1233 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whichever Muslim man emancipates a Muslim man, Allah rescues—by virtue of every limb of the freed slave—a corresponding limb of his own from the Fire.” Agreed upon. (1)

Al-Tirmidhi narrates—and declares authentic—on the authority of Abu Umamah: “And whichever Muslim man emancipates two Muslim women, they will be his ransom from the Fire.” (2)

Abu Dawud records, from the report of Kaʿb ibn Murrah: “And whichever Muslim woman emancipates a Muslim woman, she will be her ransom from the Fire.” (3)

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Degree of authenticity:
The version related by al-Tirmidhi is sound; al-Tirmidhi himself graded it authentic, and al-Shawkani concurred. As for the narration found in Abu Dawud, Abu Dawud remained silent about it; therefore, it is deemed acceptable and suitable as evidence. Allah knows best.

Vocabulary notes:
• aymā (whichever): ay is a conditional particle that has taken the additional ma; the word imriʾin (“man”) may be read in the genitive as a construct or in the nominative as an apposition.
• imriʾ (man): The root marʾ—with three possible vowels on the mīm—means “man.” When the definite article is absent one says imruʾun, pronouncing the initial hamzat al-waṣl with a kasrah. Its irregular plural is rijāl (“men”). The feminine is imraʾah (“woman”), whose irregular plural is nisāʾ (“women”).