Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Any slave woman who gives birth to a child by her master will become free after the death of that master.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: We used to sell our captives and ummahat al-awlad while the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was still alive among us, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider there to be any harm in it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we used to sell ummahat al-awlad (slave women who had borne children to their masters).

It is narrated from Sayyida Salama bint Ma’qil (may Allah be pleased with her), she says: I was the slave woman of Sayyiduna Hubab bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), and a child was also born to him from me. (But when he passed away,) his wife said to me: Now you will be sold to pay off his debt. So I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of this matter. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Who is the guardian of the inheritance of Hubab bin Amr? The people said: His brother, Sayyiduna Abu al-Yasar Ka’b bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) called him and said: You are not to sell her, rather you are to set her free. When you hear that slaves have come to me, come to me, and I will give you compensation for her. He did so, but after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there was a difference of opinion regarding this issue. Some people were of the view that the umm walad (a slave woman who bore her master a child) remains a slave after her master’s death. If her ruling was not that of a slave, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have given them a slave in exchange for her. While others said that such a woman becomes free, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set her free. Sayyida Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) says: There was a difference of opinion among the companions regarding me.

Narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she says: Sayyida Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her) came to me, seeking my help regarding her contract of emancipation, and she had not yet paid anything. I said to her: Go back to your owners; if they agree that I pay your contract amount and your allegiance (wala’) is for me, then I can do so. She went to her owners and told them everything in detail, but they refused and said: If she (Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) wants to pay your amount for the sake of reward, then that is fine, but the allegiance (wala’) will still be for us. When I told this to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: Aisha! Buy her and set her free; allegiance (wala’) is only the right of the one who sets free. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and said: What is wrong with people that they start making such conditions which are not in the Book of Allah? Whoever makes a condition that is not in the Book of Allah, it is nothing for him, even if he makes a hundred conditions. The condition of Allah is the most deserving and the strongest.

It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyida Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her) came to her while she was a mukatab (a slave with a contract for freedom). Sayyida (Aisha) said to her: Will your owners sell you? She went to her owners and told them this. They said: No, we will not do that, except if she stipulates the condition of wala’ (loyalty) for us. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of what they said, he said: Aisha! Buy her and set her free, for wala’ is only for the one who sets free.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to purchase Sayyida Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her), but her owners refused to sell her except on the condition that the right of wala’ (allegiance) would remain with them. When Sayyida Aisha informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) of this, he said: Buy her and set her free, for the right of wala’ belongs only to the one who pays the price.