Life of Muhammad — Page 227
sa 227 company of the Prophet sa and who had repeatedly heard the Prophet's sa injunctions regarding the treatment of slaves, has said: "I call God to witness in Whose hands is my life that were it not for the opportunities that I get of joining in holy war and of performing the Pilgrimage and were it not that I have opportunities of serving my old mother, I would have desired to die a slave, for the Holy Prophet sa constantly insisted upon slaves being well and kindly treated" ( Muslim ). Ma ‘ r u r bin Suwaid ra relates: "I saw Ab u Dharr Ghaff a r i ra (a Companion ra of the Holy Prophet sa ) wearing clothes exactly similar to those worn by his slave. I inquired of him the reason of this and he said: ' During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet sa I once taunted a man with his mother having been a slave. Upon this the Holy Prophet sa rebuked me and said: "You still seem to entertain pre-Islamic notions. What are slaves? They are your brethren and the source of your power. God in His wisdom confers temporary authority upon you over them. He who has such authority over his brother should feed him with the kind of food he himself eats; clothe him with the kind of clothes he himself wears and should not set him a task beyond his strength and should himself help him in whatever he is asked to do". ' "On another occasion the Prophet sa said: "When your servant cooks food for you and sets it out before you, you should ask him to sit down with you to eat or at least to partake of a portion of it in your company, for he has established a right in it by working on it' ( Muslim ). TREATMENT OF WOMEN The Holy Prophet sa was very keen on improving the condition of women in society and on securing for them a position of dignity and fair and equitable treatment. Islam was the first religion which conferred upon women the right of inheritance. The Qur’an makes daughters along with s ons heirs to the property left by their