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The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made the expiation of hitting a slave that the owner should free the slave
Zaadathaan Abu `Umar (a Follower belonging to the generation succeeding the Companions) said:
“I went to Ibn `Umar and he had freed a slave. He took a piece of wood from the floor, or something like that, and said: ‘There is no reward for me for freeing this slave, not even enough that it would equal this [worthless piece of wood]. However, I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say: ‘The expiation of someone punching or hitting his slave is that they free the slave.’”
An-Nawawi said: “Scholars said that this narration contains (the ruling of) being kind to slaves, as well as being good company for them and not harming them. The Muslims have unanimously agreed that in this case, freeing the slave is not obligatory, however, it is recommended just out of hope that the sin is expiated, and that the sin of injustice is cleansed from him.
A servant takes his revenge on his master
Mu`awiyah ibn Suwayd (a Follower belonging to the generation succeeding the Companions) said: “I slapped a servant of ours, then fled and came back shortly before the noon prayer, and prayed behind my father. Afterwards, he called the slave and then called me, and said to him, ‘Do to him as he has done to you.’ However, the servant pardoned me.
Then my father said: ‘We, the offspring of Muqarrin, only had one servant during the time of the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. One of us slapped this servant, and that reached the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he said: ‘Free her.’
They (a member of the family) said:
‘She is our only servant.’ So the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Then employ her, and when you are no longer in need of her, then set her free.
An-Nawawi said: “When he said: “Do to him as he has done to you,” it is held to mean that he tried to comfort the heart of the servant who had been slapped, otherwise, it is not obligatory to carry out the system of revenge on slaps, and so forth, however, the obligation is admonishment. Since he wanted to be free from the responsibility, he gave the servant the ability to avenge what was done to him. The narration contains injunctions for being good to servants, and acting in accordance to humbleness.
Also, notice how the son knew beforehand that his father would punish him if he hit the servant or treated him badly, that is why he ran away after he struck the servant, and only went back during the time of prayer, because he hoped that the prayer would be sort of an intercessor between himself and his father [i.e. his punishment or anger].
Also, notice how the son knew beforehand that his father would punish him if he hit the servant or treated him badly, that is why he ran away after he struck the servant, and only went back during the time of prayer, because he hoped that the prayer would be sort of an intercessor between himself and his father [i.e. his punishment or anger].
