ibn Maʿālī, who said: ʿUmar ibn Hārūn narrated to us, saying: Abū Kurayb narrated to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn al-Marzubān, from ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accompanied by a black slave woman who was not fluent in Arabic. He said, ‘I am obliged to free a slave. Would freeing her fulfil my obligation?’ The Prophet asked, ‘Where is Allah?’ She gestured with her hand towards heaven. He asked, ‘Who am I?’ She replied, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Free her, for she is a believer.’”

Shaykh al-Islām Abū Ismāʿīl ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muhammad al-Ansārī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The hadith of Muʿāwiyah ibn al-Hakam has a (sounder) chain of transmission than this one.”