Prophet Muhammad's Attitude towards Slavery from the Perspective of Human Rights

Editor

The history of slavery dates back to the dawn of the history of mankind; throughout this time it has existed in every kind of society, although in each society, slaves have been treated differently. In some societies, they had no rights at all, except at the mercy of their masters. When Islam came to the Arabian Peninsula, slavery existed there, as it did in many other pre-Islamic societies. Islam recognized the existence of slavery in Arabian society of the time, but did not encourage it in any way. On the contrary, Islam always encouraged freeing existing slaves and treating them in a respectful manner. This act was seen to be a virtue in Islam, and owning slaves was allowed only through war and on the condition that there was a genuine necessity.

Islam is a religion that allows submission only to Allah, limiting the superiority of one individual over another only to the degree of an individual's taqwa (God-consciousness: being constantly aware of both God's omnipresence and attributes and a reminder of their relationship and responsibility to God as his creation and servant). For this reason, Islam sees slavery in a different light. It forbids the enslavement of Muslims by Muslims, and limits the ownership of slaves and concubines to prisoners of war who have been taken in wars fought only for the sake of Allah. It also puts responsibility on the shoulders of slave masters as well as constraining the scope of the responsibilities of slaves and concubines.

The purpose of these sanctions was to gradually abolish slavery (by first weakening it, and then destroying it completely) without damaging the existing social structure in Arabian society, where slavery was one of the most important and strongest institutions of the time. The gradual introduction of foundational sanctions and changes is one of the essential principles of Islam, which was also applied in the case of slavery. To abolish it suddenly and completely would have created a great disturbance in the basic structure of society at that time.

Islam encouraged the emancipation of slaves by making this act a form of worship and stating that setting slaves free was a good deed, as well as sanctioning a contract between the master and the slave that made it possible for the slave to be free in return for working for the master for certain period of time -called mukataba in the Islamic law. In addition to this, slaves could be set free after the death of the master; in the case of female slaves, they could be set free if they gave birth to a child.

In the realm of education, since Muslims believe in the principle articulated in a hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) that reads: "All men are children of Adam, and Adam comes from the soil" (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musned, II, 361 and 523; Abu Davud, Adab, 111), in learning and teaching sciences no discrimination was made against slaves. An example of this attitude is the fact that in the narration of hadiths from the Prophet, the scholars of hadith not only make no distinction between a narration by a freeman and that of a slave, but they also allow the hadith criticism (jarh and ta'dil) that is made by a slave as well (see al-Bagdadi, al Kifaya, pp. 97 - 98).

An egalitarian attitude towards former slaves existed since the very beginning of Islamic history. For example, Caliph Omar granted 4 thousand dirhems to Salman al Farisi, a former slave emancipated by Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet also said to his commanders that: "If the non-Arab slaves that you set free become Muslim, add them to their former masters' group. For, whatever is good for their former masters is also good for them, and whatever is bad for their former masters is bad for them as well. If, however, these emancipated slaves want to be organized as a separate group, consider them at the same level as their former masters" (Belazuri, Futuh al Buldan, II, p. 443).

Historical sources are all in agreement that Prophet Muhammad also set all of his slaves and concubines free, setting an example for his companions and later followers. According to a report, during different times in his life the Prophet emancipated slaves or concubines at a number that was equal to his age  (Nawavi, Tahzib al Asma, I, p. 53).

Former Slaves and Concubines Emancipated by Prophet Muhammad

1. Abu Asib

Abu Asib was one of the companions known by their kunya (honorific name or nickname) (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VII, p. 229). Reportedly, his name was Ahmar (Ibn Hibban, al Sikat, III, p. 219). Abu Asib, who was very sensitive about following the Prophet's sunnah (way of life), was a member of the Ahl al Suffa (the People of the Veranda, the first school of Islam) and used to live in the Prophet's mosque.

 Three hadiths in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal were narrated by Abu Asib (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, V, p. 81). The place and time of his death are not reported in the sources.  {mospagebreak title=Abu Bakra}

2. Abu Bakra

Known by kunya Abu Bakra (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VI, p. 369), Nufay ibn Haris al Masruh was from East Africa (Ethiopia) (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, IV, p. 1530).

His mother, Sumayya, was a concubine of Haris ibn Kalada, a famous Arab doctor (Asri Cubukcu "Ebu Bekre", D.I.A., X, p. 114). He was also the brother of Ziad ibn Abih, the son of al Muawiya (Ibn al Asir, ibid., IV, p. 578).

He became Muslim and joined the Muslim army during the siege of Taif; he escaped the castle of Taif when he heard the declaration of Prophet Muhammad: "Those freemen who will join us will be safe, and those slaves who will join us will be set free". He received his kunya Abu Bakra, while escaping from Taif (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, VII, p. 15; Dhahabi, Siyar, III, p. 16).

After the siege ended, an envoy from Taif came to Prophet Muhammad to ask him to return Abu Bakra to them. The Prophet refused to do this, saying that "He has been emancipated by Allah and his Messenger!" (Dhahabi, Siyar, III, pp. 5-6).

A scholar of fiqh and a person who was very fond of worshipping Allah, Abu Bakra later became one of the leading companions of the Prophet. He was very sensitive about following the Prophet's sunnah as well (Ibn Sa'd, Ibid., VII, p. 16; Dhahabi, Siyar, III, p. 6).

Though his close friends were involved in politics, he always remained distant from political matters and did not get involved in the incidents of instigation (fitna) that occurred after the death of Prophet Muhammad. When his brother, Ziad ibn Abih, was appointed as governor of Basra, Abu Bakra told him to refuse the job; but when Ziad did not listen to him, he was sad and did not talk to him for the rest of his life (Ibn Sa'd, Ibid., VII, p. 16).

Abu Bakra had about 20 children; many of his children were leading members of the community in Basra and were involved in trade, scholarship and administration (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, V, p. 38).

In the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, three hadiths were reported by him (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, V, pp. 35-52).

Abu Bakra died in Basra in the year 51 or 52 (AH), when his brother was the governor of Basra, during the reign of Muawiya (Dhahabi, Siyar, III, p. 9).  {mospagebreak title=Abu Muwayhiba}

3. Abu Muwayhiba

We do not have definite information about Abu Muwayhiba's real name. Bought and set free by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Muwayhiba was a member of the Ahl al Suffa -the first Islamic school established in Medina.

Other information we have about him includes the fact that he participated in the Battle of Muraysi' (5 AH), where he took care of the camel of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet.

 Abu Muwayhiba also said that one night he went with the Prophet to the Baqi cemetery. Two hadiths were reported by him in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

The historical sources do not report the date or location of his death (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, V, p. 309; Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, IV, p. 1764; Ibn al Asir, al Isaba, V, 309; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, III, p. 488).  {mospagebreak title=Abu Rafi al Qibti}

4. Abu Rafi al Qibti

Known by his kunya Abu Rafi, his real name was Aslam and he was a gypsy - hence the nickname ‘Qibti'.

He was a slave of the Prophet Muhammad's uncle Abbas, who later gave him as a present to his nephew Muhammad. When Aslam gave the Prophet the news that his uncle had become Muslim, the Prophet used the opportunity to set him free (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, I, p. 93; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, I, p. 215; Al Bukhari, Tarikh al Kabir, II, p. 23; Ibn Abu Hatim, Al Jarh wa al Ta'dil, II, p. 306; Ibn Hibban, al Sikat, III, p. 16; Dhahabî, Kashif, III, p. 425).

Prophet Muhammad also married Aslam to Salma, a former concubine of his whom he had set free. Their son, Ubaydullah ibn Abu Rafi', would later become the scribe for Caliph Ali as well as the executive officer in charge the state treasury.

Abu Rafi' could not participated in the Battle of Badr (2 AH) due to the fact that he was in Mecca at the time. However, he participated in all the other battles that took place during his life time, including the Battle of Uhud (2 AH) and the Battle of the Trench (3 AH). In the Battle of Khaybar (6 AH), his wife Salma  was also with him (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, I, p. 94; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, XII, p. 100).

When he was in Mecca, Abu Rafi' worked as a carpenter, and after he moved to Medina he made some furniture for the wives of the Prophet. The fact that he had a close relationship with the family of the Prophet made him more virtuous and important in the eyes of the Companions. Thus, for example, Ibn ‘Abbas used to ask him about the actions and attitude of the Prophet so that he could write them down (Qurtubi, Jami', XX, p. 243; Abdullah Aydınlı, "Ebu Rafi'", D.İ.A., IV, p. 211).

About forty hadiths were reported by Abu Rafi' in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's Musnad. Most of these hadiths were related to his close relationship with the Prophet (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, VI, pp. 8, 390).

Although we do not have a definite date for his death, it has been reported that Abu Rafi' died shortly before the caliphate of Othman  in Medina (Mizzi, Tahzib al Kamal, XXXIII, p. 301; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VII, pp. 112-3).  {mospagebreak title=Abu Sallam}

5. Abu Sallam

One of the servants set free by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Sallam was from the Hashimi tribe (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, V, p. 151; Dhahabi, Kashif, II, p. 433; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VII, p. 157).

There is not a great deal of information about his life in the sources. However, we do know that Abu Sallam reported some hadiths from the Prophet. In the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, five hadiths were reported by him, all of which are about the prayers that the Prophet made in the morning and in the evening, and the prayer before meals (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, IV, p. 237).

Though we know that he went to Hims to live, we do not have any information about where or when he died.  {mospagebreak title=Abu Ubayd}

6. Abu Ubayd

The real name of Abu Ubayd is not known. He was one of the slaves set free by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is known that he used to cook for the Prophet (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, V, p. 204; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VII, p. 224). There is one hadith reported by him in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, III, pp. 484-5).

Neither the date nor the location of his death are reported in the sources.  {mospagebreak title=Ayman}

7. Ayman

Ayman ibn Ubayd was the son of Umm Ayman, the brother of Usama ibn Zayd and he was from Habash (Tabari, Tarikh, II, 168).

There are two hadiths reported by him in the Sunan by Nasai (Kitab Qati al Sariq, p. 10).

He was martyred in the Battle of Hunayn in the year 8 (AH).  {mospagebreak title=Mariya}

8. Mariya

Mariya's kunya is Umm al Rabab. Ibn al Asir (d. 630) reports that she was a concubine of the Prophet. She is also reported to have narrated hadiths from the Prophet (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, VI, p. 261; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 312).  {mospagebreak title=Maymuna bint Abu Asib}

9. Maymuna bint Abu Asib

A former concubine set free by Prophet Muhammad, Maymuna is said to be the daughter of Abu Asib, another slave emancipated by the Prophet (see above). She reported a hadith from the Prophet regarding the Ruqya (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 370).  {mospagebreak title=Maymuna bint Sa´d} 

10. Maymuna bint Sa'd

Maymuna bint Sa'd was a servant of Prophet Muhammad. According to Salm Umm Rafi', Maymuna bint Sa'd was one of the four concubines who were set free all at once by the Prophet (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, I, p. 497; Tabarani, al Mujam al Kabir, XXV, p. 32). There are four hadiths reported by her in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, VI, p. 463).  {mospagebreak title=Mihran (Maymun)}

11. Mihran (Maymun)

Mihran reported a hadith regarding the fact that the members of Prophet Muhammad's family could not accept financial aid (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, III, p. 448). There is no consensus in the sources about his real name. In the biographical books, his biography is usually give under the heading ‘Mihran' (Ibn Abu Hatim, Al Jarh wa al Ta'dil, VIII, p. 300; Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, IV, p. 505; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VI, p. 183).

We do not know where or when he died.  {mospagebreak title=Nafi}

12. Nafi

Nafi was one of those emancipated by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Although there are no reported hadiths either in al Kutub al Sitta (the Six Books) or in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al Bukhari, in his al Tarikh al Kabir (VIII, p. 82), and Ali al Muttaqi, in his Kanz al Ummal (XVI, p. 54), included a hadith reported by him. We do not have any information regarding his life or where or when he died.  {mospagebreak title=Safina}

13. Safina

The name of Safina is, according to the most general view, Mahran ibn Farruh, and his kunya was Abu Abd al Rahman (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 684; Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, II, p. 259).

He was bought and freed by Umm Salama, the Prophet Muhammad's wife, on the condition that he would serve the Prophet as long as he lived.

During a military expedition some of the Muslim soldiers who were tired gave their loads to him, which he carried with ease. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad called him "Safina" which means "ship" or "boat". He then came to be known by this nickname instead of his real name or kunya, so much so that he would not let people to call him by his real name. When he was asked about his name, he would say that "I will not give you my real name. The Prophet of Allah  gave me a name; so I do not need another one" (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 684; Dhahabi, Siyar, III, p. 173 and Kashif, I, p. 450; Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, II, p. 259; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, III, p. 111).

Safina was one of the companions who were with Prophet Muhammad and served him until he died. Therefore, the hadith sources contain many narrations by him. His narrations are reported also in al Kutub al Sitta (the Six Books), with the exception of Sahih al Bukhari. He has 14 narrations in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and the Musnad by Baqi ibn Mahlad (Dhahabî, Siyar, III, p. 173).

He died around the year 79 (AH), during the reign of Hajjaj (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 684).  {mospagebreak title=Salma}

14. Salma  

Salma was one of the four concubines who were set free by the Prophet (pbuh) all at once, and the wife of Abu Rafi', who was also a former slave emancipated by Prophet Muhammad (see above # 4).

She played a role in the conversion of Hamza, the Prophet Muhammad's maternal uncle, by telling him that Abu Jahl - a leader of the pagans in Mecca- had insulted his nephew. She also acted as a midwife within the household of the Prophet. She was the midwife when the Prophet's son Ibrahim was born, as well as helping with earlier deliveries. When Ibrahim was born, she sent the good news via her husband to Prophet Muhammad, who then gave them a servant as a gift for this good news. She was also the midwife for the Prophet's grandsons, Hassan and Hussein. Based on this information, we could say that she had a long relationship with the family of Prophet Muhammad (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, VIII, p. 227; Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, VI, p. 147; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 187).

She also was the nurse for Fatima , the Prophet's daughter, when she was sick towards the end of her life, and when she died, Salma was one of the two people (along with Asma, the wife of Abu Bakr), who washed the body of Fatima  (Ibn Kathir, Sirah, VI, p. 6; Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, VIII, p. 227). She also participated in the Battle of Khaybar (6 AH) alongside Prophet Muhammad, acting as nurse and cook (M. Asim Koksal, Islam Tarihi, XIV, pp. 133-134).

Always very close to the Prophet and his family, Salma narrated some hadiths from Prophet Muhammad himself and from Fatima. There are two narrations by her found in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, VI, p.462). The sources do not contain information about where or when she died.  {mospagebreak title=Abu Asib}

15. Salman al Farisi

Salman was one of the very few companions whom Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described as "a member of my household". Before Salman became Muslim, his name was Maba ibn Buzahshan. His kunya is Abu Abdullah. The reason why he was considered one of the former slaves emancipated by the Prophet is because although he was somebody else's slave, Prophet Muhammad helped him financially so that he could redeem his slave money (Al Kalabazi, Rijal Sahih al Bukhari, I, p. 326; Dhahabî, Kashif, I, p. 451; Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, II, p. 265; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, III, p. 118).

As a slave, Salman could not participate in the Battle of Bads (2 AH) or the Battle of Uhud (3 AH); the first battle in which he participated with the Prophet was the Battle of the Trench (also known as or Battle of Confederates, 5 AH), which was won based on the strategy of digging a trench around the city of Medina, a suggestion made by Salman. After this battle, Salman al Farisi did not miss any battles and participated in every conquest during his life time. He was also the one who proposed using a catapult during the siege of Taif (Ibn al Asîr, Usd al Ghâbe, II, p. 267; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, IV, p. 121; Ibn al Asîr, al Kamil, II, pp. 180-1).

There are approximately 40 hadith reported by Salman in the Ahmad ibn Hanbal's Musnad (pp. 437 - 444). He also has many hadiths in al Kutub al Sitta. Salman al Farisi is known to be one of the members of the Ahl-al Suffa (Islamic school); in the sources it is reported that he died in 33, 36, or 37 (AH).

He died during the reign of Caliph Uthman in Medina (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, II, p. 269; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, IV, p. 121).  {mospagebreak title=Thawban ibn Bujdud}

16. Thawban ibn Bujdud

Thawban's kunya was Abu Abdullah. He was one of the companions who were always close to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and who served him until he died. Thawban was from Yemen (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, I, p. 497; Ibn al Asîr, Usd al Ghabe, I, p. 296; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, II, p. 28).

Prophet Muhammad bought and emancipated Thawban, telling him: "You can go back to your own tribe, or you can stay here, if you like. If you stay, you are one of us, a member of our household." Thawban preferred to stay with Prophet Muhammad and became a member of his household (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, I, p. 296).

Since he was close to the Prophet for a long time, Thawban witnessed much of what the Prophet would do, and accordingly narrated many hadiths. Ahmad ibn Hanbal reported more than 90 hadiths from Thawban in his al Musnad (V, pp. 275 - 284).  {mospagebreak title=Sirin (Shirin)}

17. Sirin (Shirin)

Shirin was the sister of Mariya, Prophet Muhammad's concubine. She was given to the Prophet as a gift by Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt and Alexandria, in the year 7 (AH). Then the Prophet married her to the famous poet, Hassan ibn Thabit. She was also the aunt of Ibrahim, the son of Prophet Muhammad, and the mother of Abdurrahman ibn Hassan ibn Thabit (Ibn Abdilberr, İstîâb, IV, p. 1868; Nawavî, Tahzib al Asma, I, p. 162; Ibn al Asîr, Usd al Ghâbe, VI, p. 160).

There is one hadith narrated by her (Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, VIII, p. 198). There is no information about the date or location of her death.  {mospagebreak title=Shamghun (Sham´un) ibn Zayd}

18. Shamghun (Sham'un) ibn Zayd

Although his name was Shamghun ibn Zayd ibn Hunafa, he was better known by his kunya, Abu Rahhana. He was from Medina.

On a cold night during a military expedition in which Abu Rahhana participated, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked who would stand guard that night; one of the Companions volunteered and the Prophet prayed for this Companion. Upon hearing this, Shamghun also wanted to be a guard. Prophet Muhammad allowed him to do so and prayed for him, saying that hell fire would not touch an eye that stood guard on the way of Allah (Ahmad ibn Hanbal Musnad IV, pp. 134 - 135).

For some time Shamghun was a guard at the border in Asqalan; he also participated in the conquest of Syria, after which he settled there. He is cited as a member of the Ahl al Suffa school (Abu Nu'aym, Hilya, II, p. 28), and there are 9 hadiths narrated by him in the Musnad (Ahmad ibn Hanbal Musnad IV, p. 133). There is no information about the time or location of his death in the sources.  {mospagebreak title=Shukran}

19. Shukran

This companion, whose real name was Salih ibn Adiyy or Mus'ab, became known by his nickname, Shukran (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, III, p. 284).

He was from Ethiopia and a slave belonging to Abdurrahman ibn Awf, who later gave him as a gift to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Prophet, in turn, set him free after the Battle of Badr (2 AH). Shukran was one of the Companions who took part in the washing of the blessed body of Prophet Muhammad after he died and in burying him in the Medina cemetery. There is only one hadith narrated by him in the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Musnad III, p. 495) (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 709; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, IV, p. 316; Qastallani, al Mawahib, IV, p. 557).

The sources do not contain any information about the location or time of his death.  {mospagebreak title=Umm Ayyash}

20. Umm Ayyash

Umm Ayyash was a former slave emancipated by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and is known as one who helped the Prophet to make wudu (ablution). There is one narration by her in the Sunan by Ibn Majah (Tahara, 39) that refers to this fact (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 445).  {mospagebreak title=Umm Ayman}

21. Umm Ayman

Umm Ayman's real name was Baraka bint Sa'laba, and she was from Ethiopia. She was Prophet Muhammad's nanny and the mother of Usama ibn Zayd, who was known as the "love of the Prophet of Allah".

Umm Ayman was part of the inheritance that Prophet Muhammad received from his father, together with 5 camels and a herd of sheep. When the Prophet married Khadija, he set Umm Ayman free. Al Bukhari says in his Al Tarikh al Kabir that Umm Ayman was a slave of Abdullah, Prophet Muhammad's father, and she took care of the Prophet from his birth to his marriage (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, VI, p. 303; Dhahabi, Siyar, II, p. 224; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 358).

Umm Ayman first married Ubayd ibn Zayd , and their marriage produced their only son, Ayman, who was martyred in the Battle of Hunayn (8 AH). Later she married Zayd ibn Harisa, who was, like her, a former slave of Prophet Muhammad and emancipated by him. Prophet Muhammad had said that "whoever wants to marry a woman who is a member of the people of the Paradise, he should marry Umm Ayman". Upon hearing this, Zayd ibn Harisa wanted to marry her and asked for permission from the Prophet (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, VIII, p. 224).

Umm Ayman was one of the earliest believers in Islam. Prophet Muhammad used call her "mother", and would say that she was always a second mother to him. She participated in the Battle of Uhud (3 AH) by distributing water and taking care of the wounded soldiers. She was also one of the women who took part in the Battle of Khaybar (6 AH) alongside Prophet Muhammad and helped to treat the wounded and cook for them (Mahmud Hadi al Istanbuli, M.Abu al Fazl, es-Sulabi, Nisa Havla al Rasul, p. 236; M.Asim Koksal, Islam Tarihi, XIV, pp. 133-134).  {mospagebreak title=Usama ibnZayd}

22. Usama ibn Zayd

Usama ibn Zayd ibn Harisa was from Yemen; his kunya was Abu Muhammad.

His mother was Umm Ayman, the former slave and nanny of Prophet Muhammad. Usama's father was Zayd ibn Harisa, also a former slave of Prophet Muhammad and one of the people that the Prophet loved most (Al Bukhari, al Tarikh al Kabir II. P.20; Dhahabi, Siyar, II, p. 497; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, I, p. 202).

Usama was born after Prophet Muhammad had been chosen as the last prophet and given the first revelation. Usama had a dark complexion, was very active, smart and courageous. He was raised under the auspices of the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah loved Usmana greatly, and would say that among the children he was the one whom he loved most, with the exception of his own daughter, Fatima (Ibn Abdilberr, İstîâb, I, p. 58; Dhahabî, Siyar, II, p. 499).

Usama wanted to participate in the Battle of Uhud (3 AH), yet Prophet Muhammad did not allow him to on the grounds that he was too young to go to war. He was extremely intelligent and very brave; so much so that Prophet Muhammad would later appoint him as the commander of the army in Syria when he was only 18 years old. Some of the leading companions were present in this army, such as Omar ibn al Faruq, the second Caliph of Islam (Waqidi, Maghazi, III, 1117; Ibn Hajar, al Isâba, I, p. 202).

At the time when the Prophet died, Usama was 18-19 or 20 years old. He reports that when Prophet Muhammad was ill, he went to see him. The Prophet was not able to speak at the time, so he put his hand on Usama's hand instead. Usama says that by doing this, he meant to pray for him. Usama was one of the companions who took part in the washing of the blessed body of Prophet Muhammad. Also, he had promised that he would not fight against anyone who would say "There is no God but Allah". He kept his promise and did not participate in the civil war. Ahmad ibn Hanbal reports in his Musnad (V, pp. 99-210) more than 90 narrations by Usama (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, I, p. 59; Ibn al Asîr, Usd al Ghabe, I, p. 80; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, I, p. 203).

He died in Medina in 54, 58 or 59 (AH), during the last years of the caliphate of Muawiya (Dhahabi, Siyar, II, p. 497).  {mospagebreak title=Zayd}

23. Zayd

Abu Musa reported that Zayd, whose father's name was Bawla, was one of the former slaves of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Zayd was captured in the Battle of Bani Salaba as part of the booty of Prophet Muhammad, who then set him free (Tabarani, al Mu'jam al Kabir, C, p. 89; Nawavi, Tahzib al Asma, I, p. 54; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, II, p. 290).

There is only one hadith narrated by Zayd (Tirmizi, "Da'awat" 117). We do not know where or when he died. {mospagebreak title=Zayd ibn Harisa}

24. Zayd ibn Harisa

Zayd ibn Harisa ibn Sharahil, who was from Yemen, was one of the companions who Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) loved most. His kunya was Abu Usama al Kalbi. He used to be called Zayd ibn Muhammad until the verse "Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is more just in the sight of Allah" (al Ahzab 33 / 5) was revealed. Zayd was also the first slave to enter Islam. According to one report, he was the very first Muslim after the message came to Prophet Muhammad. Zayd is also the only (former) slave whose name is mentioned in the glorious Qur'an.

Zayd's mother Su'da was a member of the Tayy tribe. One of the versions of the story of how he became a slave is as follows: One day he and his mother were going to visit their relatives. On their way they came across a group of bandits, who killed his mother and captured Zayd. They then took him to Mecca and sold him in the famous Uqaz bazaar. Zayd was still a young child, and the person who bought him, Hakim, was the nephew of Khadija, the wife of Prophet Muhammad. Hakim gave Zayd as a gift to his aunt Khadija, who then gave him to the Prophet, who in turn set Zayd free (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 543; Ibn al Asîr, Usd al Ghabe, II, p. 129; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, II, p. 495).

Zayd's brother, Jabala ibn Harisa, tells the story in a different manner: "When our mother died, Zayd and I stayed with our grandfather. After a while, our uncle claimed that he had the right of our custody and took me from my grandfather. Then, some people from the Tihama (tribe) came and took Zayd from our grandfather; later they sold him to Khadija." According to another report, Prophet Muhammad saw Zayd being sold in the bazaar, and asked his wife Khadija to buy him. She then bought him for 700 dirham. The Prophet then told his wife that "If this slave were mine, I would set him free." As a result, Khadija gave Zayd to the Prophet, who then emancipated him immediately (Dhahabi, Siyar, I, p. 223; Ibn Hajar, al Tahzib, III, p. 347).

According to reports, Zayd's father was very sorry to lose his son. As soon as he heard that his son was in Mecca, he went to Mecca together with his brother to ask Prophet Muhammad to return his son. The Prophet then said that he would let Zayd to decide whether to go or stay. Although his father and uncle insisted that Zayd go with them, he refused, saying to the Prophet: "In the name of Allah, I will never prefer anyone over you." His father and uncle were very sorry to hear this; however, when Prophet Muhammad adopted Zayd as his son and declared him to be his heir, they were relieved and felt comfortable about returning back home without their relative (Ibn Abdilberr, Istiab, II, p. 545).

Zayd ibn Harisa was one of the people Prophet Muhammad loved most. The Prophet married Zayd first to Umm Ayman, who was also a former slave emancipated by the Prophet (see above). They had one child, Usama ibn Zayd. Zayd's second marriage was to Zaynab bint Jahsh, who would later marry Prophet Muhammad.

The Prophet appointed Zayd as the first commander of the army in the Battle of Mute (8 AH) (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, II, p. 496; Dhahabi, Siyar, I, p. 229). He participated in the army in every battle during his life time, starting from the Battle of Badr (2 AH), and was appointed by the Prophet as commander on seven different expeditions.

In the Musnad by Ahmad ibn Hanbal there is only one hadith narrated by  Zayd (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, IV, p. 161).

He was martyred in the Battle of Mute in the 8^th year of the Hijra, in Syria (Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, II, p. 497; Dhahabi, Siyar, I, p. 226).