The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 192
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 192 Then, it is narrated in a Ḥadīth : ِ عَن ْ اَسْمَاء َ بِنْت ِ اَبِی ْ بَكْر ٍ قَالَت ْ اَمَر َ النَّبِی ُّ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ بِالْعَتَاقَة ِ فِی ْ كُسُوْف ِ الشَّمْس Meaning, “Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr ra relates that the Holy Prophet sa would order the Muslims to free a slave on the occasion of a solar eclipse. ” 1 Now we take up the method of freeing slaves by compulsion. In this respect, Islām has proposed various methods. It is related in a Ḥadīth : َ عَن ْ سُوَیْد ِ بْن ِ مُقْرَن ٍ اَن َّ جَارِیَة ً لَه ُ لَطَمَھَا اِنْسَان ٌ فَقَال َ لَه ُ سُوَیْد ٌ اَمَا عَلِمْت َ اَن َّ الصُّوْرَة َ مُحَرَّمَةٌ؟ قَال َ لَقَد ْ رَاٴَیْتُنِی ْ وَاِنِّی ْ لَسَابِع ُ اِخْوَة ٍ لِی ْ مَع َ رَسُوْل ِ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ وَمَا لَنَا خَادِم ٌ غَیْر ُ وَاحِد ٍ فَعَمَد َ اَحَدُنَا فَلَطَمَه ٗ فَاَمَرَنَا رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم ٗ اَن ْ نُعْتِقَه Meaning, “Suwaid ra , a Companion of the Holy Prophet sa relates that we were seven brothers who owned a single slave. Due to some reason, one of us became angry and slapped the slave. When the Holy Prophet sa was informed, he commanded that the slave be freed. ” 2 The very same Ḥadīth is related by Ibni ‘Umar ra as well, in which he mentions that if an individual beats his slave and then sets him free, he shall receive no spiritual reward for this action. The reason being, that the freeing of a slave has been prescribed as the punishment for a master who beats his slave. 3 In other words, one method employed by the Holy Prophet sa to free slaves by compulsion was to prescribe the punishment that if a master beats his slave he must then release him immediately. 1 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-‘Itq, Bābu Mā Yustaḥabba Minal-‘Atāqati Fil-Kusūf. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 2519 2 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān, Bābu Ṣuḥbatil-Mamālīk. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 4304 3 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān, Bābu Ṣuḥbatil-Mamālīk. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 4298