F. The Prophet’s Treatment of the Disabled

“Allah the Almighty said, ‘If I deprive my slave of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them.’”

Bukhari, Marda, 7

Disabled people are also among the unjustly treated groups in a society. When we consider the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh), we can examine the disabled people in two groups: those who are mentally disabled and those who are physically disabled. Blind people occupy a considerable place among the prophetic sayings about physically disabled people, although the Holy Qur’an usually talks about spiritual blindness when it refers to blindness. The eightieth chapter of the Qur’an expresses the rights of disabled in general and the rights of the blind in particular. It also invites the believers to be careful about the disabled as follows:

“He frowned and turned (his) back, because there came to him the blind man. And what would make you know that he would purify himself, or take heed and so the reminder might avail him? As for him who considers himself free from need of you, to him do you address yourself? And no blame is on you if he would not purify himself. And as to him who comes to you striving hard, and he fears, from him will you divert yourself.” (Abasa 80; 1-10)

The following incident is reported as the reason for the revelation of these verses:

One day, Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was chatting with prominent members of Quraish, including Utba b. Rabia, Abu Jahl, and Umayya b. Halaf. He was hopingto convert them to Islam and doing his best to achieve this.  Just then, Abdullah b. Ummi Maktum (r.a.), a blind Companion, approached the Prophet (pbuh):

“O Messenger of Allah! Teach me from what Allah has taught you.” He even repeated this request for a few times for he could not see the Prophet’s guests.

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), who was annoyed by the interruption, manifested his displeasure and turned his face away from the blind man. Then he continued to talk with his guests, because these respected people expected to receive special treatment. When the Prophet (pbuh) was about to leave, the above mentioned verses were revealed. After that he (pbuh) asked Ummi Maktum (r.a.) about his health and complemented him. And from time to time Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) addressed him saying:

“O man, because of whom my Lord reproached me!” (Razi, XXXI, 50)

The Prophet (pbuh) sent this Companion, who was one of the early Muslims, to Medina to teach the Qur’an to the new converts. The Medinan Bara’ b. Aiz (r.a.) said:

“The first believers who emmigrated to our town were Mus’ab b. Umair and Ibn Ummi Maktum (r. anhuma).  There they taught the Holy Qur’an to the public.” (Bukhari, Manakib al-Ansar, 46)

Abdullah b. Ummi Maktum, who also served as the Prophet’s muezzin along with Bilal al-Habashi (r.a.) (Ibn Sa’d, IV, 207), presented his blindness, the distance of his house from the mosque, and the lack of anyone to take him to the mosque as an excuse to the Prophet (pbuh). He then asked permission from Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) to conduct his prayers in his house. He (the Holy Prophet) granted him permission. Then, when Ummi Maktum turned away the Prophet (pbuh) called to him and asked:

“Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said:

“Yes, I do.” He (the Holy Prophet then) said:

“Respond to it and come to the congregation.” (Muslim, Masajid, 255; Abu Dawud, Salat, 46)

Beside its emphasis on performing prayers in congregation, this tradition also shows how the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) tried to keep a blind person in congregation and did not let him isolate himself from society.

When the Prophet (pbuh) left Medina for certain reasons, he sometimes appointed Ibn Ummi Maktum (r.a.) to lead the prayers on his behalf. There are reports that this took place thirteen times. (Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah, IV, 264)

Islam does not hold disabled people responsible from what they cannot do. It does not require, for instance, for them to join the army. When the verse “Those of the believers who sit still and are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives…” (al-Nisa 4; 95) was revealed, Ibn Ummi Maktum went to the Prophet (pbuh) and explained that he could not fight because of his blindness.  As a result of which, the following part of the verse was revealed: “Those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt …” (al-Nisa 4; 95) (Bukhari, Tafsir, (4) 18)

Thus, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) exempted the disabled from joining the army but let those who insisted to come. For instance, Amr b. Jamuh (r.a.), the leader of the Salama clan, was crippled but he wanted to attend to the Battle of Badr. However, the Prophet (pbuh) did not give him permission. Amr then wanted to join the Battle of Uhud. His sons tried to stop him saying:

“Allah the Almighty has exempted you from fighting.”

Thereupon, Amr went to the Prophet (pbuh). Allah’s Messenger told him that he was excused because of his disability. But upon Amr’s insistence, he said to Amr’s sons:

“Do not prevent your father from going to battle. Allah may bestow martyrdom upon him.”

This exited Companion attended the Battle of Uhud and said during the battle: “By Allah I miss Heaven.” Finally he was martyred with one of his sons, who was trying to save his father. (Waqidi, I, 264-265; Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah, IV, 208)

During Omar’s caliphate, wearing armor and carrying a black flag, Ibn Ummi Maktum (r.a.) also joined the Muslim army in the battle of Qadisiyah. According to a report he became a martyr in this battle and according to another report he passed away when he returned to Medina. (Ibn Sa’d, IV, 112; Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah, IV, 264)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) emphasized that the disabled will obtain the same rewards as those who join the army, as long as they have the intention to join it.

It was narrated by Anas (pbuh):

While the Prophet was in a Ghazwa he said:

“Some people have remained behind us in Medina and we never crossed a mountain path or a valley, but they were with us (i.e. sharing the reward with us), as they have been held back by a (legal) excuse.” (Bukhari, Jihad, 35)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) also advised disabled people not to rebel because of their disabilities and show patience for the blessings that other people had. In this way he noted that they could gain Paradise. Anas b. Malik (r.a.) reported that he heard from the Messenger of Allah saying:

“Allah the Almighty said, “If I deprive my slave of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them.”” (Bukhari, Marda, 7; Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 58)

Only when a blessing is lost, one understands its real value and it becomes harder to show patience for losing that blessing. This is why Allah the Almighty promises to give Paradise to those who can keep their patience.

Even though it is a great blessing to be able to see the wonders of this world, this blessing is limited by the life in this world; whereas the reward (i.e. Heaven) promised by Allah the Almighty is eternal and its blessings are endless.

Illnesses, which are not yet curable, can also be considered as disabilities. Therefore, there is nothing one can do but to reamin patient in the face of them. One can continue to bear the incurable hardships only through the help of patience. This way one can obtain peace in the eternal life and his station in the presence of Allah the Almighty ascends.

 Ata b. Abi Rabah (r.a.) narrated:

“Ibn Abbas (r. anhuma) said to me:

“Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?” I said,

“Yes.” He said,

“This black lady came to the Prophet and said,

“I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes exposed; please pray to Allah for my recovery.” The Prophet said (to her),

“If you wish, be patient and there will be Paradise for you in the Hereafter; and if you wish, I will pray for Allah to cure you.” She said,

“I will remain patient,” and added,

“But I become uncovered, so please pray Allah for me that I may not become uncovered during my epilepsy attacks.” So the Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah for her.” (Bukhari, Marda, 6; Muslim, Birr, 54)

Here, the Prophet (pbuh) presented two choices to a woman asking for a solution to her problem. This may seem a little ambiguous for some people. By giving her choices, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) in fact, reminded and guided her to the better option as a solution to her problem. This is a manifestation of the Prophet’s mercy towards his Companions.

Allah’s Apostle was also concerned with the problems of mentally disabled people. There are also reports that he miraculously cured some mentally disabled people by placing his hand on their chests. (Ibn Hajar, Al-Isaba, IV, 453)

According to a narration reported by Anas b. Malik (r.a.) one day a woman with some mental problems went to the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and said:

“O Apostle of Allah! I have some bussiness with you.” The Prophet (pbuh) said to her:

“O Mother of so and so, Go wherever you want and sit in the corner of any street you wish. And I will come with you and take care of your problem.”  So she sat and the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) also sat with her until her problem was resolved. (Muslim, Fada’il, 76; Abu Dawud, Adab, 12)

In his following saying the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated that those who are weak in mind are exempted from religious responsibilities:

“The Pen that records the deeds has been lifted from three people [they are not responsible for their actions]; the minor, until he reaches puberty; the sleeping person, until he wakes up; and the insane person, until he recovers.” (Tirmidhi, Hudud, 1)

The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) also issued some moral principles for the relationship between the healthy and the disabled people. For instance, in one of his sayings, helping and showing the way to the blind and explaining matters to the deaf and mute are noted as types of charity. (Ibn Hanbal, V, 169)

In short, the Prophet (pbuh) did not consider the disabled as people who are condemned to be the idle and piteous members of the society. He not only personally tried to solve their problems but also gave them responsibilities in accordance with their situation and drew them into the society. He also consoled them by giving them glad tidings promising happiness both in this world and in the Hereafter.

G.        The Prophet’s Treatment of Male and Female Slaves

“(Show) kindness unto… those whom your right hands possess…”

al-Nisa 4; 36

Firstly, we need to remind our readers that it is not Islam that established slavery. Muslims found this institution that was rooted in all ancient beliefs and philosophical systems and spread all over the world, functioning during the rise of Islam. However, Islam also brought many improvements contrary to the inhumane practices of the old systems.

As some of the people whom believers need to help are stated in the Holy Qur’an, slaves are noted as follows: “(Show) kindness unto… those whom your right hands possess…” (al-Nisa 4; 36)

When we examine the Prophet’s approach to slaves, we can clearly see how this verse can be applied to daily life. As it is known, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had been sent as a mercy for the worlds. (al-Anbiya 21; 107) Slaves also benefitted from this endless mercy. In fact, these people, who had not been regarded as human beings, gained the right to come into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and to request help for their problems. (Bukhari, Adab, 61)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) taught how politely masters should address their servants in his following saying:

“None of you should say: My bondman and my slave-girl, for all of you are the bondmen of Allah, and all your women are the slave-girls of Allah; but say: My servant, my girl, and my young man and my young girl.” (Muslim, Alfaz, 15)

Paying attention to servants’ subsistence, feeding them with what the household eats and clothing them with garments similar to what the household wears are among the practices of the Prophet (pbuh).

Khaithama b. Abdullah reported:

“While we were sitting in the company of my teacher Abdullah b. Umar (r. anhuma) his steward entered. He (Ibn Umar) asked his steward:

“Have you supplied the provision to the slaves?” The steward replied:

“No, I have not.”  Then he said:

“Go and give (the provision) to them, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying:

“This sin is enough for a man that he withholds the subsistence from one whose master he is.” (Muslim, Zakat, 40)

Al-Ma’rur bin Suwaid narrated:

“I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a cloak that was exactly the same. We asked him about that (i.e. how both were wearing similar cloaks). He replied,

“Once I abused a man because of his mother and he complained to the Prophet about me. The Prophet asked me,

“Did you abuse him by slighting his mother?” He added,

“Your slaves are both your servants and your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, whoever has brethren under his control, he should feed them with the like of what he eats and clothe them with the like of what he wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job).” (Bukhari, Itq, 15; Muslim, Aiman, 40)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) advices his ummah not only to help their slaves in difficult tasks but also to forgive them and not to punish them right away when they make mistakes. Ibn Omar (r. anhuma) narrates:

“A man came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked:

“How much do I need to forgive my servants?” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) did not respond and kept his silence. The man asked again:

“O Messenger of Allah! How much do I need to forgive my servants?” This time the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Forgive them seventy times a day.” (Tirmidhi, Birr, 31)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) forbade beating and torturing slaves. He (pbuh) even stated in one of his sayings that the only way to be cleansed from the sin of beating a slave is to set that slave free. This principle is noted in the following saying:

“He who beats a slave without him having commited a cognizable offenceor slaps him (without any serious fault), then expiation for it is that he should set him free.” (Muslim, Aiman, 30)

Ibn Omar (r. anhuma) is the narrator of this saying. According to a report, one day he asked one of his slaves, who had somemarks on his body from beating:

“Did I hurt you?” The slave replied:

“No, you did not.” But Ibn Omar did not feel relieved so he set the slave free. And then He took hold of wood or something like it from the earth and said:

“There is no reward for me in this (setting this slave free) even equal to this piece of wood, but  that I heard Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saying, and he narrated the above mentioned saying.” (Muslim, Aiman, 30)

In this saying, Ibn Omar (r. anhuma) meant that he had set his slave free for expiation of his actions not as an act of goodness.

Abu Ali Suwaid b. Muqarrin (r.a.) said that

“I was the seventh one amongst my brothers during the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), and we had but only one servant. The youngest one of us became angry and slapped him. Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) commanded us to set him free.” (Muslim, Aiman, 32)

Abu Mas’ud al-Badri reported the following similar tradition:

“I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me:

“O Abu Masud! You should know.” But I did not recognize the voice due to my intense anger and did not hear the rest of the addressing. As the speaker came near me, I realized that he was the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). And he was saying to me:

“Bear in mind, O Abu Mas’ud; bear in mind O Abu Mas’ud. Verily Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave.” I (then) said:

“I shall never beat my servant in the future.” (Muslim, Aiman, 34)

In another version of the report Abu Mas’ud (r.a.) said that:

“O Allah’s Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon, he said:

“Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you. (Muslim, Aiman, 35)

Those who reproach, beat, and treat to the weak, the needy, and the servants badly for no reason should not forget the Prophet’s warnings.

 Nevertheless, treating servants nicely, in accordance with the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh), is something that requires patience and tolerance. This is expressed by the following common saying: “According to Islam, buying a slave means becoming a slave.”

Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) asked from slaves first to worship Allah and then to serve their masters and behave nicely with good intentions. If they do this, their deeds will be rewarded twice as much. Allah’s Apostle emphasized this as follows:

“If a slave is honest and faithful to his master and worships his Lord (Allah) in a perfect manner, he will get a double reward.” (Bukhari, ‘Itq, 17)

After narrating a similar tradition, Abu Huraira (r.a.) added:

“By Him in Whose Hands Abu Huraira’s soul is if there had not been the reward for Jihad (i.e. holy battles), Hajj, and my duty to serve my mother, I would have loved to die as a slave. (Bukhari, ‘Itq, 16; Muslim, Aiman, 44)

On the other hand, enslavement of a free person except in wars is forbidden in Islam. In a sacred tradition, Allah the Almighty says that:

“‘I will be against three persons on the Day of Resurrection:

1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous.

2. One who sells a free person as a slave and consumes the price,

3. And one who employs a laborer and gets the full work done by him but does not pay him his wages.” (Bukhari, Buyu’, 106)

Islam has also taken precautions to get rid of slavery in the course of time. The requirement of setting a slave free for the atonement of some sins is one of them. For instance, if it is possible, one is required to set a slave free as an expiation for breaking an oath (al-Maidah 5; 89), for the incident of Zihar (al-Mujadilah 58; 3)^[1] and killing someone by mistake (al-Nisa 4; 92).

According to Islamic rules, if a slave offers to make an agreement with his master for his freedom and to pay his price (mukatab), his master should accept this offer and should even financially help his slave with the payment. (al-Nur 24; 33) Moreover, freeing a slave voluntarily is considered among the most valuable acts of worship. The spiritual and material rewards of emancipating a slave are noted in a Qur’anic verse as follows:

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

“But he would not attempt the uphill road, and what will make you comprehend what the uphill road is? (It is) the setting free of a slave, or the giving of food in a day of hunger to an orphan, having relationship, or to the poor man lying in the dust.” (al-Balad 90; 11-16)

This is also expressed in one of the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh):

“He who emancipates a slave, Allah will set free from Hell every limb (of his body) for every limb of his (slave’s) body …” (Bukhari, Kaffarah, 6; Muslim, ‘Itq, 22-23)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) set all his slaves free for various reasons. Freed slaves were called mawali. Because of mawalis’ roots of slavery, there was a difference between the status of mawalis and the free members of the Arab society during the pre-Islamic period. In order to correct this understanding Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) wedded his freed slave Zaid’ with Zainab bint Jahsh, the daughter of his (the Prophet’s) aunt Umayya. (Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah, I, 564) He also contracted the marriage of Zaid’s son Uthama with Fatima bint Qais, the daughter of a Quraishite family. Abu Jahm and Muawiya had wanted to marry Fatimah, one of the early immigrants, but the Prophet (pbuh) suggested Uthama. (Muslim, Talaq, 36; Tirmidhi, Nikah, 38)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also gave positions to mawali in the state services. For instance, he appointed Zaid and his son Uthama (r. anhum) several times as the commander of the Muslim army. (Bukhari, Ashab al-Nabi, 17; Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah, I, 564) Bilal al-Habashi, the freed slave of Abu Bakr (r. anhum), served not only as the Prophet’s muezzin (Ibn Sa’d, I, 246) but also as the treasurer of the Muslim state (Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah, I, 165) and the host to foreign envoys. (Ibn Sa’d, I, 294, 298, 323)

The best manifestation of this approach can be seen in the treaty of brotherhood established by the Prophet (pbuh) between the Meccan immigrants and the Medinan believers without observing any difference among them. Companions like Bilal Habashi, Salman al-Farisi, Ammar b. Yasir, and Salim who were freed slaves attract our attention as part of this treaty; for Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) declared a brotherhood between Bilal and Abdullah b. Abdurrahman (Ibn Sa’d, III, 233, 234), between Salman al-Farisi and Abu al-Darda (Bukhari, Adab, 67), between Salim and Muaz b. Maiz (Ibn Abdilbar, II, 567), and between Ammar and Hudhaifa al-Yamani (Hakim, III, 435).

This brotherhood did not derive from ostentation; rather it was the result of love and a relationship of faith. It was based on mutual rights including the law of inheritance, equality, and cooperation. (Bukhari, Kafalah, 2; Adab, 67) Even though this relationship has continued as a principle in the later periods of Islam, the law of inheritance is later reserved for the blood kinship. (al-Anfal 8; 72-75; Bukhari, Faraiz, 16)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) did not forget the slaves in his death bed and his last words were:

“(Be careful about) Prayer, prayer; fear Allah regarding those whom your right hands possess.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 123-124; Ibn Majah, Wasaya, 1)