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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتابBook of Good Treatment of Servants
بَابُ سِبَابِ الْعَبِيدِChapter: Insulting Slaves
Hadith 189
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا وَاصِلٌ الأَحْدَبُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَعْرُورَ بْنَ سُوَيْدٍ يَقُولُ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَعَلَيْهِ حُلَّةٌ وَعَلَى غُلاَمِهِ حُلَّةٌ، فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي سَابَبْتُ رَجُلاً فَشَكَانِي إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ”أَعَيَّرْتَهُ بِأُمِّهِ؟“ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ”إِنَّ إِخْوَانَكُمْ خَوَلُكُمْ، جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَمَنْ كَانَ أَخُوهُ تَحْتَ يَدَيْهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُلْبِسْهُ مِمَّا يَلْبَسُ، وَلاَ تُكَلِّفُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ، فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ.“
Suwaid bin Mu'arrur says that I saw Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) wearing a pair of clothes, and his slave was also wearing a similar pair. We asked him about this, so he said: I once spoke harshly to a man (my slave), and he complained about me to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Did you reproach him about his mother?" I said: Yes! Then he said: "Your servants are your brothers, whom Allah has placed under your authority. So, whoever has his brother under his authority, he should feed him from what he himself eats, and clothe him with what he himself wears. And do not burden them with work beyond their capacity. If you assign them a heavy task, then help them with it."
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
One should not adopt a contemptuous attitude even towards slaves and servants. In particular, to taunt someone regarding lineage and ancestry is extreme ignorance, because all humans are the children of Adam alayhis salam. The slave whom Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu insulted was Bilal bin Rabah radi Allahu anhu, and the insult he uttered was about his mother. He said: “O son of a black woman.” (Shu’ab al-Iman) Upon this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Do you still have ignorance within you?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Iman, Hadith: 30)
From this, it is understood that if one must scold slaves or employees, one should, as much as possible, avoid words that would injure their self-respect.
One should not adopt a contemptuous attitude even towards slaves and servants. In particular, to taunt someone regarding lineage and ancestry is extreme ignorance, because all humans are the children of Adam alayhis salam. The slave whom Abu Dharr radi Allahu anhu insulted was Bilal bin Rabah radi Allahu anhu, and the insult he uttered was about his mother. He said: “O son of a black woman.” (Shu’ab al-Iman) Upon this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Do you still have ignorance within you?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Iman, Hadith: 30)
From this, it is understood that if one must scold slaves or employees, one should, as much as possible, avoid words that would injure their self-respect.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 189
