Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2531
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

On my way to the Prophet (ﷺ) I was reciting:-- 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us From the land of Kufr (disbelief).' I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and gave the pledge of allegiance for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet (ﷺ) who remarked, "O Abu Huraira! Here is your slave!" I said, "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so I freed him.

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ يَا لَيْلَةً مِنْ طُولِهَا وَعَنَائِهَا عَلَى أَنَّهَا مِنْ دَارَةِ الْكُفْرِ نَجَّتِ قَالَ وَأَبَقَ مِنِّي غُلاَمٌ لِي فِي الطَّرِيقِ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَايَعْتُهُ، فَبَيْنَا أَنَا عِنْدَهُ إِذْ طَلَعَ الْغُلاَمُ، فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، هَذَا غُلاَمُكَ ‏

‏‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ هُوَ حُرٌّ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَأَعْتَقْتُهُ‏.‏ لَمْ يَقُلْ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ حُرٌّ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 49, Hadith 15
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 46, Hadith 708 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned a special care to the manumission of slaves, facilitated its causes, and lauded those who took the initiative to free their slaves, promising them abundant reward. This is why the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous people in all times and places hastened to emancipate their slaves. In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he went to the Prophet ﷺ from Yemen to Al-Madeenah, to proclaim his Islam, and this took place in 7 A.H., he (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the following poetic verse (which means): 'What a long tedious tiresome night! Nevertheless, it has saved us from the land of Kufr (disbelief).' In this poetic verse, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) described the toil and hardship that he had endured during his long night journey, but it paid off as it saved him from disbelief by proclaiming his Islam to the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “I had a slave who ran away from me on the way. When I went to the Prophet ﷺ and gave the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) for embracing Islam, the slave showed up while I was still with the Prophet ﷺ. The Bay‘ah here indicated the proclamation of one’s commitment to adhere to Islam and comply with its rulings and provisions. After he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the Bay‘ah to the Prophet ﷺ, his slave showed up. The Prophet ﷺ remarked, "O Aboo Hurayrah! Here is your slave!" It is possible that he (may Allah be pleased with him) had described him to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ recognized him or that such information was imparted to him through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "I manumit him for Allah's Sake," and so he freed him. Another version recorded by Al-Bukhaaree reads: “He is for the Sake of Allah (i.e., free).” It is deduced from this hadeeth that when a master says about his slave, “He is for the sake of Allah,” or “He is free,” or any other statement that indicates his manumission, without explicitly saying that he was releasing him from slavery, while holding the intention of manumission, the slave is declared free as per the laws of Islam. .
Related hadiths3
Compare isnād across 3 related chains →