Relations Between a Master and Servant

The question of the relationship between a master and servant is also an important question. However, since a fundamental discussion has occurred in the Second Volume of this book on the issue of slavery, an elaborate note is not required here. It is sufficient to indicate that in order to improve the condition between masters and slaves, Islām has also issued very emphatic guidelines. For example, in order to make masters vigilant, the Holy Prophet(sa) fundamentally stated:

“Every individual from among you is a master or superior officer to various others in one form or another. Hence, every individual should remain vigilant because he shall be questioned about his subjects.”1

Moreover, with relevance to erasing the rift between servants and their masters, the Holy Prophet(sa) stated:

“Your servants are your brothers. Therefore, when a brother is subject to an individual, he should grant some portion of the food he eats himself to his servant brother; And he should grant him some portion of the clothing he wears himself to his servant brother. O Ye Muslims! Do not delegate any work to your servants which is beyond their capacity. If you are ever compelled to give them such work, then help them in that work yourself.”2

This Ḥadīth, as is evident from its words and expression, is a very significant and fundamental one. Furthermore, the words, “help them” indicate that this work should not be such that if the master was compelled to do it himself, he would consider it degrading. Instead, the work should be such that the master is able and prepared to do it himself as well. So, in this Ḥadīth, apart from instructing the good treatment and brotherly conduct of servants, it has also been taught that it does not behove a Muslim to think of any work as demeaning, or to think that any work is for a slave only and not himself. Hence, it is mentioned in another Ḥadīth that the Holy Prophet(sa) would do all kinds of work with his own hands, and did not consider anything degrading.3 It should also be remembered that the word Khawala, which has appeared in the above Ḥadīth, is used to refer to domestics, servants and slaves, as well as other employees of this nature. Thus, in this Ḥadīth a remarkably vast subject has been considered. In any case, Islām also established better interrelations between masters and their slaves.