Allah, the Almighty, sent the noble personality of Muhammad ﷺ as a mercy for all humanity. Your ﷺ entire life is filled with mercy and compassion. You ﷺ dealt with conversations, transactions, work, and all kinds of matters with excellent conduct. Allah has set the best example in your life, and the reflection of this example is clearly and perfectly visible in both the Meccan and Medinan periods.
In this writing, we will learn about the aspect of the noble personality of the Prophet ﷺ regarding how he treated his servants. In this subject, the book and Sunnah mention three types of people who have several differences, but all three are related to work and service. Therefore, I will include the texts related to all three types in this article so that the element of good interaction with servants can be presented before you.
One is the slave or bondservant who comes into the hands of Muslims as spoils of war; they are not free but are the slaves of their owners. The second is the servant who is employed for wages or serves someone as a favor without slavery. The third is the laborer who performs some work or service for someone for a limited time for wages.
All three are counted among the servants of society, and at this time, the era of slavery is not present, while two types of servants (servants and laborers) will always remain. Regarding them, first, I will present the rights of servants in the light of Muhammadan teachings, then I will present the practical example of your ﷺ.
(1) The servant who is employed for wages should not have a delay in the payment of the agreed wages but should be paid on time. Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أعطوا الأجيرَ أجرَهُ قبلَ أن يجفَّ عرقُهُ(صحيح ابن ماجه:1995)
Translation: Pay the laborer his wages before his sweat dries.
(2) Not paying the agreed wages to servants or reducing them is a cause of Allah’s displeasure on the Day of Judgment. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
قالَ اللَّهُ تَعالَى: ثَلاثَةٌ أنا خَصْمُهُمْ يَومَ القِيامَةِ، رَجُلٌ أعْطَى بي ثُمَّ غَدَرَ، ورَجُلٌ باعَ حُرًّا فأكَلَ ثَمَنَهُ، ورَجُلٌ اسْتَأْجَرَ أجِيرًا فاسْتَوْفَى منه ولَمْ يُعْطِهِ أجْرَهُ.(صحيح البخاري:2270)
Translation: Allah Almighty says that there are three types of people for whom I will be the claimant on the Day of Judgment: One who made a covenant in My name and then broke the promise; the second is one who sold a free person and consumed his price; and the third is one who employed a laborer, took full work from him but did not pay his wages.
(3) Some servants have fixed tasks while others do not. However, Islam commands us not to burden servants with work beyond their capacity. If heavy work is assigned to servants, we should assist them. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إخوانُكم جعلَهمُ اللَّهُ فتيةً تحتَ أيديكم فمن كانَ أخوهُ تحتَ يدِهِ فليطعمْهُ من طعامِهِ وليلبسْهُ من لباسِهِ ولاَ يُكلِّفْهُ ما يغلبُهُ فإن كلَّفَهُ ما يغلبُهُ فليعنْهُ(صحيح الترمذي:1945)
Translation: Your servants are your brothers whom Allah has put under your authority. So, whoever has a brother under him, he should feed him from what he eats, clothe him from what he wears, and not burden him with work that he cannot bear. And if he does burden him with such work, he should help him.
(4) From the above hadith, an important point is understood that servants and laborers are our brothers, and we should treat them fraternally and avoid behavior that is unpleasant to subordinates.
(5) We should deal kindly with our servants, meaning we should maintain good manners and character when dealing with them. Even if the servant or slave behaves badly, we should maintain our good character and practice forgiveness and pardon. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: إنْ أحسَنوا فاقبَلوا ، وإنْ أساؤوا فاعفُوا ، وإنْ غلَبوكُم فَبيعوا(صحيح الترغيب:2283)
Translation: If a slave treats you well, accept it; and if he treats you badly, forgive him; and if he overpowers you, then sell him.
(6) When a servant or laborer makes a mistake in any work, he should be forgiven. Our hearts should be so generous that we can forgive seventy times a day. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
جاءَ رجلٌ إلى النَّبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالَ: يا رسولَ اللَّهِ كم أعفو عنِ الخادمِ فصمتَ عنه رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثمَّ قالَ يا رسولَ اللَّهِ كم أعفو عنِ الخادمِ فقالَ: كلَّ يومٍ سبعينَ مرَّةً( صحيح الترمذي:1948)
Translation: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: O Messenger of Allah! How many times should I forgive my servant’s mistakes? The Prophet remained silent. He asked again: O Messenger of Allah! How many times should I forgive my servant’s mistakes? He said: Forgive him seventy times a day.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also forbade beating and tormenting slaves and servants. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من لاءَمَكم مِن مملوكيكم فأطْعِموه مما تأكلون، واكسُوه مما تَلْبَسون ، ومَن لم يلائَمْكم منهم فبِيعوه ولا تعذِّبوا خلقَ اللهِ(صحيح أبي داود:5161)
Translation: Among your slaves and maidservants, those who are agreeable to you, feed them what you eat and clothe them what you wear; and those who are not agreeable to you, sell them. Do not torment Allah’s creation.
Similarly, in Sahih Muslim (1659), it is narrated that Abu Mas’ud al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) struck his servant, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) admonished him and said: أنَّ اللَّهَ أَقْدَرُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْكَ علَى هذا الغُلَامِ، قالَ: فَقُلتُ: لا أَضْرِبُ مَمْلُوكًا بَعْدَهُ أَبَدً۔ (You have as much authority over this servant as Allah has over you). After that, Abu Mas’ud never struck his servant again. In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
If you had freed this servant, the fire would have enveloped you or touched you.
If it becomes necessary to strike a servant at a permissible time, it should be done leaving the face untouched. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: إذا ضرب أحدُكم خادمَه ، فلْجَتَنِبِ الوجْه( صحيح الأدب المفرد:130)
Translation: If anyone has to strike his servant, he should not strike him on the face.
(7) Not only should servants be treated well, but Islam also teaches to avoid contemptuous words when calling them. Before Islam, slaves used to call their masters “my lord” and masters called their slaves “my servant,” which Islam forbade. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا يَقُولَنَّ أحَدُكُمْ: عَبْدِي، فَكُلُّكُمْ عَبِيدُ اللهِ، ولَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ: فَتايَ، ولا يَقُلِ العَبْدُ: رَبِّي، ولَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ: سَيِّدِي.(صحيح مسلم:2249)
Translation: None of you should say to his slave, “My servant,” for you are all servants of Allah. However, he may say, “My young man,” but not “My servant.” He may say, “My lord,” but not “My master.”
(8) Furthermore, Islam’s excellence is shown in that it teaches us to sit and eat with our servants. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا صَنَعَ لأَحَدِكُمْ خادِمُهُ طَعامَهُ، ثُمَّ جاءَهُ به، وقدْ ولِيَ حَرَّهُ ودُخانَهُ، فَلْيُقْعِدْهُ معهُ، فَلْيَأْكُلْ، فإنْ كانَ الطَّعامُ مَشْفُوهًا قَلِيلًا، فَلْيَضَعْ في يَدِهِ منه أُكْلَةً، أوْ أُكْلَتَيْنِ.(صحيح مسلم:1663)
Translation: When one of you has his servant prepare food for him and then presents it before him, and he has endured the heat and smoke in cooking and preparing it, the master should sit with him so that they may eat together. If the food is insufficient for both, he should give him a few morsels from his hand.
Eating with servants is a sign of humility. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما اسْتَكْبَرَ مَنْ أكلَ مَعَهُ خَادِمُهُ ، و رَكِبَ الحِمارَ بِالأَسْوَاقِ ، و اعْتَقَلَ الشَّاةَ فَاحْتَلَبَها(السلسلة الصحيحة:2218)
Translation: He is not arrogant who eats with his servant and rides a donkey in the markets and milks a goat by tying its legs.
(9) It is very easy to accuse servants and laborers because they are the weak segment of society and under the supervision of the master. But Islam has given strict orders regarding accusations against slaves and servants to protect their honor. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say:
مَن قَذَفَ مَمْلُوكَهُ، وَهو بَرِيءٌ ممَّا قالَ، جُلِدَ يَومَ القِيَامَةِ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكونَ كما قالَ(صحيح البخاري:6858)
Translation: Whoever accuses his slave falsely while the slave is innocent of that accusation will be flogged on the Day of Judgment, unless his claim is true.
(10) Among the rights of servants is that you give charity on their behalf. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
أمرَ النَّبيُّ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ بالصَّدقةِ ، فقالَ رجلٌ : يا رسولَ اللَّهِ ، عِندي دينارٌ ، فقالَ : تصدَّق بِهِ على نفسِكَ ، قالَ : عِندي آخرُ ، قالَ : تصدَّق بِهِ على ولدِكَ ، قالَ : عندي آخرُ ، قالَ : تصدَّق بِهِ على زوجتِكَ أو قالَ : زوجِكَ ، قالَ : عندي آخرُ ، قالَ : تصدَّق بِهِ على خادمِكَ ، قالَ : عندي آخرُ ، قالَ : أنتَ أبصَرُ(صحيح أبي داود:1691)
Translation: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded charity, a man said: O Messenger of Allah! I have one dinar. The Prophet said: Use it for your own needs. He said: I have another. The Prophet said: Give it to your son. He said: I have another. The Prophet said: Give it to your wife. He said: I have another. The Prophet said: Give it to your servant. He said: I have another. The Prophet said: Now you know best (to whom to give).
In another hadith, Miqdad ibn Ma’dikarib al-Zubaidi (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما كسبَ الرَّجلُ كَسبًا أطيبُ من عملِ يدِه وما أنفقَ الرَّجلُ على نفسِه وأهلِه وولدِه وخادِمِه فهو صدَقةٌ(صحيح ابن ماجه:1752)
Translation: There is no earning better than that which a man earns by his own labor, and whatever a man spends on himself, his wife, his children, and his servant is charity.
(11) Just as we should not curse our own children, similarly, we should not curse our servants. Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا تَدعوا علَى أنفسِكُم ولا تَدعوا علَى أولادِكُم ولا تَدعوا علَى خدَمِكم ولا تَدعوا علَى أموالِكُم لا تُوافقوا منَ اللَّهِ تبارَك وتعالى ساعةَ نَيلٍ فيها عَطاءٌ فيَستجيبَ لَكُم(صحيح أبي داود:1532)
Translation: Do not curse yourselves, nor your children, nor your servants, nor your wealth, lest it be a time when supplications are accepted and Allah accepts your curse.
Once, when Abdul Malik ibn Marwan cursed his servant for a slight delay, Umm Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she heard Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: لَا يَكُونُ اللَّعَّانُونَ شُفَعَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ(صحیح مسلم :2598)
Translation: Those who curse excessively will neither intercede nor bear witness on the Day of Judgment.
(12) When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was departing from this world, his last will was to treat slaves kindly, which clarifies the status and rank of slaves and servants in Islam. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: كَانَ آخِرُ كَلَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةَ الصَّلَاةَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِيمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ.( صحيح أبي داود:5156)
Translation: The last words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) (at the time of his passing) were: Take care of prayer, take care of prayer, and fear Allah regarding those whom your right hands possess (slaves and maidservants).
These are some important rights related to servants, all of which are from the sayings of Muhammad (peace be upon him). From these golden and pure rights of servants, it is evident that our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) treated his servants in the same manner because his life is the best example for us. He practiced what he preached. Now, I will present practical examples from the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding good treatment and excellent behavior with servants to clarify the topic well.
Before writing about the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) behavior with servants, I find it appropriate to present the names of the Prophet’s servants from the book Zad al-Ma’ad by Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him). I am not mentioning slaves and maidservants because the main topic is related to servants. Among the Prophet’s servants were Anas ibn Malik, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Uqbah ibn Amir Jahni, Islah ibn Sharik, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Ayman ibn Ubayd, Umm Ayman, Bilal ibn Rabah, and Sa’d. Other biographers have mentioned more names, among which one important name, about whom a hadith will be mentioned later, is Rabi’ah ibn Ka’b al-Aslami.
Now we observe the behavior and treatment of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ towards his servants.
(1) You cared for your servants so much that the one serving you did not prefer to leave you. Consider this incident: Zubayr bin Haritha رضي الله عنه’s brother Jibalah bin Haritha رضي الله عنه narrates: قَدِمْتُ على رسولِ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ فقُلتُ: يا رسولَ اللَّهِ ابعَث معي أخي زيدًا قالَ: هوَ ذا، فإن انطلقَ معَكَ لم أمنَعهُ. قالَ زيدٌ: يا رسولَ اللَّهِ، واللَّهِ لا أختارُ عليكَ أحدًا، قالَ: فرأيتُ رأيَ أخي أفضلَ مِن رأيي(صحيح الترمذي:3815)
Translation: I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: O Messenger of Allah! Send my brother Zaid with me. He said: He is present; if he wants to go with you, I will not stop him. Upon hearing this, Zaid said: By Allah! I cannot prefer anyone over you. Jibalah says: So I saw that my brother’s opinion was better than mine.
(2) Whatever you ate or drank, you also gave to your servant. It is in Sahih Muslim that the Nabidh prepared for you ﷺ was also given to your servant.
(3) You never scolded or hit your servants. Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha رضي الله عنها says: ما ضربَ رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، خادمًا، ولا امرأةً قطُّ.(صحيح أبي داود:4786)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never hit any servant, nor any woman.
(4) You ﷺ prayed for your servants. Anas رضي الله عنه narrates:
قَالَتْ أُمِّي: يا رَسولَ اللَّهِ، خَادِمُكَ أنَسٌ، ادْعُ اللَّهَ له، قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ أكْثِرْ مَالَهُ، ووَلَدَهُ، وبَارِكْ له فِيما أعْطَيْتَهُ(صحیح البخاری:6344)
Translation: My mother (Umm Sulaym رضي الله عنها) said: O Messenger of Allah! Anas رضي الله عنه is your servant; please pray for him. The Prophet ﷺ prayed: O Allah! Increase his wealth and offspring and bless what You have given him.
(5) You cared for the needs of your servants and inquired about them. The Prophet ﷺ’s servant or maid narrates, saying:
كان ممَّا يقولُ للخادمِ : ألكَ حاجةٌ ؟ قال : حتى كان ذاتَ يومٍ فقال : يا رسولَ اللهِ ! حاجتي ، قال : و ما حاجتك ؟ قال : حاجَتي أن تشفعَ لي يومَ القيامةِ قال : و من دلَّكَ على هذا ؟ قال : ربِّي ، قال : أما لا ، فأعنِّي بكثرةِ السجودِ(السلسلة الصحيحة:2102)
Translation: You ﷺ used to ask your servant: “Do you have any need?” One day the servant said: O Messenger of Allah! I have a need. You ﷺ asked: What is your need? He said: My need is that you intercede for me on the Day of Judgment. You ﷺ said: Who guided you to this request? He said: My Lord. You ﷺ said: Why not! Then help me by frequent prostrations.
How good were the servants of the past, who did not worry about the world but thought about the Hereafter, and they were blessed with your companionship ﷺ. A hadith with this meaning is as follows. Hazrat Rabi’ah bin Ka’b (bin Malik) Aslami رضي الله عنه said:
كُنْتُ أبِيتُ مع رَسولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ فأتَيْتُهُ بوَضُوئِهِ وحَاجَتِهِ فَقالَ لِي: سَلْ فَقُلتُ: أسْأَلُكَ مُرَافَقَتَكَ في الجَنَّةِ. قالَ: أوْ غيرَ ذلكَ قُلتُ: هو ذَاكَ. قالَ: فأعِنِّي علَى نَفْسِكَ بكَثْرَةِ السُّجُودِ.(صحيح مسلم:489)
Translation: I used to spend the night serving the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (near you on Safa). When you would get up for Tahajjud, I would bring water for ablution and other necessities to serve you. Once you said to me: Ask for something. I said: I want to be with you in Paradise. You said: Anything else? I said: That is all. You said: Then help me in your matter by frequent prostrations.
Learn from another hadith how Rabi’ah served you ﷺ so that the love for the Prophet may awaken in us. Rabi’ah narrates:
كُنتُ أخدُمُ رَسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ وأقومُ له في حَوائِجِه نَهاري أجمَعَ، حتى يُصلِّيَ رَسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ العِشاءَ الآخِرةَ، فأجلِسَ ببابِه إذا دَخَلَ بَيتَه، أقولُ: لَعَلَّها أنْ تَحدُثَ لِرسولِ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ حاجةٌ؛ فما أزالُ أسمَعُه يَقولُ رَسول اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ: سُبحانَ اللهِ، سُبحانَ اللهِ، سُبحانَ اللهِ وبَحمْدِه، حتى أمَلَّ فأرجِعَ، أو تَغلِبَني عَينيَّ، فأرقُدَ( إرواء الغليل :2/208 وقال البانی اسنادہ حسن)
Translation: I used to serve the Noble Prophet ﷺ and spent the whole day fulfilling your needs until the Prophet ﷺ performed the Isha prayer. After Isha, when you went home, I would sit at your door. I thought that maybe the Messenger of Allah ﷺ might need something. I would listen for a long time to your voice reciting سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہِ، سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہِ، سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہِ وَبِحَمْدِہِ until I would get tired and return, or my eyes would become heavy and I would fall asleep.
(6) Hazrat Anas رضي الله عنه served you for ten years, and he shared the experience of this decade of service that Muhammad ﷺ never said to us, “Why did you do this work like this?” or “Why did you not do this work?” Listen to the statement of the servant of the Prophet, Anas رضي الله عنه, in his own words:
قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ لَيْسَ لَهُ خَادِمٌ، فَأَخَذَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ بِيَدِي، فَانْطَلَقَ بِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ أَنَسًا غُلَامٌ كَيِّسٌ فَلْيَخْدُمْكَ، قَالَ: فَخَدَمْتُهُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَالْحَضَرِ، مَا قَالَ لِي لِشَيْءٍ صَنَعْتُهُ لِمَ صَنَعْتَ هَذَا هَكَذَا، وَلَا لِشَيْءٍ لَمْ أَصْنَعْهُ لِمَ، لَمْ تَصْنَعْ هَذَا هَكَذَا(صحیح البخاری:2768)
Translation: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, he had no servant with him. So Abu Talhah (my stepfather) took my hand and brought me to serve the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: O Messenger of Allah! Anas is an intelligent boy; he will serve you. Anas رضي الله عنه says: I served you ﷺ in travel and residence. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never said to me about any work I had done, “Why did you do this work like this?” Nor did he say about any work I had not done, “Why did you not do this work like this?”
From the example of the Prophet ﷺ, estimate from an incident about Sayyidna Anas رضي الله عنه how kind, gentle-hearted, and compassionate you were in taking work from your servant. Hazrat Anas رضي الله عنه narrates:
كانَ رَسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ مِن أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ خُلُقًا، فأرْسَلَنِي يَوْمًا لِحَاجَةٍ، فَقُلتُ: وَاللَّهِ لا أَذْهَبُ، وفي نَفْسِي أَنْ أَذْهَبَ لِما أَمَرَنِي به نَبِيُّ اللهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، فَخَرَجْتُ حتَّى أَمُرَّ علَى صِبْيَانٍ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ في السُّوقِ، فَإِذَا رَسولُ اللهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ قدْ قَبَضَ بقَفَايَ مِن وَرَائِي، قالَ: فَنَظَرْتُ إلَيْهِ وَهو يَضْحَكُ، فَقالَ: يا أُنَيْسُ، أَذَهَبْتَ حَيْثُ أَمَرْتُكَ؟ قالَ: قُلتُ: نَعَمْ، أَنَا أَذْهَبُ يا رَسولَ اللَّهِ.( صحيح مسلم:2310)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best in character among all people. One day he sent me on an errand. I said: By Allah! I will not go. Although in my heart, I intended to go for the task the Prophet ﷺ had commanded me. So I went, and when I passed by some boys playing in the market, suddenly I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grabbed me by the back from behind. I looked at you, and you were smiling. You said: O little Anas! Did you go where I told you to go? I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! I am going.
(7) Sometimes you visited your servant’s home, and if any servant fell ill, you would visit them. Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه narrated:
كانَ غُلَامٌ يَهُودِيٌّ يَخْدُمُ النبيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، فَمَرِضَ، فأتَاهُ النبيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ يَعُودُهُ، فَقَعَدَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ، فَقالَ له: أسْلِمْ، فَنَظَرَ إلى أبِيهِ وهو عِنْدَهُ فَقالَ له: أطِعْ أبَا القَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ، فأسْلَمَ، فَخَرَجَ النبيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ وهو يقولُ: الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الذي أنْقَذَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ.(صحيح البخاري:1356)
Translation: A Jewish boy (Abdul Quddus) used to serve the Noble Prophet ﷺ. One day he became ill. You ﷺ came to check on him and sat beside him and said: Become a Muslim. He looked at his father, who was present there. He said: (What harm is there?) Accept what Abu al-Qasim ﷺ says. So the boy embraced Islam. When the Prophet ﷺ left, he said: Praise be to Allah who saved this boy from Hellfire.
(8) You treated your servants with justice and kindness. Once the Prophet ﷺ was at Aisha رضي الله عنها’s house when a servant brought something in a bowl from Zainab bint Jahsh رضي الله عنها’s house. Lady Aisha, in anger, hit the servant’s hand, breaking the bowl. The Prophet ﷺ himself collected the broken pieces and the spilled food, then ordered a new bowl from the house where it was broken and sent it back, leaving the broken one in that house.
(9) Servants and attendants are also part of society. You ﷺ looked at them with respect and honored them. Besides your own servants, the servants of Medina were equally respected by you, and you treated all with good manners and kindness. Hazrat Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه narrates:
كانَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ إذَا صَلَّى الغَدَاةَ جَاءَ خَدَمُ المَدِينَةِ بآنِيَتِهِمْ فِيهَا المَاءُ، فَما يُؤْتَى بإنَاءٍ إلَّا غَمَسَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا، فَرُبَّما جَاؤُوهُ في الغَدَاةِ البَارِدَةِ، فَيَغْمِسُ يَدَهُ فِيهَا.(صحيح مسلم:2324)
Translation: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished the morning prayer, the servants (slaves) of Medina would bring vessels containing water. Whatever vessel was brought before you ﷺ, you would dip your blessed hand in it. Sometimes, even in the cold morning, when vessels were brought, you would still dip your hand in them.
Similarly, in another hadith, Anas bin Malik narrates the state of the Prophet’s ﷺ excellent character:
إنْ كَانَتِ الأمَةُ مِن إمَاءِ أهْلِ المَدِينَةِ، لَتَأْخُذُ بيَدِ رَسولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّمَ فَتَنْطَلِقُ به حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ.(صحيح البخاري:6072)
Translation: A maid among the maids of Medina would hold your hand and take you wherever she wanted for any of her tasks.
The essence of the above is that servants are also part of society and should be given the same status as other classes. This is why Islam has given servants a high status, defined their rights, and you ﷺ set a perfect example for the world by treating servants well. A person’s virtue is revealed when they treat the weak and their subordinates kindly, and when subordinates praise their master’s virtues, it is even more significant. The Prophet ﷺ was endowed with the highest standards of character and came to perfect moral values. Therefore, just as you ﷺ treated your family and companions well, you also treated your servants in the best possible manner. At this point, we must reflect on how we treat our subordinates. How closely does our character align with the exemplary conduct of the Prophet ﷺ? If there are flaws in our character—and there certainly will be—then we should reform ourselves and adopt the Prophet’s example. Treat servants and slaves, all family members, relatives, friends, neighbors, scholars and artisans, the sick and needy, the poor and destitute, and even non-Muslims with kindness so that through our good manners and noble character, the light of Islam may be kindled in their hearts.
Finally, some weak hadiths related to servants that are prevalent among the public are being mentioned so that we avoid narrating these weak hadiths.
(1) Abu Saeed Khudri رضي الله عنه says that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إذا ضربَ أحدُكُم خادمَهُ فذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فارفَعوا أيديَكُم(ضعيف الترمذي:1950)
Translation: If any of you strikes his servant and the servant mentions the name of Allah, then restrain your hand.
(2) نهَى عن استئجارِ الأجيرِ حتَّى يبيِّنَ لهُ أجرُهُ(ضعيف الجامع:6030)
Translation: It is forbidden to make a laborer work before agreeing on his wage.
(3) لا تضرِبوا إماءَكم علَى كسرِ إِنَّائكم ، فإِنَّ لِها آجالًا كآجالِ الناسِ(ضعيف الجامع:6240
Translation: Do not beat servants or employees over broken utensils! Because, like people, utensils also have a fixed lifespan.
Al-Albani has declared this hadith weak.
(4) Hazrat Amr bin Harith narrates that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: ما خفَّفتَ عن خادمِك من عملهِ ؛ فهو أجرٌ لك في موازينِك يومَ القيامةِ( السلسلة الضعيفة:4437)
Translation: The more you lessen the responsibilities of your servant, the more reward you will have recorded in your book of deeds in return.
(5) The Prophet ﷺ says: حسن الملكة يمن، وسوء الخلق شؤم( ضعيف أبي داود:5163)
Translation: Treating slaves and maidservants well brings blessings, and ill-tempered behavior brings misfortune.
(6) It is narrated from Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ سَيِّئُ الْمَلَكَةِ
)
Translation: The person who mistreats servants will not enter Paradise.
(7)الأكلُ مع الخادمِ من التواضُعِ(ضعيف الجامع:2291) Al-Albani said: Weak. Translation: Eating with the servant is a form of humility.
(8)الخادمُ في أمانِ اللهِ عزَّ وجلَّ ، ما دامَ الخادمُ في خدمةِ المؤمنِ(لسان الميزان:4/191) Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said: Weak.
Translation: As long as the servant is serving a believer, he is under the protection of Allah.
(9)الأكلُ مع الخادِمِ من التواضعِ، فمن أكل معه اشتاقت إليه الجنةُ(السلسلة الضعيفة:612) Al-Albani said: Weak.
Translation: Eating with the servant is a form of humility, so whoever eats with him, Paradise becomes desirous of him.
(10)إذا ابتاعَ أحدُكُم الخادِمَ ، فليكُن أوَّلُ شيءٍ يُطعِمُهُ الحلوَى ، فإنَّهُ أطيَبُ لنفسِهِ( ضعيف الجامع:272)
Translation: When any of you buys a servant (slave), he should feed him sweet things first because it is pure for the soul.
In another weak narration:
إذا اشْتَرَى أحدُكُمْ الجارِيةَ ، فلْيكُنْ أوَّلَ مايُطعِمُها الحُلْوُ ، أطْيبُ لنفْسِها(ضعيف الجامع:369)
Translation: Whoever among you buys a maidservant, he should feed her sweet things first because it is pleasing to the soul.
