01-14-2004, 02:01 PM
Praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon His Messenger Mohamed Ibn Abdullah, his household, and companions.
""O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness). *And ease my task for me; *And loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue"
In this humble research, we compiled Ayahs in Quran which define freeing a slave as one of the options to expiate sins.
" It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood-money, i.e. Diya) be given to the deceased’s family unless they remit it." (Quran 4:92)
1. For killing my mistake, the expiation is to free a believing slave plus paying an amount of money.
" Allâh will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths; for its expiation feed ten Masâkîn (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families, or clothe them or manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have sworn[1]. And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much)[2]. Thus Allâh make clear to you His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful."
(Quran 5:89)
2. For expiation of an unfulfilled oath (to swear to do/not to do something and fail to comply with the oath) the options according to the ayah and pls note the order:
a. To feed 10 poor people.
b. To provide them with clothing.
c. To free a slave (without indicating whether a believing or non believing)
(In this situation, freeing a slave comes the last option making it equal feeding or providing clothes for 10 poor people)
" And those who make unlawful to them their wives by Zihâr and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case is the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not repeat such an ill thing). And Allâh is All-Aware of what you do. * And he who finds not (the money for freeing a slave) must fast two successive months before they both touch each other. And he who is unable to do so, should feed sixty Miskîns (poor). That is in order that you may have perfect Faith in Allâh and His Messenger. These are the limits set by Allâh. And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment."
(Quran 58:3-4)
3. For a man to expiate when he vows that his wife became unlawful to him just like their own mothers, there are also 3 options and again pls note the order:
a. To free a slave (without indicating whether a believing or non believing).
b. To fast two months continuously.
c. To feed 60 poor people.
(In this situation, which is actually grave and thus the penalty must be effective enough to have people avoid it, freeing a slave comes first, which in this case as well equal fasting two continuous months or feeding 60 people). U can of course observe the importance of freeing a slave in this case.
"And what will make you know the path that is steep? * (It is) freeing a neck (slave)[2] *Or giving food in a day of hunger (famine), * To an orphan near of kin. * Or to a Miskîn (poor) cleaving to dust (out of misery)"
In this Ayah, freeing a slave or feeding the poor or orphans is not to expiate a sin but rather to be able to identify the correct path. In other words it is simply one of the highly recommended good deeds. Note here Allah started with freeing a neck (slave)
(Quran 90: 13)
Alhamdulelah who guided us for this and if it was not for Him we wouldn't have been guided.
