Moreover, there is a distinction between the titles Lord (rabb) and master (sayyid): the name Lord is, by unanimous agreement, one of the Names of Allah, whereas the scholars differ over whether master is likewise one of His Names. Even if it is so regarded, it is nowhere near as well-known or as frequently used as the Name Lord.

As for the phrase my patron (mawlāy), the word mawlā has many usages, one of which is “owner,” and that is what is meant here.

None of you should say, “my male slave” or “my female slave,” for the only One entitled to true servitude is Allah, exalted is He, and such wording accords a degree of veneration to a creature that he does not deserve.

Rather let him say, “my young man,” “my young woman,” or “my attendant,” because these expressions do not denote bondage in the same way that “my slave-boy” and “my slave-girl” do, and they avoid suggestions of shirk and self-aggrandizement.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet ﷺ forbids any wording that hints at shirk and constitutes poor etiquette toward Allah, such as attributing Lordship to one human being over another or ascribing worshipful servitude to a human. Allah alone is the Lord worthy of worship. He ﷺ then directs us to unambiguous, permissible language to replace the problematic wording—thus shielding monotheism and safeguarding the creed.

Relevance of the ḥadīth to the chapter: it contains the prohibition of saying, “my slave-boy” and “my slave-girl.”

Lessons derived from the ḥadīth:
1- The prohibition of using expressions that suggest shirk.
2- Blocking the avenues that lead to shirk.
3- Supplying a harmless alternative expression to replace wording that entails a doctrinal objection.