Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊
«مکاتبت» is a contract between a slave and his master in which, within a specified period, the slave will earn and give a certain amount of money to the master.
When the payment is completed, the slave becomes free.

➋
The fact that the slave earns and attains freedom shows that after being freed, he will be able to stand on his own feet and live an honorable life—especially when he intends to fulfill his promise, then Allah, the Exalted, makes it easy for him, and through his sincerity and hard work, he attains freedom.

➌
To free a slave is a great virtue.
If it is done through the contract of mukatabah, it is still a great virtue, but if he is freed without compensation, then the rank of this virtue increases greatly.

➍
Jihad can only be considered “in the way of Allah” (fi sabilillah) if it is done with sincerity of intention.
If the legal etiquettes of jihad are observed during it, then Allah’s help and support is certainly attained.

➎
Chastity is a prominent characteristic of Islamic society, and one of the major means of maintaining it is marriage (nikah). Although marriage has many other great benefits, protection from indecency and the attainment of chastity is its fundamental purpose.