حَدَّثَنَا
أَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا
عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زِيَادٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا
الْأَعْمَشُ ، عَنْ
إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ ، عَنْ
أَبِيهِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ
أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيُّ : " كُنْتُ أَضْرِبُ غُلَامًا لِي بِالسَّوْطِ ، فَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنْ خَلْفِي اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ فَلَمْ أَفْهَمْ الصَّوْتَ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ ، قَالَ : فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنِّي إِذَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا هُوَ ، يَقُولُ : اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ ، قَالَ : فَأَلْقَيْتُ السَّوْطَ مِنْ يَدِي ، فَقَالَ : اعْلَمْ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ عَلَى هَذَا الْغُلَامِ ، فَقُلْتُ : لَا أَضْرِبُ مَمْلُوكًا بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا " ،
Abu Mas'ud al-Badri reported: I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me: Understand, Abu Masud; but I did not recognise the voice due to intense anger. He (Abu Mas'ud) reported: As he came near me (I found) that he was the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was saying: Bear in mind, Abu Mas'ud; bear in mind, Abu Mas'ud. He (Abu Mas'ud) said: I threw the whip from my hand. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Bear in mind, Abu Mas'ud; verily Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave. I (then) said: I would never beat my servant in future.
• • •
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash but with this variation of words: "There fell from my hand the whip on account of his (the Prophet's) awe."
• • •
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported: When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me (saying): Abu Mas'ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have upon him. I turned and (found him) to be Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . I said: Allah's Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you.
• • •
Abu Mas'ud reported that he had been beating his slave and he had been saying: I seek refuge with Allah, but he continued beating him, whereupon he said: I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger, and he spared him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Allah, God has more dominance over you than you have over him (the slave). He said that he set him free.
• • •
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'bah with the same chain of transmitters, but made no mention of (these words) of his: I seek refuge with Allah, I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) .
• • •
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
A slave is a human being who can commit mistakes, and a human is also a slave and creation of Allah, whose Master has far greater rights over His slave, in which humans fall short. Despite this, Allah Ta’ala, being All-Powerful, overlooks the faults and shortcomings of humans, and grants them the opportunity to repent. Therefore, a person should also, if his slave or subordinate commits any mistake or fault, act with forgiveness and forbearance, so that at the time of reckoning, he may become deserving of Allah Ta’ala’s pardon and forgiveness.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 4306
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Abu Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu’s slave kept seeking refuge by invoking Allah, and finally sought refuge in the name of Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Due to this excess, Abu Mas’ud became deserving of punishment. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “If you had not set him free, you would have had to bear the consequences of your oppression and excess.”
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 4308
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
It is not appropriate to be harsh with slaves and servants. In fact, in some narrations, there is a warning against undue harshness towards them or punishing them more than their crime warrants. In this hadith, one can also observe a glimpse of the rank of majesty and awe that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) held by Allah’s decree. Thus, upon the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warning, Abu Mas’ud not only refrained from beating that slave, but also pledged never to beat any slave again, and he remained steadfast upon this for the rest of his life.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 1948
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊
A person, while expressing his anger and power, should always remember that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, possesses greater power than him; therefore, he should always refrain from oppression, otherwise its consequence is the Fire.
➋
This hadith expresses the virtue of Abu Mas'ud (radi Allahu anhu) in that he immediately rectified his mistake, and did so with a most virtuous deed.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 5159