matter with people who stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allah? Whoever stipulates conditions that are not in even if there are a hundred conditions? The decree of Allah takes priority, and the conditions of Allah binding. And loyalty belongs to the one who sets the slaves free.' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4656)
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ جَاءَتْ بَرِيرَةُ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَتْ يَا عَائِشَةُ إِنِّي كَاتَبْتُ أَهْلِي عَلَى تِسْعِ أَوَاقٍ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ أُوقِيَّةٌ فَأَعِينِينِي وَلَمْ تَكُنْ قَضَتْ مِنْ كِتَابَتِهَا شَيْئًا فَقَالَتْ لَهَا عَائِشَةُ وَنَفِسَتْ فِيهَا ارْجِعِي إِلَى أَهْلِكِ فَإِنْ أَحَبُّوا أَنْ أُعْطِيَهُمْ ذَلِكَ جَمِيعًا وَيَكُونُ وَلَاؤُكِ لِي فَعَلْتُ فَذَهَبَتْ بَرِيرَةُ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا فَعَرَضَتْ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَأَبَوْا وَقَالُوا إِنْ شَاءَتْ أَنْ تَحْتَسِبَ عَلَيْكِ فَلْتَفْعَلْ وَيَكُونُ وَلَاؤُكِ لَنَا فَذَكَرَتْ عَائِشَةُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «لَا يَمْنَعُكِ ذَلِكَ مِنْهَا ابْتَاعِي وَأَعْتِقِي فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ» فَفَعَلْتُ وَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي النَّاسِ فَحَمِدَ اللهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ «مَا بَالُ النَّاسِ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَتْ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ فَهُوَ بَاطِلٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ قَضَاءُ اللهِ أَحَقُّ وَشَرْطُ اللهِ أَوْثَقُ وَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ»
[Machine] She said, "Three years ago, people used to give me meat as charity and I would give it to Aisha. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered and said, 'What is this meat?' She said, 'It is meat that people give me as charity for Barirah (a freed slave woman). She gifted it to us.' He said, 'It is charity for Barirah and a gift for us.' Aisha wrote down on nine slips and said, 'If you wish, I will count it as one payment for them.' She said, 'They (the people) will not agree unless you stipulate loyalty for them.' So I mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ and he said, 'Buy it and stipulate loyalty for them. Verily, loyalty belongs to the one who sets free.' She said, 'He set me free and I had the choice.'"
أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ فِي ثَلَاثٍ مِنَ السَّنَةِ تُصُدِّقَ عَلَيَّ بِلَحْمٍ فَأَهْدَيْتُهُ لِعَائِشَةَ فَدَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مَا هَذَا اللَّحْمُ؟» فَقَالَتْ لَحْمٌ تُصُدِّقَ بِهِ عَلَى بَرِيرَةَ فَأَهْدَتْهُ لَنَا فَقَالَ «هُوَ عَلَى بَرِيرَةَ صَدَقَةٌ وَلَنَا هَدِيَّةٌ» وَكَاتَبَتْ عَلَى تِسْعِ أَوَاقٍ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ إِنْ شَاءَ مَوَالِيكِ عَدَدْتُ لَهُمْ ثَمَنَكِ عَدَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَشْتَرِطِي لَهُمُ الْوَلَاءَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ «اشْتَرِيهَا وَاشْتَرِطِي لَهُمْ فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلَاءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ» قَالَتْ وَأَعْتَقَنِي فَكَانَ لِيَ الْخِيَارُ
Aisha said that Barirah came to seek her help in the writing of her emancipation. ʿAisha said to her, "If you wish, I will pay your masters (your price) and the wala' will be for me." When Messenger of Allah ﷺ came, she told him about it. The Prophet ﷺ said to her, "Buy her (i.e. Barirah) and manumit (free) her, for the Wala is for the one who manumits." Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ ascended the pulpit and said, "What about those people who stipulate conditions which are not in Allah's Laws? Whoever stipulates such conditions as are not in Allah's Laws, then those conditions are invalid even if he stipulated a hundred such conditions." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2735)
أَهْلُهَا إِنْ شِئْتِ أُعْطِيتِ بَاقِيَ كِتَابَتِهَا وَيَكُونُ لَنَا الْوَلَاءُ فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ اشْتَرِيهَا فَأَعْتِقِيهَا فَإِنَّ الْوَلَاءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ثُمَّ صَعِدَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْمِنْبَرَ فَقَالَ «مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ لَمْ يَجُزْ لَهُ وَإِنِ اشْتَرَطَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ»