The Book of Manumission

Linguistically, the word ʿitq (emancipation) is pronounced with a kasrah on the ʿayn and a sukun on the qaf.
Al-Azhari explains that it derives from their saying ʿataqa al-faras—“the horse outstripped the others and made its escape,” and ʿataqa al-farkh—“the fledgling flew off on its own,” for the slave, once manumitted, frees himself and goes wherever he pleases.

Legally, it is the act of liberating a human being from bondage and establishing his freedom.

The legitimacy of manumission rests on the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslim community.

• The Quran: “Then the freeing of a believing slave…” (Q 4:92).
• The Sunnah: the texts are exceedingly many. Among them is the report in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from Abu Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever sets free a Muslim slave, Allah will free from the Fire a limb of his for every limb of that slave, even the private parts for the private parts,” along with other forthcoming hadiths in this chapter.

The ummah is unanimously agreed that manumission is valid and a means of drawing near to Allah.

There are two discussions here: (1) its virtue, and (2) Islam’s stance on slavery and manumission.

1. Its virtue
   The rigorously authentic hadith just cited suffices, together with what al-Tirmidhi and others have narrated from Abu Umamah and various Companions that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Any Muslim who emancipates another Muslim, that emancipation will serve as his ransom from Hellfire.”
   The reports urging and encouraging manumission are numerous.
   Allah the Exalted made it the foremost expiation because of the way it erases sins, atones for misdeeds, and yields tremendous reward in proportion to the kindness involved.
   No benevolence surpasses rescuing a Muslim from the shackles of slavery and the fetters of ownership; through emancipation his full humanity is restored after he had been treated like livestock, directed and managed at will.
   Whoever frees a slave has attained Allah’s reward, and with Allah lies the best reward.

2. Islam’s stance on slavery and manumission
   Some opponents of Islam censure the Sharia for recognizing slavery, which in their eyes is wholly barbaric. We therefore wish—briefly, for this is not the place for an exhaustive study—to outline the condition of slavery in Islam and elsewhere and to clarify Islam’s position.

Slavery was by no means unique to Islam; it was widespread throughout every land: among the Persians, the Romans, the Babylonians, and the Greeks, and it was endorsed by their leading figures such as Plato