Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ وَأَبُو أَحْمَدَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْبَجَلِيُّ مِنْ بَنِي بَجْلَةَ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ عَن طَلْحَةَ قَالَ أَبُو أَحْمَدَ حَدَّثَنَا طَلْحَةُ بْنُ مُصَرِّفٍ عَن عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْسَجَةَ عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِّمْنِي عَمَلًا يُدْخِلُنِي الْجَنَّةَ فَقَالَ لَئِنْ كُنْتَ أَقْصَرْتَ الْخُطْبَةَ لَقَدْ أَعْرَضْتَ الْمَسْأَلَةَ أَعْتِقْ النَّسَمَةَ وَفُكَّ الرَّقَبَةَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوَلَيْسَتَا بِوَاحِدَةٍ قَالَ لَا إِنَّ عِتْقَ النَّسَمَةِ أَنْ تَفَرَّدَ بِعِتْقِهَا وَفَكَّ الرَّقَبَةِ أَنْ تُعِينَ فِي عِتْقِهَا وَالْمِنْحَةُ الْوَكُوفُ وَالْفَيْءُ عَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ الظَّالِمِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تُطِقْ ذَلِكَ فَأَطْعِمْ الْجَائِعَ وَاسْقِ الظَّمْآنَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تُطِقْ ذَلِكَ فَكُفَّ لِسَانَكَ إِلَّا مِنْ الْخَيْرِ.
English Translation
Yahya bin Adam and Abu Ahmad narrated to us, [saying]: 'Isa bin Abd al-Rahman al-Bajali, of the tribe of Bajilah of Banu Sulaym, narrated to us, from Talhah — Abu Ahmad said: Talhah bin Musarrif narrated to us — from Abd al-Rahman bin 'Awsajah, from al-Bara' bin 'Azib, who said: A Bedouin came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, teach me a deed that will admit me into Paradise.' He said: 'Even though you have made the question brief, you have raised a weighty matter: free a soul, and free a slave.' The man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, are these not one and the same thing?' He said: 'No. Freeing a soul means that you free it entirely by yourself, while freeing a slave means that you assist in freeing him. And give generously of milk, and forgive an unjust relative. If you are not able to do that, then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, enjoin good and forbid evil. And if you are not able to do that, then restrain your tongue except for what is good.'