Freed Slave
Total Hadiths 26
Authentic Prophet Sayings on the Status of a Freed Slave in Islam
According to Islamic scholars, these authentic narrations provide a clear understanding of the legal and social status of a freed slave in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) established that the right of Wala (loyalty or kinship through manumission) belongs exclusively to the person who actually frees the slave or pays their price, as seen in the case of Aisha freeing Barira. Furthermore, the Prophet (ﷺ) strictly forbade selling or gifting this right of Wala. These texts highlight that unlike the pre-Islamic practice of Sa'iba, where freed slaves were left without protection, Islam ensured structured rights. Finally, the act of freeing a slave for the sake of Allah is highly praised, as demonstrated by Abu Huraira, who immediately manumitted his returned slave upon entering Islam.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَدَّادٍ، عَنْ بِنْتِ حَمْزَةَ، - قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي لَيْلَى وَهِيَ أُخْتُ ابْنِ شَدَّادٍ لأُمِّهِ - قَالَتْ مَاتَ مَوْلاَىَ وَتَرَكَ ابْنَةً فَقَسَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَالَهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ ابْنَتِهِ فَجَعَلَ لِيَ النِّصْفَ وَلَهَا النِّصْفَ .
It was narrated that the daughter of Hamzah said: “My freed slave died, leaving behind a daughter. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) divided his wealth between myself and his daughter, giving me half and her half.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2734In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 16English translation : Vol. 4, Book 23, Hadith 2734
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَوْسَجَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ مَاتَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يَدَعْ لَهُ وَارِثًا إِلاَّ عَبْدًا هُوَ أَعْتَقَهُ فَدَفَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِيرَاثَهُ إِلَيْهِ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
A man died at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he left no heir except for a slave whom he had set free. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave the legacy to him.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2741In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 23English translation : Vol. 4, Book 23, Hadith 2741
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، قال: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَوْسَجَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مَاتَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يَدَعْ وَارِثًا إِلاَّ عَبْدًا هُوَ أَعْتَقَهُ فَأَعْطَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِيرَاثَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ إِذَا مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَصَبَةً أَنَّ مِيرَاثَهُ يُجْعَلُ فِي بَيْتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
A Man Died During The Time Of The Messenger Of Allah(S.A.W), And He Did Not Leave Any Heirs Except For A Slave That He Had Freed. So The Prophet Gave Him His Inheritance
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2106In-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 17English translation : Vol. 4, Book 3, Hadith 2106
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ".
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Wala' is for the manumitted (of the slave).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6752In-book reference : Book 85, Hadith 29USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 80, Hadith 744
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الْوَلاَءِ وَعَنْ هِبَتِهِ.
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the selling of the Wala' (of slaves) or giving it as a present.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6756In-book reference : Book 85, Hadith 33USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 80, Hadith 748
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَ جَارِيَةً تُعْتِقُهَا فَقَالَ أَهْلُهَا نَبِيعُكِهَا عَلَى أَنَّ وَلاَءَهَا لَنَا. فَذَكَرَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " لاَ يَمْنَعُكِ ذَلِكِ، فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ".
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
Aisha, the mother of the Believers, intended to buy a slave girl in order to manumit her. The slave girl's master said, "We are ready to sell her to you on the condition that her Wala should be for us." Aisha mentioned that to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "This (condition) should not prevent you from buying her, for the Wala is for the one who manumits (the slave)."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6757In-book reference : Book 85, Hadith 34USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 80, Hadith 749
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَرَادَتْ عَائِشَةُ أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَ بَرِيرَةَ فَقَالَتْ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّهُمْ يَشْتَرِطُونَ الْوَلاَءَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اشْتَرِيهَا، فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ".
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
When Aisha intended to buy Barira, she said to the Prophet, "Barira's masters stipulated that they will have the Wala." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to Aisha), "Buy her, as the Wala is for the one who manumits."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6759In-book reference : Book 85, Hadith 36USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 80, Hadith 751
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قُرِئَ عَلَى مَالِكٍ وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ، قَالَ مَالِكٌ عَرَضَ عَلَىَّ نَافِعٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَ جَارِيَةً تَعْتِقُهَا فَقَالَ أَهْلُهَا نَبِيعُكِهَا عَلَى أَنَّ وَلاَءَهَا لَنَا . فَذَكَرَتْ عَائِشَةُ ذَاكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " لاَ يَمْنَعُكِ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ الْوَلاَءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ " .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
'Aishah, mother of believers (ra), intended to buy a slave-girl to set her free. Her people said: We shall sell her to you on one condition that we shall inherit from her. 'Aishah mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: That should not prevent you, for the right of inheritance belongs to the one who has set a person free.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2915In-book reference : Book 19, Hadith 31English translation : Book 18, Hadith 2909
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، رضى الله عنهما قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الْوَلاَءِ وَعَنْ هِبَتِهِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade selling or giving away the right to inheritance by a manumitted slave.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2919In-book reference : Book 19, Hadith 35English translation : Book 18, Hadith 2913
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، وَسُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الْوَلاَءِ وَعَنْ هِبَتِهِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade selling the right of inheritance or giving it away.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2747In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 29English translation : Vol. 4, Book 23, Hadith 2747
