Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 49

كِتَاب الْعِتْقِ

The Book of Manumission (of Slaves)

43 hadith · 20 chapters

The chapter divisions

Chapters in this book

11- بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي الْعِتْقِ وَفَضْلِهِ:(1) Chapter. What is said regarding the manumission and its superiority.22- بَابُ أَيُّ الرِّقَابِ أَفْضَلُ:(2) Chapter. What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?33- بَابُ مَا يُسْتَحَبُّ مِنَ الْعَتَاقَةِ فِي الْكُسُوفِ وَالآيَاتِ:(3) Chapter. Manumitting slaves at the time of eclipses, or on the appearance of some of other signs of Allah, is recommended.44- بَابُ إِذَا أَعْتَقَ عَبْدًا بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ أَوْ أَمَةً بَيْنَ الشُّرَكَاءِ:(4) Chapter. If one manumits a male slave owned by two persons or a female slave owned by a number of partners.55- بَابُ إِذَا أَعْتَقَ نَصِيبًا فِي عَبْدٍ، وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مَالٌ، اسْتُسْعِيَ الْعَبْدُ غَيْرَ مَشْقُوقٍ عَلَيْهِ، عَلَى نَحْوِ الْكِتَابَةِ:(5) Chapter. Whoever manumits his portion of a common slave and does not possess enough money to manumit him completely, then that slave should be helped to work without hardship to earn what will enable him to get complete freedom according to the writing (of emancipation)66- بَابُ الْخَطَإِ وَالنِّسْيَانِ فِي الْعَتَاقَةِ وَالطَّلاَقِ وَنَحْوِهِ، وَلاَ عَتَاقَةَ إِلاَّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ:(6) Chapter. What is said about manumission and divorce by mistake or forgetfulness. Manumission of slave should be for Allah’s sake only.77- بَابُ إِذَا قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِعَبْدِهِ هُوَ لِلَّهِ. وَنَوَى الْعِتْقَ، وَالإِشْهَادُ فِي الْعِتْقِ:(7) Chapter. If somebody says to his slave that he is for Allah; and by that he intends to manumit him (the slave is manumitted). And the witness for manumission.88- بَابُ أُمِّ الْوَلَدِ:(8) Chapter. Umm Al-Walad (i.e., a slave woman who begets a child for her master).99- بَابُ بَيْعِ الْمُدَبَّرِ:(9) Chapter. The selling of a Mudabbar (i.e., the slave who is declared by his master to be manumitted after his master’s death).1010- بَابُ بَيْعِ الْوَلاَءِ وَهِبَتِهِ:(10) Chapter. The selling and conferring on others of the Wala of a manumitted slave.1111- بَابُ إِذَا أُسِرَ أَخُو الرَّجُلِ أَوْ عَمُّهُ هَلْ يُفَادَى إِذَا كَانَ مُشْرِكًا:(11) Chapter. If the brother or the uncle of somebody was taken as a war prisoner, then can he ransom him if he is a Mushrik?1212- بَابُ عِتْقِ الْمُشْرِكِ:(12) Chapter. Manumission of a Mushrik (pagan, polytheist, idolater)1313- بَابُ مَنْ مَلَكَ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ رَقِيقًا فَوَهَبَ وَبَاعَ وَجَامَعَ وَفَدَى وَسَبَى الذُّرِّيَّةَ:(13) Chapter. Whoever possessed Arab slaves and gave them as a presents, or sold them, or had a sexual relation with the females among them, or accepted their ransom, or took their offspring as captives.1414- بَابُ فَضْلِ مَنْ أَدَّبَ جَارِيَتَهُ وَعَلَّمَهَا:(14) Chapter. The superiority of him who teaches his slave-girl good manners.1515- بَابُ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الْعَبِيدُ إِخْوَانُكُمْ فَأَطْعِمُوهُمْ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ»:(15) Chapter. The saying of Prophet ﷺ: Slaves are your brothers, so feed them with the like of what you eat.”1616- بَابُ الْعَبْدِ إِذَا أَحْسَنَ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ وَنَصَحَ سَيِّدَهُ:(16) Chapter. (The reward of) a slave who worships his Lord (Allah) and he is also honest and faithful to his master.1717- بَابُ كَرَاهِيَةِ التَّطَاوُلِ عَلَى الرَّقِيقِ، وَقَوْلِهِ عَبْدِي، أَوْ أَمَتِي:(17) Chapter. It is disliked to look down upon a slave or to say, "My slave" or "My slave-girl."1818- بَابُ إِذَا أَتَاهُ خَادِمُهُ بِطَعَامِهِ:(18) Chapter. When your servant brings your meal to you?1919- بَابُ الْعَبْدُ رَاعٍ فِي مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ:(19) Chapter. The slave is a guardian of the property of his master.2020- بَابُ إِذَا ضَرَبَ الْعَبْدَ فَلْيَجْتَنِبِ الْوَجْهَ:(20) Chapter. If somebody beats a slave, he should avoid his face.

Opening leaves

First narrations

Bukhari · 2517أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ أَعْتَقَ امْرَأً مُسْلِمًا اسْتَنْقَذَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ عُضْوًا مِنْهُ مِنَ النَّارِThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave." Sa'id bin Marjana said that he narrated that Hadith to 'Al5 narratorsBukhari · 2518حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي مُرَاوِحٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمI asked the Prophet, "What is the best deed?" He replied, "To believe in Allah and to fight for His Cause." I then asked, "What is the best kind of manumission (of slaves)?" He replied, "The manumission of the most expen5 narratorsBukhari · 2519أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْعَتَاقَةِ فِي كُسُوفِ الشَّمْسِThe Prophet (ﷺ) ordered us to free slaves at the time of solar eclipses.8 narrators·parallel chainBukhari · 2520كُنَّا نُؤْمَرُ عِنْدَ الْخُسُوفِ بِالْعَتَاقَةِWe were ordered to free slaves at the time of lunar eclipses.5 narratorsBukhari · 2521مَنْ أَعْتَقَ عَبْدًا بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مُوسِرًا قُوِّمَ عَلَيْهِ ، ثُمَّ يُعْتَقُThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever manumits a slave owned by two masters, should manumit him completely (not partially) if he is rich after having its price evaluated."5 narratorsBukhari · 2522مَنْ أَعْتَقَ شِرْكًا لَهُ فِي عَبْدٍ فَكَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ يَبْلُغُ ثَمَنَ الْعَبْدِ ، قُوِّمَ الْعَبْدُ عَلَيْهِ قِيمَةَ عَدْلٍ ، فَأَعْطَى شُرَكَاءَهُ حِصَصَهُمْ وَعَتَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْعَبْدُ ، وَإِلَّا فَقَدْ عَتَقَ مِنْهAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever frees his share of a common slave and he has sufficient money to free him completely, should let its price be estimated by a just man and give his partners the price of their shares a4 narratorsBukhari · 2523مَنْ أَعْتَقَ شِرْكًا لَهُ فِي مَمْلُوكٍ فَعَلَيْهِ عِتْقُهُ كُلُّهُ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ يَبْلُغُ ثَمَنَهُ ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَالٌ يُقَوَّمُ عَلَيْهِ قِيمَةَ عَدْلٍ ، فَأُعْتِقَ مِنْهُ مَا أَعْتَقَAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever manumits his share of a slave, then it is essential for him to get that slave manumitted' completely as long as he has the money to do so. If he has not sufficient money to pay the pr8 narrators·parallel chainBukhari · 2524مَنْ أَعْتَقَ نَصِيبًا لَهُ فِي مَمْلُوكٍ أَوْ شِرْكًا لَهُ فِي عَبْدٍ ، وَكَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَالِ مَا يَبْلُغُ قِيمَتَهُ بِقِيمَةِ الْعَدْلِ فَهُوَ عَتِيقٌThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who manumits his share of a slave and has money sufficient to free the remaining portion of that slave's price (justly estimated) then he should manumit him (by giving the rest of his price to t5 narratorsBukhari · 2525حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِقْدَامٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ ، أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُفْتِي فِي الْعThat he used to give his verdict regarding the male or female slaves owned by more than one master, one of whom may manumit his share of the slave. Ibn 'Umar used to say in such a case, "The manumitted should manumit the13 narrators·parallel chainBukhari · 2526حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ ابْنُ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ ، سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي النَّضْرُ بْنُ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ، عَنْ بَشِيرِ بْنِ نَهِيكThat the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever frees his portion of a (common) slave."7 narratorsBukhari · 2527مَنْ أَعْتَقَ نَصِيبًا أَوْ شَقِيصًا فِي مَمْلُوكٍ فَخَلَاصُهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي مَالِهِ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ ، وَإِلَّا قُوِّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَاسْتُسْعِيَ بِهِ غَيْرَ مَشْقُوقٍ عَلَيْهِThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever frees his portion of a common slave should free the slave completely by paying the rest of his price from his money if he has enough money; otherwise the price of the slave is to be estimat11 narrators·parallel chainBukhari · 2528إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِي عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا وَسْوَسَتْ بِهِ صُدُورُهَا مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَكَلَّمْThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah has accepted my invocation to forgive what whispers in the hearts of my followers, unless they put it to action or utter it." (See Hadith No. 657 Vol. 8)6 narrators