Bukhari

Hadith Commentary: In the Noble Qur’an, Allah the Exalted has, in many places, while describing the characteristics of the people of faith, prominently mentioned the trait of fulfilling covenants. Then, when a promise or oath is made by invoking the pure name of Allah the Exalted, breaking it or not fulfilling it is a very grave moral crime. For this, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah Himself will become the claimant, and that treacherous servant will be the defendant. He will have no answer. And solely on account of this great crime, he will be thrown into Hell. That is why, in a hadith, breaking a promise has been described as a sign of hypocrisy. If, along with this, a person is also accustomed to betrayal and lying is ingrained in him, then according to the law of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he is considered a complete hypocrite. And his heart becomes entirely devoid of the light of faith.

The second crime is to enslave a free person, sell him, and consume his price; in this, there are three crimes included in order: Firstly, to enslave a free person is itself a crime; then, to sell him unjustly is a crime; then, to consume his price is a crime. This is an even greater compounded crime. Such an oppressor is also one against whom, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah the Exalted Himself will stand as the claimant.

The third criminal is the one who made a laborer do full work, but at the time of payment, dismissed him, and the poor man was left heartbroken. This too is a very great injustice. The ruling is that the laborer’s wage should be paid before his sweat dries. It is precisely such repeated oppressions by capitalists that have given birth to labor unions, which today are established on firm foundations in every country and protect the rights of laborers. Islam, long ago, raised its voice against such evils, which is a conclusive proof of Islam’s being labor- and poor-friendly.

The correspondence between the chapter and the hadith is evident.

Hadith Commentary:
Islahi Sahib writes:
This hadith is of immense value; the words are very pure, the narration itself is pure, and it appears pleasing to the heart, but it is out of place. The commentators also say that the context of this narration is not understood.
From this, he has concluded that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah had the opportunity to collect narrations, but did not get the chance to arrange and refine them, and people began to narrate Sahih Bukhari in its unarranged state.
(Tadabbur-e-Hadith: 1/66)
Islahi Sahib’s statement is contrary to both reason and transmission.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, after compiling the book, continued to teach it to his students for a long time. In reality, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has brought this narration in the middle for a particular point.
He wishes to indicate that just as work is done little by little, there is no harm in giving wages little by little as well. Although the usual practice is that a laborer demands his wages after the completion of a full day or month, he has the right to demand it before the day is complete. The employer should give him the wages for his work and should not withhold it.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The three acts mentioned in the hadith are all major moral crimes.
To make a covenant or promise with someone in the name of Allah and then break it is to be disloyal to Allah.
Such a person will face severe punishment because he did not respect the sanctity of Allah’s name. Furthermore, all Muslims are equal in their freedom, but what greater oppression can there be than for a person to shackle a free individual in the chains of slavery, to strip him of all his rights, and to deprive him of his freedom?
The third is the person who takes work from a laborer without paying him his wages.
In any case, against such criminal people, Allah Himself will be the plaintiff.
There is no limit to the misfortune and failure of such people.
However, if someone, due to ignorance or lack of knowledge, sells a free man, then he will not fall under this warning.

(2)
There are two ways in which a free person can be made a slave:
• To free a slave and then conceal him or deny his freedom.
• After freeing him, to continue to force him into service.
But the situation described in the hadith is even more severe than these two, because it involves enslaving a free person, selling him, and then usurping his price.
(Fath al-Bari: 4/528)

Benefits and Issues:

➊
The mentioned sins pertain to the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad), and these are very grave sins.

➋
Breaking a covenant is, in itself, a major sin (kabirah), and it has been mentioned among the signs of a hypocrite. When this is combined with the sin of not observing the reverence due to Allah, the sin becomes even greater.

➌
Freeing a slave is a very great virtue.
To abduct a free person and make him a slave is the exact opposite act; therefore, it is a very grave sin.

➍
If someone is abducted and made a slave, it is possible that the criminal may someday realize his mistake and set him free. However, once he is sold, it becomes very difficult for him to be freed, and thus the sin becomes even greater.

➎
Hiring someone for work is a bilateral contract: one person will work, and the other will pay him the agreed amount in return.
After the work is completed, it is no longer possible for the worker to break the contract, but the employer, by committing injustice, can usurp his right. Due to the worker’s compulsion, this becomes a major crime, because it involves injustice, breaking a covenant, and consuming what is unlawful (haram).

➏
To be saved from the punishment and disgrace of the Day of Judgment, it is necessary to avoid major sins (kabirah).

➐
Justice and fairness hold great importance in Islam.
An Islamic society is one that adheres to justice and fairness.

➑
Muslims, both individually and collectively, should ensure justice and fairness so that their society may become truly Islamic.