What is the difference between a ghulām, a ṭifl, a ṣabī, and a walad?
In the Arabic language, "ghulām" refers to a child from birth until old age; it is also said to refer to one whose mustache has begun to grow. As for "ṭifl" (child), it denotes the young of anything. A "ṣabī" (boy) is called a "ṭifl" from birth until puberty. A "ṣabī" is a child from birth until weaning. These terms are used Islamically for one who has not reached the age of puberty, as stated in the Hadith of Anas from Ibn Abi Talhah: "How is the ghulām?" And in the Almighty's saying: {And when your children among you reach puberty} [An-Nur: 59], and His saying: {How can we speak to one who is in the cradle as a ṣabī?} [Maryam: 29], and His saying: {And upon the father is their provision and their clothing} [Al-Baqarah: 233].
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