Book of Emancipation

Emancipation ('itq) in language means: purity. From this comes the 'itaq of horses and the 'itaq of birds, meaning their pure (or choice) ones. The Sacred House (al-Bayt al-Haram) was called 'atiq because of its being purified from the hands of the tyrants. In the Shari'a, it is: the setting free of a person, and ridding him of servitude. It is said: 'ataqa the slave, and I emancipated ('ataqtu) him; he is 'atiq and mu'taq (emancipated). The basis for this is the Book (Quran), the Sunnah, and consensus (ijma'). As for the Book, it is the saying of Allah the Exalted: "...and the freeing of a slave" (Quran 58:3). And Allah the Exalted said: "...or the freeing of a slave" (Quran 90:13). As for the Sunnah, it is what Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated, saying: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever emancipates a believing slave, Allah will emancipate for every limb of his, a limb of His from the Fire, until he even emancipates a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, and a private part for a private part." This is agreed upon, in many narrations besides this one. The community has reached a consensus on the validity of emancipation and the attainment of nearness to Allah through it.

Section: Emancipation is one of the most excellent acts of nearness to Allah the Exalted, because Allah the Exalted made it an expiation for killing, intercourse during Ramadan, and oaths, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made it a ransom for the one who emancipates from the Fire. And because it contains the liberation of a protected human being from the harm of servitude, granting him ownership of his own self and his benefits, the completion of legal rulings, and enabling him to exercise authority over himself and his benefits, according to his will and choice.