84/7. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6716 — Mudabbar and Property Need
Manumission of Mudabbar, and Umm Walad and a Mukatab for expiation; and the manumission of a bastard
وَقَالَ طَاوُسٌ يُجْزِئُ الْمُدَبَّرُ وَأُمُّ الْوَلَدِ.
Mudabbar Slave Hadith: Property, Need, and Sale
Sahih Bukhari : 6716
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6716
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ دَبَّرَ مَمْلُوكًا لَهُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَالٌ غَيْرُهُ فَبَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَنْ يَشْتَرِيهِ مِنِّي ". فَاشْتَرَاهُ نُعَيْمُ بْنُ النَّحَّامِ بِثَمَانِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَسَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ عَبْدًا قِبْطِيًّا مَاتَ عَامَ أَوَّلَ.
`Amr Narrated from:
Jabir said: An Ansari man made his slave a Mudabbar and he had no other property than him. When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard of that, he said (to his companions), "Who wants to buy him (i.e., the slave) for me?" Nu'aim bin An-Nahham bought him for eight hundred Dirhams. I heard Jabir saying, "That was a coptic slave who died in the same year."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6716In-book reference : Book 84, Hadith 9USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 79, Hadith 707
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6716
This hadith mentions an Ansari man who made his slave a Mudabbar while having no other property. A Mudabbar, according to the wording of the narration, was the slave involved in this arrangement, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم responded after hearing about the case. He asked, “Who wants to buy him for me?” Nu'aim bin An-Nahham bought the slave for eight hundred dirhams. Jabir then added that the slave was Coptic and died in the same year. For those searching for a Mudabbar slave hadith, the main point in this text is the Prophet’s action when the man had no property besides that slave. The hadith keeps the focus on a real case involving ownership, need, and sale.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم addressed a real property issue brought to his attention.
- The man’s lack of other property is part of the case.
- The slave was sold for eight hundred dirhams as stated in the text.
- The narration shows that financial realities were considered.
