Treatment of Slaves
Total Hadiths 11
Prophet Muhammad's Guidance on the Kind Treatment of Slaves in Islam
These authentic Hadiths highlight the profound emphasis Islam places on the ethical and kind treatment of individuals under authority. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) beautifully defined slaves as brethren under your control, instructing that they must be fed with the same food you eat and clothed with the same style you wear. He firmly forbade overburdening them beyond their capacity, advising that if a difficult task is assigned, you must assist them. Furthermore, the Prophet (ﷺ) promised a double reward for those who educate, nicely treat, free, and marry a slave-girl, as well as for any slave who faithfully serves their master while perfectly fulfilling their worship to Allah.
حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ، يَقُولُ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لِلْعَبْدِ الْمَمْلُوكِ الصَّالِحِ أَجْرَانِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْلاَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَجُّ وَبِرُّ أُمِّي، لأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَمُوتَ وَأَنَا مَمْلُوكٌ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A pious slave gets a double reward." Abu Huraira added: By Him in Whose Hands my soul is but for Jihad (i.e. holy battles), Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave.
[1] Abū Hurairah mentioned Jihād , Hajj and duty towards mother as obstacles in the way of his wish, because a slave cannot practise any of these actions without his master's permission. ( Qaṣalānī ).Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2548In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 31USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 724
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " نِعْمَ مَا لأَحَدِهِمْ يُحْسِنُ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ وَيَنْصَحُ لِسَيِّدِهِ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Goodness and comfort are for him who worships his Lord in a perfect manner and serves his master sincerely."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2549In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 32USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 725
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ " لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ أَطْعِمْ رَبَّكَ، وَضِّئْ رَبَّكَ، اسْقِ رَبَّكَ. وَلْيَقُلْ سَيِّدِي مَوْلاَىَ. وَلاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ عَبْدِي أَمَتِي. وَلْيَقُلْ فَتَاىَ وَفَتَاتِي وَغُلاَمِي ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You should not say, 'Feed your lord (Rabbaka), help your lord in performing ablution, or give water to your lord, but should say, 'my master (e.g. Feed your master instead of lord etc.) (Saiyidi), or my guardian (Maulai), and one should not say, my slave (Abdi), or my girl-slave (Amati), but should say, my lad (Fatai), my lass (Fatati), and 'my boy (Ghulami).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2552In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 35USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 728
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا أَتَى أَحَدَكُمْ خَادِمُهُ بِطَعَامِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يُجْلِسْهُ مَعَهُ، فَلْيُنَاوِلْهُ لُقْمَةً أَوْ لُقْمَتَيْنِ أَوْ أُكْلَةً أَوْ أُكْلَتَيْنِ، فَإِنَّهُ وَلِيَ عِلاَجَهُ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When your servant brings your meals to you then if he does not let him sit and share the meals, then he should at least give him a mouthful or two mouthfuls of that meal or a meal or two meals, as he has prepared it."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2557In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 39USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 732
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ وَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ فُلاَنٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا قَاتَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَجْتَنِبِ الْوَجْهَ ".
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If somebody fights (or beats somebody) then he should avoid the face."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2559In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 41USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 734
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْعَبْدُ إِذَا نَصَحَ سَيِّدَهُ وَأَحْسَنَ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرُهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ ".
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If a slave is honest and faithful to his master and worships his Lord (Allah) in a perfect manner, he will get a double reward."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2546In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 29USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 722
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا نَصَحَ الْعَبْدُ سَيِّدَهُ، وَأَحْسَنَ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ، كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرُهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ ".
`Abdullah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If a slave serves his Saiyid (i.e. master) sincerely and worships his Lord (Allah) perfectly, he will get a double reward."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2550In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 33USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 726
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، سَمِعَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ فَعَالَهَا، فَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهَا ثُمَّ أَعْتَقَهَا وَتَزَوَّجَهَا، كَانَ لَهُ أَجْرَانِ ".
Abu Musa Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "He who has a slave-girl and educates and treats her nicely and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2544In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 27USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 720
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْمَمْلُوكُ الَّذِي يُحْسِنُ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ، وَيُؤَدِّي إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ الَّذِي لَهُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَالنَّصِيحَةِ وَالطَّاعَةِ، لَهُ أَجْرَانِ ".
Abu Musa Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Mamluk (slave) who worships his Lord in a perfect manner, and is dutiful, sincere and obedient to his Saiyid (master), will get a double reward."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2551In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 34USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 727
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ فَأَدَّبَهَا فَأَحْسَنَ تَأْدِيبَهَا، وَأَعْتَقَهَا وَتَزَوَّجَهَا، فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ، وَأَيُّمَا عَبْدٍ أَدَّى حَقَّ اللَّهِ وَحَقَّ مَوَالِيهِ، فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ ".
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes Allah's right and his master's right will get a double reward."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2547In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 30USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 723
