Mishkat al-Masabih

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One who treats badly those under his authority will not enter paradise.” He was asked whether he had not told them that this people had more slaves and orphans than any other, and replied, “Yes, so treat them as generously as you treat your children and give them food out of what you eat.” They then asked what benefit they got out of the world, and he replied, “A horse which you equip to fight on it in God’s path, and a slave who serves you sufficiently; and when he prays he is your brother.” Ibn Majah transmittted it.

I was brought before God’s Messenger in the year of Uhud when I was fourteen and he sent me back. Then I was brought before him in the year of the Trench when I was fifteen and he gave me permission to fight.* ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz said this represents the difference between fighting men and children. * Ajazani. It may be translated as above or it may mean “he gave me a fighting man's permission”. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

that if any of the polytheists came to him he should send them back to them; that if any of the Muslims went to them they should not send them back; and that he should be allowed to enter the following year and stay in it for three days. When he entered it and the period had passed he went out, and Hamza’s daughter followed him calling, “Uncle, uncle.” ‘Ali took her and held her by the hand, and ‘Ali, Zaid and Ja'far disputed about her. ‘Ali said, “I have taken her, and she is the daughter of my paternal uncle.” Ja'far said, “She is the daughter of my paternal uncle and her maternal aunt is my wife.” Zaid said, “She is my brother’s daughter.” The Prophet then gave decision about her in favour of her maternal aunt, saying, “The maternal aunt is in the position of the mother.” To ‘Ali he said, “You pertain to me and I pertain to you;” to Ja'far, “You resemble my form and nature;” and to Zaid, “You are our brother and client.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather,‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr, told of a woman who said, “Messenger of God, my womb was a vessel to this son of mine, my breasts a water-skin for him, and my lap a guard for him, yet his father has divorced me and wants to take him away from me.” God’s Messenger replied, “You have more right to him as long as you do not marry.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said God’s Messenger gave a boy a choice between his father and his mother. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He told of a woman who came to God's Messenger and said, “My husband wants to take away my son, and he has provided drink and other benefits for me.” The Prophet said, “This is your father and this is your mother, so take whichever of them you wish by the hand.” He took his mother’s hand and she went off with him. Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Darimi transmitted.it.

While I was sitting with Abu Huraira a Persian woman came, to him along with a son of hers. She had been divorced by her husband and they both claimed him. She addressed him in foreign speech telling him that her husband wished to take her son away, and Abu Huraira told them to cast lots for him, saying that to her in foreign speech. Then her husband came and asked who was disputing with him about his son, and Abu Huraira assured him in God's name that the only reason why he said what he had said was because once when he was sitting with God’s Messenger a woman came to him and said, “Messenger of God, my husband wants to take away my son, and he had benefited me and drawn water for me from the well of Abu ‘Inaba.” (Nasa’i has “from sweet water.”) God’s Messenger replied, “Cast lots for him.” Her husband asked, “Who is disputing with me about my son?” and God’s Messenger said, “This is your father and this is your mother, so take whichever of them you wish by the hand,” and he took his mother’s hand. * Mirqat, iii, 536 says that while Sulaiman appears in all texts of the Mishkat, the correct form is Salman. Abu Dawud, Talaq, 35 (in the 2-vol. edn. Cairo, 1348 A.H.) has Salma (or Sulma). See further Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, xii, 253. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but Nasa’i mentioned the version which was traced back to the Prophet. Darimi transmitted it on the authority of Hilal b. Usama.

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, "If anyone emancipates a Muslim slave, God will set free from hell a member of the body for every member of his, even his private parts for his." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Dharr said he asked the Prophet what action was most excellent, and he replied, "Faith in God and jihad in His path." He then asked which slaves were most excellent 1 and he replied. “Those whose price is highest and who are held in most esteem by their people." He asked what he should do if unable to act accordingly 2 and he replied, "You should assist a workman, or work for one who is unskilled." He asked what he should do if unable to act accordingly and he replied, "Do no harm to others 3 for that is sadaqa you bestow on yourself." Bukhari and Muslim. 1. i.e. for the purpose of emancipating them. 2. The Arabic is fa-in lam af'al which is somewhat vague. It most probably means he is asking what he should do if unable to emancipate a slave of such quality. 3. This is an accepted meaning of the Arabic tada'u ‘un-nas min ash-sharr. Another possible meaning is to leave people alone because of their evil.

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib told of a desert Arab who came to the Prophet and said, "Teach me an action which will bring me into paradise.” He replied, "You have asked a large question in few words. Emancipate, a man and set free a slave." He asked if the two were not the same thing, and he replied, "No; emancipating a man is doing it by yourself, and setting free a slave is contributing towards his price. You must also lend for milking a she-camel which has much milk and be well disposed towards a relative who does wrong. If you cannot do that, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, recommend what is reputable and forbid what is disreputable. And if you cannot do that, restrain your tongue from everything but what is good.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

‘Amr b. ‘Abasa reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone builds a mosque that God may be mentioned in it, a house will be built for him in paradise; if anyone emancipates a Muslim, that will be his ransom from jahannam; if anyone develops a grey hair while in 'God’s path, it will be a light for him on the day of resurrection.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

We went to Wathila b. al-Asqa‘ and said, “Tell us a tradition which has no addition or omission.” He replied angrily, “One of you recites when his copy of the Qur’an is hung up in his house, and he makes additions and omissions.” We declared that all we meant was a tradition he had heard from the Prophet, and he said they had gone to God’s Messenger about a friend of theirs who deserved (i.e., hell) for murder, 2 and he replied, “If you emancipate a slave on his behalf God will set free from hell a member of the body for every member of his.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it. 1. Mirqat, iii, 540 gives al-Gharif ad-Dailami but says it should correctly be Ibn ad-Dailami. It adds that Hakim in his Mustadrak says al-Gharif was a laqab of ‘Abdallah b. ad-Dailami, and that in Jami'-al-usul the name is given as al-Gharif b. ‘Ayyash ad-Dailami. This is the form in the Damascus edn. of the Mishkat, the one used in the translation above. It is also given by Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, viii, 245. 2. Mirqat, iii, 541 suggests that the reference may be to someone who had killed a man unintentionally.

Samura b. Jundub reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The most excellent sadaqa is intercession for which a slave is set free.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone emancipates his share in a slave and has enough money to pay the full price for him, a fair price for the slave should be fixed, his partners given their shares, and the slave be thus emancipated; otherwise he is emancipated only to the extent of the first man’s share.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone emancipates a share in a slave, he is to be completely emancipated if he has money; but if he has none, the slave will be required to work to pay for his freedom, but must not be overburdened.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Imran b. Husain said that a man who had no other property emancipated six slaves of his at the time of his death. God’s Messenger called for them, and after dividing them into three sections, casting lots among them, setting two free and keeping four in slavery,* he spoke severely of him. Nasa’i transmitted it on ‘Imran’s authority, but in place of “he spoke severely of him,” he mentioned that the Prophet said, “I was inclined not to pray over him.” In Abu Dawud’s version he said, “Had I been present before his burial, he would not have been buried in a Muslim cemetery.” Muslim transmitted it. *The principle is that at least two-thirds of a dead man's property must go to the heirs.

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “A son does not repay what he owes his father unless he buys him and emancipates him if he finds him in slavery.” Muslim transmitted it.

if anything is left over give it to your family; if anything is left over when they have received something, give it to your relatives; and if anything is left over when they have received something, do thus and thus,” meaning that it should be distributed in front of him, on his right and on his left. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Hasan, on Samura’s authority, reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone gets possession of a relative who is within the prohibited degrees, that person becomes free.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “When a man’s slave-woman bears him a child she becomes free at his death.”* Darimi transmitted it. * The text has 'au durbur in minhu au ba'dahu’ indicating a doubt on the part of a transmitter as to which words were used. Both expressions amount to the same thing so it seems sufficient to give "at his death" in the translation above.