27/8. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1658d — The Face Is Not to Be Struck
Treatment of slaves, and the expiation of one who slaps his slave
Do Not Strike the Face Hadith: A Clear Warning
Sahih Muslim : 1658d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1658d
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْكَدِرِ مَا اسْمُكَ قُلْتُ شُعْبَةُ . فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو شُعْبَةَ الْعِرَاقِيُّ عَنْ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ مُقَرِّنٍ أَنَّ جَارِيَةً لَهُ لَطَمَهَا إِنْسَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ سُوَيْدٌ أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الصُّورَةَ مُحَرَّمَةٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي وَإِنِّي لَسَابِعُ إِخْوَةٍ لِي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَا لَنَا خَادِمٌ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ فَعَمَدَ أَحَدُنَا فَلَطَمَهُ فَأَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ نُعْتِقَهُ .
Suwaid b. Muqarrin Narrated from:
Suwaid b. Muqarrin reported that he had a slave-girl and a person (one of the members of the family) slapped her, whereupon Suwaid said to him: Don't you know that it is forbidden (to strike the) face. He said: You see I was the seventh one amongst my brothers during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and we had but only one servant. One of us got enraged and slapped him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded us to set him free.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1658dIn-book reference : Book 27, Hadith 51USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 15, Hadith 4084
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1658d
This Hadith gives one of the clearest wordings in this group. Suwaid b. Muqarrin had a slave-girl, and someone slapped her. Suwaid said, “Do you not know that it is forbidden to strike the face?” He then recalled that he was the seventh among his brothers in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and they had only one servant. One of them became angry and slapped him, so the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded them to set him free. The core topic is slave rights, but the main phrase is do not strike the face Hadith. The report warns against acting in anger and points to freeing as the commanded response.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration directly states that striking the face is forbidden.
- Anger led to the slap, but it was not excused in the report.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded the servant to be freed.
- Having only one servant did not remove accountability.
