Biography of the BARIRAH, THE FREED SLAVE OF 'A'ISHAH 

She is Barirah, the freed slave of the Mother of the Believers A'ishah. 

She narrated a hadith which has been collected in An-Nasa'i.

Those who narrated from her included 'Abdul-Malik bin Marwan and others. 

Aishah said,

"Barirah came to me and said, 'My people (masters) have written the contract for my emancipation for nine awag of gold to be paid in yearly installments, one úqiyyah per year, "Aishah said (to her),

"If your masters agree, I will pay so help me."

them the whole sum, provided the right of inheritance will be for me."

Barirah went to her masters and told them about it, but they refused the offer, and she returned from them while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting.

She said, "I presented the offer to them, but they refused unless the right of inheritance would be for them." When the Prophet ﷺ heard that, he said to 'A'ishah, "Buy Barirah and then set her free, and let them stipulate whatever they like.

The right of inheritance is for the one who frees the slave." 

Aishah did so.

After that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up amidst the people, glorified and praised Allah, and said,

"What is wrong with some people who stipulate things which are not in Allah's laws?

Any condition which is not in Allah's laws is invalid, even if there were a hundred such conditions.

Allah's rules are the most valid, and Allah's conditions are the most solid. The wala' is for the one who frees the slave."

Her Divorce After Freedom: 

When Barirah was freed, she was given the choice to stay with her husband or leave him. 

Ibn 'Abbas said: 

كَانَ زَوْجُ بَرِيرَةَ عَبْدًا يُقَالُ لَهُ مُغِيثٌ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ يَطُوفُ خَلْفَهَا وَيَبْكِي وَدُمُوعُهُ تَسِيلُ عَلَى خَدِّهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ لِلْعَبَّاسِ يَا عَبَّاسُ أَلَا تَعْجَبُ مِنْ حُبِّ مُغِيثٍ بَرِيرَةً وَمِنْ بُعْضٍ بَرِيرَةَ مُغِيئًا. فَقَالَ لَهَا النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - لَوْ رَاجَعْتِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ أَبُو وَلَدِكِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تَأْمُرُنِي قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشْفَعُ. قَالَتْ لاَ حَاجَةَ لِي فِيهِ. 

Barirah's husband was a slave called Mughith.

It is as if I can see him now, walking behind her and weeping, with tears running down his cheeks.

The Prophet ﷺ said to 'Abbas,

"O 'Abbas, are you not amazed by the love of Mughith for Barirah, and the hatred of Barirah for Mughith?"

And the Prophet ﷺ said to her,

"Why don't you take him back, for he is the father of your child?"

She said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, are you commanding me (to do so)?" He said, "No; rather, I am interceding." She said, "I have no need of him."

End...

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