Author: Dr. Muhammad Ziya-ur-Rahman A'zami (رحمه الله)
Chapter: The Reward for the Slave Who Excels in Worship and Loyalty
«باب: ثواب العبد إذا أحسن عبادة ربه ونصح سيده»
❖ «عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: العبد إذا نصح سيده وأحسن عبادة الله، فله أجره مرتين.»
[Agreed Upon: Mālik in al-Istiʾdhān 43; al-Bukhārī 2546; Muslim 1664:43]
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a slave is loyal to his master and performs the worship of Allah well, he will have his reward twice.”
❖ «عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: للعبد المملوك الصالح أجران، والذي نفسي بيده، لولا الجهاد في سبيل الله، والحج، وبر أمي، لأحببت أن أموت وأنا مملوك.»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 2548; Muslim 1665:44]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The righteous slave will have two rewards. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If not for striving in the path of Allah, Hajj, and showing kindness to my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave.”
It is reported that Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) did not perform Hajj until after the death of his mother due to his dedication to serving her.
❖ «عن أبي موسى عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ثلاثة يؤتون أجرهم مرتين...»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 3011; Muslim 154:241]
Narrated by Abū Mūsā (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Three types of people will receive their reward twice:
① A man who has a slave woman, teaches her well, disciplines her well, then frees her and marries her — he gets two rewards.
② A believer from the People of the Book who believed in his previous scripture and then believed in the Prophet ﷺ — he gets two rewards.
③ A slave who fulfills the rights of Allah and the rights of his master — he gets two rewards.”
Then al-Shaʿbī said:
“I’ve given you this narration without hardship. There was a time when people would travel all the way to Madinah for even less than this.”
❖ «عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: نعم ما لأحدهم يحسن عبادة ربه وينصح لسيده...»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 2549; Muslim 2667:46]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“What an excellent condition for one of them — who worships his Lord excellently and is loyal to his master.”
Another version states:
“How excellent is the reward of that slave who dies while excelling in the worship of Allah and serving his master sincerely.”
❖ «عن أبي هريرة، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا أدى العبد حق الله وحق مواليه، كان له أجران.»
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Reported by Muslim 1666:45]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a slave fulfills the rights of Allah and the rights of his masters, he will have a double reward.”
✔ Righteous slaves are promised twofold reward — for worship and loyalty.
✔ This double reward reflects justice and honor for sincere obedience despite limited worldly status.
✔ Even the Prophet ﷺ admired the virtue and reward associated with loyal and devout servitude.
✔ Islam honors all acts of integrity, regardless of social rank.
Chapter: The Reward for the Slave Who Excels in Worship and Loyalty
«باب: ثواب العبد إذا أحسن عبادة ربه ونصح سيده»
✦ Twofold Reward for the Devout and Loyal Slave
❖ «عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: العبد إذا نصح سيده وأحسن عبادة الله، فله أجره مرتين.»
[Agreed Upon: Mālik in al-Istiʾdhān 43; al-Bukhārī 2546; Muslim 1664:43]
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رضي الله عنهما):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a slave is loyal to his master and performs the worship of Allah well, he will have his reward twice.”
✦ Abu Hurayrah's Admiration for the Reward of Righteous Slaves
❖ «عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: للعبد المملوك الصالح أجران، والذي نفسي بيده، لولا الجهاد في سبيل الله، والحج، وبر أمي، لأحببت أن أموت وأنا مملوك.»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 2548; Muslim 1665:44]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The righteous slave will have two rewards. By the One in Whose hand is my soul! If not for striving in the path of Allah, Hajj, and showing kindness to my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave.”
It is reported that Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) did not perform Hajj until after the death of his mother due to his dedication to serving her.
✦ Three People Who Receive a Double Reward
❖ «عن أبي موسى عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ثلاثة يؤتون أجرهم مرتين...»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 3011; Muslim 154:241]
Narrated by Abū Mūsā (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Three types of people will receive their reward twice:
① A man who has a slave woman, teaches her well, disciplines her well, then frees her and marries her — he gets two rewards.
② A believer from the People of the Book who believed in his previous scripture and then believed in the Prophet ﷺ — he gets two rewards.
③ A slave who fulfills the rights of Allah and the rights of his master — he gets two rewards.”
Then al-Shaʿbī said:
“I’ve given you this narration without hardship. There was a time when people would travel all the way to Madinah for even less than this.”
✦ The Excellence of a Slave Who Dies While Righteous
❖ «عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: نعم ما لأحدهم يحسن عبادة ربه وينصح لسيده...»
[Agreed Upon: al-Bukhārī 2549; Muslim 2667:46]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“What an excellent condition for one of them — who worships his Lord excellently and is loyal to his master.”
Another version states:
“How excellent is the reward of that slave who dies while excelling in the worship of Allah and serving his master sincerely.”
✦ Equal Justice: Double Reward for Fulfilling Two Duties
❖ «عن أبي هريرة، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا أدى العبد حق الله وحق مواليه، كان له أجران.»
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Reported by Muslim 1666:45]
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When a slave fulfills the rights of Allah and the rights of his masters, he will have a double reward.”
✦ Key Takeaways
✔ Righteous slaves are promised twofold reward — for worship and loyalty.
✔ This double reward reflects justice and honor for sincere obedience despite limited worldly status.
✔ Even the Prophet ﷺ admired the virtue and reward associated with loyal and devout servitude.
✔ Islam honors all acts of integrity, regardless of social rank.
