The son of Salih bin Hayy narrates: A man came to Imam Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him), and I was present with him at that time. He said: O Abu Amr! In Khurasan, among us, there are some people who believe that if a person, after freeing his slave-girl, then marries her, he is like a person who rides his sacrificial animal. So Imam Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: Sayyiduna Abu Burdah bin Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from his father that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Three people will have a double reward. A person from the People of the Book who believed in his Prophet before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and then he also believed in Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), so he will have a double reward. A person who has a slave-girl, educates and trains her well, then frees her and marries her. And a slave who obeys the commands of Allah Almighty and also fulfills the rights of his master, so he will have a double reward.”(Imam Sha’bi said): You obtain it without any compensation, whereas previously a person would travel all the way to Madinah Munawwarah for a narration of lesser content than this.