II.—From the Teaching of the Traditions, it appears that it was the custom of Muḥammad either to put to death or take captive those of the enemy who fell into his hands. If a captive embraced Islām on the field of battle he was a free man; but if he were made captive, and afterwards embraced Islām, the change of creed did not emancipate him. ʿAt̤īyatu ʾl-Quraz̤ī relates that, after his battle with the Banū Quraiz̤ah, the Prophet ordered all those who were able to fight to be killed, and the women and children to be enslaved.
Very special blessings are attached to the emancipation of a slave. Abū Hurairah relates that Muḥammad said, “Whosoever frees a slave who is a Muslim, God will redeem every member of his body, limb for limb, from hell fire.” Abū Ẕarr asked which slave was the best to emancipate, and the Prophet replied, “That which is of the highest price and most liked by his master.” An Arab once asked the Prophet what act would take him to Paradise, and the Prophet said, “Free a slave, or assist one in redeeming a bond of slavery.” The following are some of the sayings of Muḥammad regarding the treatment of slaves:
“It is well for a slave who regularly worships God and discharges his master’s work properly.”
“Whoever buys a slave and does not agree about his property, then no part of it is for the purchaser of the slave.”
“When a slave of yours has money to redeem his bond, then you must not allow him to come into your presence afterwards.”
“Behaving well to slaves is a means of prosperity, and behaving ill to them is a cause of loss.”
“When any one of you is about to beat his slave, and the slave asks pardon in the name of God, then withhold yourself from beating him.”
“It is incumbent upon the master of slaves to find them in victuals and clothes, and not order them to do what they are not able to do.”
“When a slave-girl has a child by her master she is free at his death.”
“Whoever frees a slave, and the slave has property, it is for the master, unless the master shall have agreed that it was the slave’s at the time of freeing him.” (See Mishkātu ʾl-Maṣābīḥ, Ṣaḥīḥu ʾl-Buk͟hārī, Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim.)