The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments
General
The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
The Prophet strongly enjoined the duty of kindness to slaves. "Feed your
memlooks," said he, "with food of that which ye eat, and clothe them
with such clothing as ye wear; and command them not to do that which
they are unable."[122]--These precepts are generally attended to, either
entirely or in a great degree. Some other sayings of the Prophet on this
subject well deserve to be mentioned; as the following:--"He who beats
his slave without fault, or slaps him on the face, his atonement for
this is freeing him."--"A man who behaves ill to his slave will not
enter into paradise."--"Whoever is the cause of separation between
mother and child, by selling or giving, God will separate him from his
friends on the day of resurrection."--"When a slave wishes well to his
master, and worships God well, for him are double rewards."[123]--It is
related of 'Othmán, "that he twisted the ear of a memlook belonging to
him, on account of disobedience, and afterwards, repenting of it,
ordered him to twist _his_ ear in like manner: but he would not. 'Othmán
urged him, and the memlook advanced, and began to wring it by little and
little. He said to him, 'Wring it hard; for I cannot endure the
punishment of the day of judgment [on account of this act].' The memlook
answered, 'O my master, the day that thou fearest, I also fear.'"--"It
is related also of Zeyn-el-'Ábideen, that he had a memlook who seized a
sheep, and broke its leg; and he said to him, 'Why didst thou this?' He
answered, 'To provoke thee to anger.' 'And I,' said he, 'will provoke to
anger him who taught thee; and he is Iblees: go, and be free, for the
sake of God.'"[124]--Many similar anecdotes might be added; but the
general assertions of travellers in the East are more satisfactory
evidence in favour of the humane conduct of most Muslims to their
slaves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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