Islam and Slavery — Page 13
13. Again, Bara son of Azib, relates that once an Arab of the desert came to the Holy Prophet and said: "O Prophet of. God, let me know a work by doing which I may go straight to heaven. " The prophet replied: "Your question is brief, but you have asked a big thing. Emancipate a slave; and if you cannot do it alone, do it jointly with others. ” (¹) . . Again, Abu Burdah relates from his father that the. Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of God be upon him) used to say: "If any of you have a slave girl, whom he gives good education and excellent training, and then he emancipates her and marries her, he shall have a two-fold reward. " (2). In addition to the strong recommendations referred to above, it has been laid down in Islam with reference to certain offences that they should be expiated by the emanci pation of slaves. This measure may be understood to lie midway between the commendatory and the mandatory measures. . In this connection the Quran says: "If any Muslim slay a believer unintentionally, he must emancipate a slave and pay the blood-money to the heirs of the slain person, unless they remit it of their own accord. If, however, he does not find a slave to set free, he should fast for two months in succession. " (3). Continuing, the Quran says: "If the person slain belongs to a people who are hostile to the Muslims and are at war with them, then in case the person slain is a Muslim (1) Baihaqi as quoted by Mishkat in Kitab Al-Itq. (2) Bukhari, Kitab Al-Nikah. (3) 4:93.