Hadith 58-11

حَدَّثَنا الْحاكِم أَبُو عَلِي الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أحْمَد الْبِيْهَقِيُّ قالَ حَدَّثَني مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الصُّوليُّ قالَ حَدَّثَنا أَبُو ذكوان قالَ سَمِعْتُ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ العَبَّاسِ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَلِىِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يَقُولُ حَلَفْتُ بِالْعِتْقِ وَلا أَحْلِفُ بِالْعِتْقِ إِلا أَعْتَقْتُ رَقَبَةً وَأَعْتَقْتُ بَعْدَهَا جَمِيعَ مَا أَمْلِكُ إِنْ كَانَ يَرَى أَنَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ هَذَا وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى عَبْدٍ أَسْوَدَ مِنْ غِلْمَانِهِ بِقَرَابَتِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ‏ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ إِلا أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ فَأَكُونَ أَفْضَلَ بِهِ مِنْهُ.

Al-Hakim Abu Ali Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Bayhaqi narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Sowli quoted on the authority of Abu Thakwan that he had heard Ibrahim ibn Al-Abbas say that he had heard Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) say, “I have made a covenant not to swear by emancipation unless I set a slave free. Now I have freed all my slaves, so that no one thinks that I am superior to this slave due to being closer to God’s Prophet (S). No, I can only be superior due to having good deeds which give me nobility.” Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said this while pointing at one of his slaves.