He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about the following hadith:

“If someone teaches you a verse from the Book of Allah, it is as though he owns you as a slave: he may sell you if he wishes or set you free if he wishes.”

Is this found in the Six Books, or is it a lie attributed to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?

He replied:

This is not found in any of the Muslims’ books, neither the Six Books nor any others. Rather, it contradicts the consensus of the Muslims. Teaching someone does not make the teacher that person’s owner, entitled to sell him or set him free as he wishes. Anyone who believes this is to be called upon to repent; if he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is to be put to death. A free Muslim cannot be enslaved.

The foremost teacher of mankind, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught them the Book and wisdom, and he has a greater claim over them than they have over themselves. Nevertheless, they remained free: he neither enslaved them nor made them his servants in bondage. Rather, the rulings governing his relations with the free members of his community differed from those governing his relations with the slaves he owned. Had the believing women been his property, he would have been permitted to have intercourse with any believing woman without a marriage contract. Likewise, anyone who taught a woman a verse of the Quran would have been entitled to have intercourse with her without marriage. No Muslim would say this.