991 – Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The slave is entitled to his food and his clothing, and he must not be burdened with work except what he can bear.” Recorded by Muslim (1).
Vocabulary notes
• “His food and his clothing”: The possessive construction may be read as annexation to the object (meaning: the master must provide the slave’s food and clothing) or to the subject (meaning: the slave’s own food and clothing). The latter sense is supported by the wording of Abū Dharr’s ḥadīth: “Whoever has his brother placed under his authority by Allah, let him feed him from what he himself eats and clothe him from what he himself wears.”
Points derived from the ḥadīth
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Islam allows slavery only in the specific situation where Muslims engage in combat with obstinate disbelievers, take prisoners of war, and capture their women and children. The women and offspring become slaves immediately upon capture, whereas the male prisoners remain under the ruler’s discretion: he may choose enslavement, release without ransom, ransom, or execution—whichever best serves the public interest.
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Any other method of acquiring slaves is neither sanctioned nor recognized by Islam. Whoever seizes people through any illegitimate means is deemed an oppressor and usurper, for such persons are regarded as free under Islamic law. In the sacred ḥadīth it is stated: “I shall be the adversary of anyone who sells a free person and consumes the price.”
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Because Islam sanctioned slavery only through this lawful avenue, it honored the slave by obligating his maintenance, clothing, and housing upon his owner, and by forbidding that he be assigned work beyond his capacity. Rather, he is to be given only what will not overburden him. This ruling is a matter of consensus.