that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“Any man who frees a Muslim man will find in him a shield (1) against the Fire, each limb of the freed man redeeming a corresponding limb of his own. Any Muslim man who frees two Muslim women will find in them his ransom from the Fire, each limb (2) of theirs redeeming a corresponding limb of his own.”

He said, “This is a good, authentic hadith” (3). This indicates that freeing a male slave is preferable, and that freeing one male slave is equivalent to freeing two female slaves. Thus, most of those whom he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) freed were male slaves.

This is one of the five matters in which the female is counted as half the male. The second is the sacrifice offered for a newborn: according to the majority of scholars, one sheep is offered for a girl and two for a boy. Several authentic and good hadiths address this. The third is testimony, since the testimony of two women equals that of one man (4). The fourth is inheritance, and the fifth is blood money (5).

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The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bought and sold. After Allah Most High honoured him with His message, he bought more often than he sold. Likewise, after the Hijrah, scarcely any sales by him are recorded except in a few instances, most of them on behalf of others, such as his sale of the cup and the rug to the highest bidder (6), and his sale of