Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Three kinds of people will have a double reward: A man from the People of the Book who believes in his Prophet and (also) believes in Muhammad; a slave who discharges properly the duties towards Allah and towards his master; and a man who possesses a slave-girl and teaches her manners, educates her well, and frees her and then marries her."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
1. Ahlul-Kitab means the people of the Scriptures, that is the Jews and the Christians. This Hadith has an inducement for them that if they embrace Islam, they will be entitled to a double reward. 2. Similarly, a sincere and well-wishing slave will also be entitled to a double reward because, on the one side, he obeys his master and bears all the trouble that is involved in his obedience, and on the other side, he also does justice to the worship of Allah. 3. Muslims have been enjoined to impart proper education and training to their slaves, especially their slave-girls. In the latter case, they have been advised to liberate and marry them with all the essentials of marriage. That is, they should be given a dower and all other rights to which wives are entitled. There is a double reward for all these types of people.
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