<b>Guidance from the Hadith:</b><br> 1) It urges the believers to deal modestly with one another, including servants. This is part of Islam’s comprehensive guidance.<br> 2) Showing kindness to weak people and consoling their hearts is part of the Prophet’s guidance. As for the slave who prepares food or drink for his master, he naturally desires to take some. So, the Shariah instructs masters to console the hearts of their slaves in such a gentle and caring manner.<br> 3) We are encouraged to pursue the proper means for purifying ourselves and respecting those lower than us in rank. This keeps us away from arrogance. Indeed, the arrogant shall be deprived of Paradise.<br> <br> <b>Benefit:</b><br> In a version of the previous Hadith narrated by Muslim, feeding the slaves is limited to one or two morsels, if the food is little. In it, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If the food is scanty, he should put one or two morsels in his hand.”<br> This necessitates that if there is plenty of food, he may either invite the slave to join him or give him a good portion of it. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) complied with the Prophet’s teachings and were good to their slaves. What happened otherwise in some incidents was caused by certain circumstances, like poverty and scarcity of food. Hence, Safwān ibn Umayyah said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them): “By Allah, we do not dislike them, but we prefer ourselves to them, and by Allah, we do not find good food which we can eat and feed it to them as well.”<br> But some people today disdain to sit with their servants or deal with them courteously. This is the result of arrogance on their part.<br> It behooves us to discipline our baser souls and not let them take hold and ruin us.<b>Benefit:</b><br> “Among the manifestations of kindness in the Islamic legislations with regard to the slavery system is that Islam paid attention to reducing slavery and ending its harms. To this end, it increased the reasons for freeing slaves and improved the conditions of slaves by regulating how masters should deal with their slaves.<br> As for the reasons for freeing slaves, we note that the areas of Zakah laid down by Islam include buying and freeing slaves. Also, manumission of slaves is one of the due expiations in case of manslaughter. Islam also exhorts masters to go into contracts of emancipation with their slaves, if they so will. Moreover, if a person frees part of a slave that he co-owns, the other part shall be assessed and then paid, thus freeing the slave completely. And if a female slave gives birth from her master, she becomes like a free woman. Islam also encourages its followers to compete in setting slaves free.<br> As for improving the conditions of slaves, Islam firmly prohibited masters from overburdening their slaves and commanded them to provide them with sufficient provision and clothing. It forbade them from excess in beating their slaves. So, if a man tortures his slave, he will be emancipated against his master’s will. If we consider these and other teachings, it becomes clear to us that the Shariah aims at spreading freedom.” Summarized from the book entitled 'The Objectives of Islamic Law' by the erudite scholar Al-Tāhir ibn ‘Āshūr (may Allah have mercy upon him).