Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tabarani:17049[Chain 1] ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal from my father [Chain 2] Muʿādh b. al-Muthanná > Musaddad > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > al-Ḥajjāj al-Ṣawwāf > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Hilāl b. Abū Maymūnah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Muʿāwiyah b. al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī

[Machine] I said to the Prophet ﷺ , "I have a young servant who used to tend to my livestock in the area of Uhud. When I looked after the livestock, I saw a wolf had taken one of the sheep. I felt great remorse, similar to how the children of Adam feel remorse. So, I hit her with a blow. This greatly upset the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , so I asked, 'Should I set her free?' He said, 'Bring her to me.' So, I brought her to him. He asked her, 'Where is Allah?' She replied, 'In the sky.' He asked, 'Who am I?' She replied, 'The Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Set her free, for indeed she is a believer.'"  

الطبراني:١٧٠٤٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ثنا مُسَدَّدٌ قَالَا ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ الصَّوَّافِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ جَارِيَةٌ لِي كَانَتْ تَرْعَى غُنَيْمَاتٍ فِي قِبَلِ أُحُدٍ إِذْ اطَلَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا اطِّلَاعَةً فَإِذَا الذِّئْبُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْهَا فَأَنَا مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ «ائْتِنِي بِهَا» فَجِئْتُ بِهَا فَقَالَ «أَيْنَ اللهُ؟» قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ «مَنْ أَنَا؟» قَالَتْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Mālik, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
abudawud:3282Musaddad > Yaḥyá > al-Ḥajjāj al-Ṣawwāf > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Hilāl b. Abū Maymūnah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Muʿāwiyah b. al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī

I said: Messenger of Allah, I have a slave girl whom I slapped. This grieved the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said to him: Should I not emancipate her? He said: Bring her to me. He said: Then I brought her. He asked: Where is Allah ? She replied: In the heaven. He said: Who am I ? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Emancipate her, she is a believer.  

أبو داود:٣٢٨٢حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ الصَّوَّافِ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جَارِيَةٌ لِي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَفَلاَ أُعْتِقُهَا قَالَ ائْتِنِي بِهَا قَالَ فَجِئْتُ بِهَا قَالَ أَيْنَ اللَّهُ قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ مَنْ أَنَا قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ  

malik:38-9Mālik > Hilāl b. Usāmah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > ʿUmar b. al-Ḥakam

Malik related to me from Hilal ibn Usama from Ata ibn Yasar that Umar ibn al-Hakam said, "I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, 'Messenger of Allah, a slave girl of mine was tending my sheep. I came to her and one of the sheep was lost. I asked her about it and she said that a wolf had eaten it, so I became angry and I am one of the children of Adam, so I struck her on the face. As it happens, I have to set a slave free, shall I free her?' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ questioned her, 'Where is Allah?' She said, 'In heaven.' He said, 'Who am I?' She said, 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Free her.' "  

مالك:٣٨-٩حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أُسَامَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ جَارِيَةً لِي كَانَتْ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي فَجِئْتُهَا وَقَدْ فُقِدَتْ شَاةٌ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ فَسَأَلْتُهَا عَنْهَا فَقَالَتْ أَكَلَهَا الذِّئْبُ فَأَسِفْتُ عَلَيْهَا وَكُنْتُ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ فَلَطَمْتُ وَجْهَهَا وَعَلَىَّ رَقَبَةٌ أَفَأُعْتِقُهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَيْنَ اللَّهُ فَقَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَنَا فَقَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْتِقْهَا  

ذِكْرُ إِثْبَاتِ الْإِيمَانِ لِلْمُقِرِّ بِالشَّهَادَتَيْنِ مَعًا

ibnhibban:165al-Faḍl b. al-Ḥubāb > Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Ibn Abū ʿAdī > Ḥajjāj al-Ṣawwāf > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Hilāl b. Abū Maymūnah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Muʿāwiyah b. al-Ḥakam al-Sulamī

[Machine] I had a female servant who used to take care of my sheep in the area of Uhud and Al-Juwwaniyah. One day, I went to visit my sheep and found that a wolf had taken one of them. I felt sorry for the loss, just like any normal human would, so I hit the servant with a strong blow. It deeply affected me, so I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Shouldn't I set her free?" He responded, "Bring her to me." So I brought her to him and he asked, "Where is Allah?" She replied, "In the heavens." He asked, "Who am I?" She said, "You are the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." He said, "Set her free, for she is a believer."  

ابن حبّان:١٦٥أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ الصَّوَّافِ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

كَانَتْ لِي غُنَيْمَةٌ تَرْعَاهَا جَارِيَةٌ لِي فِي قِبَلِ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ فَاطَّلَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ الذِّئْبُ مِنْهَا بِشَاةٍ وَأَنَا مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ فَصَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً فَعَظُمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَفَلَا أَعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ «ائْتِنِي بِهَا» فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ «أَيْنَ اللَّهُ؟ » قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ «مَنْ أَنَا؟ » قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ»  

nasai-kubra:8535ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá > Ḥajjāj > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Hilāl b. Abū Maymūnah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Muʿāwiyah b. al-Ḥakam al-Salamī

[Machine] I had a neighbor who would graze my sheep in the outskirts of Uhud and Al-Jawwaniyah. I once went to check on them and found that a wolf had taken one of them. I felt sad as any human would, but I struck the wolf a blow. I then went to the Prophet ﷺ and told him what had happened. He became angry with me, and I said, "Shouldn't I set her free, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet ﷺ asked her, "Who am I?" She replied, "You are the Messenger of Allah." He then asked her, "Where is Allah?" She answered, "He is in the heavens." Abu Abdur Rahman said, in this Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said, "Set her free, for she is a believer, and I did not understand it as I intended."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٥٣٥أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي هِلَالُ بْنُ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السَّلَمِيِّ قَالَ

كَانَتْ لِي جَارِيَةٌ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي فِي قُبُلِ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ فَاطَّلَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا اطِّلَاعَةً فَإِذَا الذِّئْبُ قَدْ أَخَذَ مِنْهَا شَاةً وَأَنَا مِنْ بَنِي آدَمِ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَعَظُمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ قُلْتُ «أَلَا أَعْتِقُهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟» قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَهَا «مَنْ أَنَا؟» قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ قَالَ لَهَا «أَيْنَ اللهُ؟» قَالَتْ «فِي السَّمَاءِ» قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَفِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ «أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ وَلَمْ أَفْهَمْهُ كَمَا أَرَدْتُ»  

bayhaqi:19985Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ And ʾAbū ʿAbdullāh Isḥāq b. Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Sūsī Waʾabū Saʿīd b. Abū ʿAmr > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-ʿAbbās b. al-Walīd from my father > al-Awzāʿī > Yaḥyá b. Abū Kathīr > Hilāl b. Abū Maymūnah > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Muʿāwiyah

[Machine] Then I found a captured sheep that a young girl was tending near Uhud and Al-Jawwaniyyah. I saw that a wolf had attacked it. I felt sorry for it, as a human being from the children of Adam feels sorry. So, I killed the sheep by striking it once, then I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and informed him about it. He disapproved of what I did, so I said, "O Messenger of Allah, should I not set it free?" He replied, "Yes, bring it to me." So, I brought it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and he asked it, "Where is Allah?" It replied, "He is in the sky." He then asked, "Who am I?" It replied, "You are the Messenger of Allah." He said, "Indeed, it is a believer, so set it free."  

البيهقي:١٩٩٨٥أَخْبَرَنَاهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَأَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يُوسُفَ السُّوسِيُّ وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو قَالُوا ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ أنبأ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي ثنا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ حَدَّثَنِي عَطَاءُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيُّ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ فِي الطِّيَرَةِ وَفِي الْعُطَاسِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ

ثُمَّ أَطَلَعْتُ غُنَيْمَةً لِي تَرْعَاهَا جَارِيَةٌ لِي قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ فَوَجَدْتُ الذِّئْبَ قَدْ أَصَابَ مِنْهَا شَاةً وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ فَصَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ بَلَى ائْتِنِي بِهَا قَالَ فَجِئْتُ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهَا أَيْنَ اللهُ؟ قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ فَمَنْ أَنَا ؟ قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ قَالَ إِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ فَأَعْتِقْهَا  

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْأَوْزَاعِيِّ دُونَ قِصَّةِ الْجَارِيَةِ