Identifying the Best Slave and Permissibility of Conditional Emancipation
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من أعتق رقبة مسلمة أعتق الله بكل عضو منه عضوا من النار حتى فرجه بفرجه
“Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will free every limb of his from the Fire for every limb of the slave — even the private part for the private part.”
[Bukhari 2517, Muslim 1509]
Many Companions freed large numbers of slaves:
Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه asked the Prophet ﷺ: “Which slave is best to free?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
أنفسها عند أهلها وأكثرها ثمنا
“The one most valuable to his master and highest in price.”
[Bukhari 2518, Muslim 84]
Safīnah Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān رضي الله عنه reported:
“Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها freed me on the condition that I would serve the Prophet ﷺ for as long as he lived.”
[Hasan: Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl 1752, Abu Dawud 3932, Nasa’i 3778, Ibn Majah 252, Ahmad 5/221, Hakim 2/213]
By: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Linguistic & Sharʿī Definition of ʿItq (Emancipation)
- Linguistic: The word ʿItq comes from the verb ʿataqa–yaʿtiqu meaning “to be free.” In the afʿala form (aʿtaqa), it means “to set free.”
[al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 1170; al-Munjid, p. 535] - Sharʿī: To remove ownership from a person for the sake of attaining closeness to Allah. It is recommended (mustaḥabb) but becomes obligatory in certain expiations (kafārāt).
[Subul al-Salām 4/1953]
Virtue of Emancipating Slaves
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
من أعتق رقبة مسلمة أعتق الله بكل عضو منه عضوا من النار حتى فرجه بفرجه
“Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will free every limb of his from the Fire for every limb of the slave — even the private part for the private part.”
[Bukhari 2517, Muslim 1509]
Many Companions freed large numbers of slaves:
- Prophet ﷺ: 63
- ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها: 67
- ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه: 70
- ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه (during siege): 20
- Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām رضي الله عنه: 100
- Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما: 1,000
- Dhū al-Kalāʿ al-Ḥimyarī رضي الله عنه: 8,000 in one day
- ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf رضي الله عنه: 30,000
[Subul al-Salām 4/1955]
Identifying the Best Slave to Free
Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه asked the Prophet ﷺ: “Which slave is best to free?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
أنفسها عند أهلها وأكثرها ثمنا
“The one most valuable to his master and highest in price.”
[Bukhari 2518, Muslim 84]
Conditional Emancipation
Safīnah Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān رضي الله عنه reported:
“Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها freed me on the condition that I would serve the Prophet ﷺ for as long as he lived.”
[Hasan: Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl 1752, Abu Dawud 3932, Nasa’i 3778, Ibn Majah 252, Ahmad 5/221, Hakim 2/213]
