The Shaykh’s remarks on the meaning of the narration (that Aisha had a slave who led her in prayer and read from the mushaf)

The Shaykh : As for what I intended to say, my brother here got ahead of me by presenting the question, which is natural, as they say, because it suggests itself. There is a narration that states that the Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) had a slave who would lead her in prayer and read from the mushaf. Regarding the authenticity of this narration, we have no choice but to state the truth: it is established, its chain is sound, and there is no room for a scholar to deny it. However, this is from the perspective of the narration. What is its ruling from the perspective of fiqh? First, we say that this incident has no general application because it took place in the house, in the home. We are speaking about the imams of mosques who are obligated to lead the people and to lead them with knowledge, not with ignorance. Second, this was a slave and was not a free man, and the rulings concerning slaves differ entirely from the rulings concerning free men. Therefore, it is not permissible for a free man to lower himself to the status of a slave or to give himself the ruling of a slave. The slave is a slave to the master, who is a slave to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). Therefore, he has specific rulings in the Shari'ah. For example, you may know the common saying: "The slave and what his hand possesses belongs to his master." This is a colloquial expression, but it is a legal ruling. A slave does not own wealth; everything he earns belongs to his master. Do we lower ourselves to this specific ruling because we find it pleasing in our souls? The answer is no. Note that there are two issues here. The first issue is that it took place within the four walls, not in public, and not before the imams of mosques who receive salaries to fulfill the rights of their positions. It was not like that; it was a slave. As for the Lady Aisha, he would read from the mushaf. If we imagine that this phenomenon is repeated now, and we ask Allah to restore it to us, because unfortunately, Muslims have become slaves, as you hear of the tragedies occurring not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also in other Islamic lands, where there are Muslim prisoners and Muslim women taken as captives, and their honor is violated, and so on. But when true jihad is established in the path of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and the Muslims prepare for it spiritually first and materially second, then the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah, and history will repeat itself, and the matter will become a reality, as He (Mighty and Majestic) said in the Noble Qur'an: At that time, there will be free Muslim men and slaves who may be Muslims or may remain in their old disbelief. This is the answer to this issue, and perhaps this extent is sufficient, and we will stand up and pray, if Allah wills.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.