I had a slave girl who used to tend sheep for me in the area of Uhud and Jawaniyya. One day I went to check on her and found that a wolf had taken one of the sheep from her flock. I am a man from the children of Adam, and I feel regret as they do, so I struck her a blow.Then I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he considered what I had done a serious matter.I said, "Messenger of Allah, shall I free her?"He said, "Bring her to me."So I brought her to him, and he asked her, "Where is Allah?"She said, "In the heavens."He asked, "Who am I?"She replied, "You are the Messenger of Allah."He said, "Free her, for she is a believer."
كانت لي جارية ترعى غنما لي قبل أحد والجوانية، فاطلعت ذات يوم فإذا الذئب قد ذهب بشاة من غنمها، وأنا رجل من بني آدم آسف كما يأسفون، لكني صككتها صكة. فأتيت رسول الله ﷺ فعظم ذلك علي، قلت: يا رسول الله، أفلا أعتقها؟ قال: ائتني بها. فأتيته بها، فقال لها: أين الله؟ قالت: في السماء. قال: من أنا؟ قالت: أنت رسول الله. قال: اعتقها فإنها مؤمنة.
Muslim reported it in "The Book of Mosques" (537) through several routes from Ismail bin Ibrahim (that is, Ibn Ulaya), from Hajjaj Sawwaf, from Yahya bin Abu Kathir, from Hilal bin Abu Maymuna, from Ata bin Yasar, from Muawiya bin Hakam Sulami, who related it in a long hadith, which will come later in the discussion of the prohibition against speaking during prayer.Malik also reported the hadith in "The Book of Manumission" (8) from Hilal bin Usama with his chain of transmission, but he named the companion "Umar bin Hakam." Shafii likewise reported it from Malik, and Bayhaqi (7/387) reported it through his route, saying, "Umar bin Hakam." Shafii said, "The man's name is Muawiya bin Hakam. This is how Zuhri and Yahya bin Abu Kathir reported it." Bayhaqi said, A group reported it from Malik in this way, meaning they said "Umar bin Hakam," while Yahya bin Yahya reported it from Malik with precision, saying, "Muawiya bin Hakam."I say, Darimi likewise reported it in Radd Ali Jahmiya (62) from Yahya bin Yahya Taymi, who said, I read it before Malik bin Anas, with his chain of transmission, and in it he said, "Muawiya bin Hakam." So it appears that the correct name is "Muawiya bin Hakam," and whoever said "Umar bin Hakam" either erred regarding Malik's report, or Malik himself erred in it, as Imam Shafii and Ibn Jarud and others have pointed out. For more, see Tamhid (7/78–80).