رقبة بن مصقلة العبدي الكوفي

“A person in a marfu‘ narrated to me from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious. “Yet, he has not entered into Aqaba (90:11). Would that you knew what Aqaba is! (90:12). It is the setting free of a slave.” (90:13) The Imam (a.s.) said, “Setting free of a slave is acknowledgment of the Wilaya of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), Leadership with Divine Authority.”

Hadith.2245 - It has been narrated: "A single Hajj is better than freeing seventy slaves."

Hadith.2151 - Whoever arrives for Hajj, performs Tawaf around the House, and prays two Rak’ahs, Allah (swt) writes for them seventy thousand good deeds, erases seventy thousand sins from them, raises them by seventy thousand degrees, grants them intercession for seventy thousand needs, and records for them the emancipation of seventy thousand slaves, each valued at ten thousand dirhams.

“O Thabit! Can you not free a slave every day?' 'May Allah make you prosper,' he replied, 'I do not have the (financial) power to do it!' 'Are you not able,' asked the Imam (a.s), 'to entertain four Muslims for lunch or dinner?' 'I am able to do,' replied the companion. 'By Allah I swear,' said the Imam (a.s), 'that is equal to free a slave.'

“Whoever feeds an affluent believer it is equal to setting free a slave from the descendents of Isma’il and rescuing him from slaughter. Whoever feeds a needy believer, it is equal in reward for him to set free one hundred slaves from the descendents of Isma’il and rescue them from being slaughtered.”

10. The narrator says that he heard Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) say, “The reward of performing Hajj is more than freeing ten slaves.” Imam (a.s.) kept on counting till he said that the reward of the acts of Hajj is more than freeing seventy slaves and said that the reward of circumambulation and a two rakat prayer are equal to freeing a slave.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Making room in a meeting for your believing brothers to sit is better than freeing a slave.”

"A believing slave must be freed in his place, and this is in accordance with the saying of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic: 'But if he belonged to a people hostile to you and he was a believer, then the freeing of a believing slave [is required]' (Surah An-Nisa 4:92).

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Ibrahim ibn Maymun told him that he was once sitting in the meeting of abu Hanifah. A man came and asked him (abu Hanifah), ‘What do you think of a man who has performed Hajjahta al-Islam? Is al-Hajj better or setting free of a slave?’ He (abu Hanifah) replied, ‘No, setting free a slave is better.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘He (abu Hanifah) by Allah, has spoken a lie and has committed a sin. One Hajj is better than setting free of a slave’ . . .he counted up to ten slaves, then he said, ‘Fie upon him; in what kind of setting free of slaves is Tawaf around the House, Sa‘y between al-Safa’ and al-Marwah, staying in ‘Arafat, shaving one’s head and throwing pebbles on al-Jamarat? Had this been true, people would cancel performing al-Hajj altogether; and were they to do it, the Imam would force them to perform al-Hajj whether they liked or disliked it; this House is established for al-Hajj.’”

Feeding four Muslims is equal to freeing a slave from the descendants of Prophet Ishmael.

Hadith.5262 - Humran asked Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a man who struck his slave, and the slave died as a result of the beating. Imam (as) replied: "He must free a slave."

3. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “One who takes a letter of a warrior to its destination, will be like one who has freed a slave and will get the reward of participating in that Jihad.”

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever carries a message on behalf of a fighter during war is like one who frees a slave, and he partakes in the reward of the one who actually fought.

I asked Abu Abdullah (as), "Alqamah ibn Muhammad instructed me in his will to free a slave on his behalf, so I freed a female slave for him. Is that sufficient, or should I free another from my own wealth?" Imam (as) replied: "It suffices him." Then Imam (as) added, "Indeed, Faṭimah, the mother of my son, had instructed me to free a slave on her behalf, so I freed a female slave for her."

“One who conveys the message of a fighter for the cause of Allah receives a reward equal to freeing a slave and he will have a share in the reward for his fighting for the cause of Allah in battle..”

By its isnad. He said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: He who informs [the Muslims] of an attack is like one who has freed a slave.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘’Alqamah ibn Muhammad has made a will that I must set free a slave for him, and I set free for him a woman: if this is sufficient or must I set free for him from my own property.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is sufficient.’ He (the Imam) then said to me, ‘Fatimah, mother of my son, made a will that I set free for her a slave and I set free for her a woman.’”

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “Doing each of the following deeds will take you to Heaven: Giving water to a thirsty person, feeding a hungry person, providing clothing for one who does not have any clothes, or freeing a slave.”

“Once a man came to see Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), and he (the Imam) asked him, ’Have you come to perform al-Hajj?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I intend to do so. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you know what the reward for al-Hajj is?’ He replied, ‘No, I do not know.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘For one who comes to perform al-Hajj, walks seven times around the House, performs two Rak‘at salat (prayer), Allah writes seventy thousand good deeds. He deletes seventy thousand of his sinful deeds, raises for him seventy thousand degrees, accepts his intercession for seventy thousand wishes, and writes for him the reward for setting free seventy thousand slaves, each worth ten thousand dirhams.”’

"I wrote to Abu al-Hasan (as), stating that I was obligated to free a slave, but my slave had escaped, and I did not know where he was. Would his emancipation suffice for fulfilling my obligation?" Imam (as) wrote back: 'Yes.' "