The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 182
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 182 This injunction is also due to the fundamental purpose mentioned above. Furthermore, another reason was so that an excellent model could be established for the Muslims by the practical example of the Holy Prophet sa. Then He states:. . . . . . . Meaning, “O ye Muslim women! Display not your beauty and embellishments except to your husbands and to such and such near relatives. In other words, observe the limitations of Pardah 1 which have been enjoined upon you. Albeit, you are not required to observe Pardah from your slaves. ” 2 From this verse it becomes evident that the actual purport of this Islāmic teaching relevant to slavery was to ensure that Muslims treated slaves exactly as their own near relatives. This was to the extent that Muslim women were not required to observe Pardah from their slaves, so that feelings of alienation were dispelled completely and such interaction was developed as in the case of relatives. Then, it has been mentioned in a Ḥadīth : َّ أیْت ُ اََبَا ذَر ٍّ الْغِفَارِی ا حَدَّثَنَا وَاصِل ٌ الْاَحْدَب ُ قَال َ سَمِعْت ُ الْمَعَرُوْر َ بْن َ سُوَیْدٍ، قَالَ: رَ ُ ألْنَاہ ُ عَن ْ ذَالِکَ، فَقَال َ اِنِّی ْ سَابَبْت ا َ رَضِی َ اللّٰه ُ عَنْهُ، وَعَلَیْه ِ حُلَّة ٌ وَعَلی ٰ غُلَامِه ِ حُلَّةٌ، فَس رَجُلًا فَشَکَانِی ْ اِلی َ النَّبِی ِّ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ فَقَال َ لِی َ النَّبِی ُّ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّمََ: َ اُعَیَّرْتَه ُ بِاُمِّهِ؟ ثُم َّ قَالَ: اِن َّ اِخْوَانَكُم ْ خَوَلُكُم ْ جَعَلَھُم ُ اللّٰه ُ تَحْت َ اَیْدِیْكُم ْ فَمَن ْ كَان ْ ا یَلْبَس ُ وَلَا تُكَلِّفُوْھُم ْ مَا یَغْلِبُھُم ْ فَاِن َّ اَخُوْه ٗ تَحْت َ یَدِه ٖ فَلْیُطْعِمْه ُ مِمَّا یَاْكُل ُ وَلْیُلْبِسْه ُ مِم ْ كَلَّفْتُمُوْھُم ْ مَا یَغْلِبُھُم ْ فَاَعِیْنُوْھُم Meaning, “Abū Dharr ra narrates that the Holy Prophet sa would state, ‘Your slaves are your brethren. Hence, if an individual has a slave under his control, 1 Islāmic injunction of veiling [Publishers] 2 An-Nūr (24:32)