The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 183
V - Conduct of the Holy Prophet sa with Slaves and His Teachings on the Issue of Slavery 183 then he should feed him what he eats himself and he should clothe him with what he wears himself. Do not burden your slaves with a task that is beyond their capacity and if you do, then assist them in this task yourselves. ’” 1 The words “assist them” also indicate that the task assigned should not be of a nature that if the master was required to do it himself, he would consider it degrading. Rather, the task should be of such as could be performed by the master as well and one he was prepared to perform himself. This Ḥadīth is very clear in its meaning and it is categorical evidence of the fact that the teaching brought by the Holy Prophet sa has not only commanded that slaves be treated well, but also with the utmost kindness. Most definitely, the like of this cannot be found in any other religion or nation. Moreover, the true objective of this teaching was actually to ensure that Muslims fully considered their slaves as brothers. They were taught to keep slaves exactly as they lived themselves, so that their civilization and society was elevated to exactly the same level as those who were free, and feelings of inferiority were dispelled from their hearts completely. Otherwise, such an in depth teaching would not have been given, whereby it was instructed that slaves should be kept exactly as a person lived himself, merely for the purpose of treating them well. After all, there is such a thing as giving regard to status, and Islām accepts this as well. Then it is narrated in a Ḥadīth : عَن ْ عُبَادَة َ بْن ِ الْوَلِیْد ِ بْن ِ عُبَادَة َ الصَّامِت ِ قَال َ لَقِیْنَا اَبَا الْیُسْر ِ صَاحِب َ رَسُوْل ِ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی َ اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ وَمَعَه ٗ غُلَام ٌ وَعَلَیْه ِ بُرْدَة ٌ وَمَعَافِرِی ٌّ قَال َ قُلْت ُ لَه ٗ یَا عَم ِّ لَو ْ اَنَّك َ اَخَذْت ٌ بُرْدَة َ غُلَامِك َ وَاَعْطَیْتَه ٗ مَعَافِرَیْك َ وَاُخَذْت َ مَعَافِرَیْه ِ وَاَعْطَیْتَه ٗ بُرْدَتَك َ فَكَانَت ْ عَلَیْك َ حُلَّة َ وَعَلَیْه ِ حُلَّة ٌ قَال َ فَمَسَح َ رَاٴسِی ْ وَقَال َ اَللّٰھُم َّ بَارِك ْ فِیْه ِ ثُم َّ قَال َ یَا ابْن َ اَخِی ْ بَصُرَت ْ عَیْنَای َ ھَاتَان ِ وَسَمِعَتْه ُ اُذُنَای َ ھَاتَان وَوَعَاه ُ قَلْبِی ْ ھٰذَا مِن ْ رَسُوْل ِ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم ِ وَھُو َ یَقُوْل ُ اَطْعِمُوْھُم ْ مِمَّا تَاٴْكُلُوْن َ وَاكْسُوْھُم ْ مِمَّا تَلْبِسُوْن َ فَكَان َ اِن ْ اَعْطَیْتُه ٗ مِن ْ مَتَاع ِ الدُّنْیَا اَحَب َّ اِلَی َّ مِن ْ اَن یَّاْخُذ َ مِن ْ حَسَنَاتِی ْ یَوْم َ الْقِیَامة 1 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-‘Itq, Bābu Qaulin-Nabiyyi sa Al-‘Abīdu Ikhwānukum. . . . , Ḥadīth No. 2545