Chapter: The Maintenance of Slaves
1408 - Issue; Abu al-Qasim said: (And upon the owners of slaves is the duty to provide them with maintenance and clothing in accordance with what is recognized).
The entirety of this matter is that the maintenance of slaves is upon their owners, established by the Sunnah and consensus (ijma'). As for the Sunnah, it is what Abu Dharr narrated from the Prophet - peace and blessings of God be upon him - that he said: "Your brothers are your servants (khawalukum); God has placed them under your hands. Whoever has his brother under his hand, let him feed him from what he eats, and clothe him from what he wears, and do not burden them with what overcomes them; and if you do burden them, then assist them with it." This is agreed upon. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet - peace and blessings of God be upon him - said: "For the slave, there is his food and his clothing in accordance with what is recognized, and he shall not be tasked with work that he cannot bear." This was narrated by al-Shafi'i in his "Musnad". The scholars reached a consensus on
(1) In the original, there is an addition: "for him". (2) Omitted from M. (3) Narrated by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of Sins from the Matters of Jahiliyyah, and that their perpetrator does not become a disbeliever except through polytheism, from the Book of Faith. And in: The Chapter of the Prophet's saying - peace and blessings of God be upon him - "Slaves are your brothers, so feed them from what you eat," from the Book of Manumission (al-'Itq). And in: The Chapter of what is forbidden regarding insults and cursing, from the Book of Etiquette (al-Adab). Sahih al-Bukhari 1/14, 3/195, 8/19. And by Muslim, in: The Chapter of feeding the slave from what one eats and clothing him from what one wears and not burdening him with what overcomes him, from the Book of Oaths (al-Ayman). Sahih Muslim 3/1283, 1382. It was also narrated by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on the Right of the Slave, from the Book of Etiquette. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/632. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on what has been mentioned regarding kindness to servants, from the Chapters of Piety and Maintaining Ties. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 8/126. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Kindness to Slaves, from the Book of Etiquette. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1216, 1217. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 5/161. (4) See: The First Chapter regarding what has been mentioned about manumission and the right of the slave, from the Book of Manumission. Tartib al-Musnad 2/66. It was also narrated by Muslim, in: The Chapter of feeding the slave from what one eats and clothing him from what one wears and not burdening him with what overcomes him, from the Book of Oaths. Sahih Muslim 3/1284. And Imam Malik, in: The Chapter of the Command to be Gentle with the Slave, from the Book of Seeking Permission. al-Muwatta' 2/980. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/247, 342.
