Her mother mistreats the servants and does not respond to advice
Question

                I have a mother whose nature is somewhat hard-hearted. She treats the servants harshly because she had some experiences with servants which made her not trust them. When I try to advise her she gets angry with me and says that I prefer the servants to her. I cannot speak if she does anything to the servant and I cannot keep quiet because I see her mistreating her. What should I do?.
Praise be to Allah.
    If a Muslim abuses the power that Allaah has given him over 
    those who are under his care or authority, such as servants, workers or 
    others under his care, then he should remember the power that Allaah has 
    over him. 

    It was narrated that Abu Mas’ood al-Badri (may Allaah be 
    pleased with him) said: I was beating a slave of mine with a whip, then I 
    heard a voice behind me saying, “Remember, Abu Mas’ood.” I did not recognize 
    the voice because I was so angry, but when he drew close to me I saw that it 
    was the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him), and he was saying, “Remember, Abu Mas’ood; remember, Abu Mas’ood.” I 
    threw the whip aside and he said, “Remember, Abu Mas’ood, that Allaah has 
    more power over you than you have over this slave.” I said, “I will never 
    beat another slave again.” Narrated by Muslim, 1659. 

    Allaah made our Prophet Muhammad  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him) a good example for us, whose example and guidance we 
    should follow. The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    was the best of people in attitude towards his servants; he did not scold 
    them and beat them, even if they went against his instructions. Anas (may 
    Allaah be pleased with him) served the Prophet  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him) for ten years, and he describes to us how he treated 
    him: 

    It was narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) 
    said: I served the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    for ten years and he never said to me “Uff!” (a word of contempt) or “Why 
    did you do such and such?” or “Why did you not do such and such?” Narrated 
    by al-Bukhaari, 6690; Muslim, 2309. According to a version narrated by 
    Muslim: He never criticized me for anything. According to another version 
    narrated by Muslim (2310): Anas said: The Messenger of Allaah  (peace 
    and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the best of people in attitude. One 
    day he wanted to send me on an errand and I said, “By Allaah, I will not 
    go.” But my intention was to go and do what the Prophet of Allaah  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had told me to do. I went out 
    and passed by some boys who were playing in the market, and there the 
    Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took 
    hold of me by the neck from behind. I looked at him and he was smiling. He 
    said, “O Unays, did you go and do what I told you to?” I said, “Yes, I will 
    go, O Messenger of Allaah.” Anas said: By Allaah, I served him for nine 
    years and I never heard him say for anything that I did, “Why did you do 
    such and such?” or for something that I did not do, “Why did you not do such 
    and such?” 

    Al-Nawawi said: 

    With regard to the phrase “nine years” – most reports say ten 
    years. What this means is that it was nine years and some months. The 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stayed in Madeenah 
    for ten years exactly, no more and no less, and Anas started to serve him 
    during the first year. In the report which says nine years, the partial year 
    is not counted, rather the complete years are counted, and in the report 
    which says ten years, the partial year is counted as a full year. Both are 
    saheeh. 

    This hadeeth gives a clear picture of the good attitude, 
    kindness, forbearance and tolerance of the Prophet  (peace and blessings 
    of Allaah be upon him).   

    Sharh Muslim, 15/71 
The Sunnah describes the 
    rights which must be accorded to workers, employees and slaves who may be 
    under the authority of a Muslim. This universal sharee’ah brought something 
    that no divinely-revealed law had brought before, and no earthly legal 
    system had produced the like thereof, so the Muslim should feel proud of 
    belonging to this religion and should hasten to act in accordance with its 
    rulings. 

    It was narrated that al-Ma’roor ibn Suwayd said: I saw Abu 
    Dharr wearing a hullah (a suit of two garments) and his slave was 
    wearing something similar. I asked him about that and he said that he had 
    insulted a man at the time of the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) by saying something disparaging about his 
    mother. The man went to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) and told him about that, and the Prophet  (peace and blessings 
    of Allaah be upon him) said: “You are a man who still has something of 
    Jaahiliyyah in you. They are your brothers and servants whom Allaah has 
    placed under your authority. Anyone who has his brother under his authority, 
    let him feed him the same food as he eats and dress him in the same clothes 
    as he wears, do not overwhelm them with work and if you give them work to do 
    then help them with it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 30; Muslim 1661. 

    Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: 

    This hadeeth shows that it is forbidden to insult slaves or 
    speak disparagingly of those who bore them; we are encouraged to treat them 
    well and be kind to them. Although it speaks of slaves, that also includes 
    employees and others. 

    It also shows that we should not feel superior to another 
    Muslim or look down on him. 

    Fath al-Baari, 5/175 

    It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah says: ‘There are 
    three whose opponent I will be on the Day of Resurrection: a man who makes a 
    promise in My name then breaks his word, a man who sells a free man and 
    consumes his price, and a man who employs another and benefits from him (his 
    labour), then does not give him his wages.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2114. 

    From the ahaadeeth quoted above, it is possible to sum up the 
    rights of servants and the etiquette with which their employer or master 
    should treat them. These rights and etiquette are as follows: 

    1-He should give his servant the 
    same food as he eats

    2-He should clothe him as he 
    clothes himself.

    3-He should not give him more to 
    do than he is able for, and if he does that he should help him.

    4-He should pay him a wage that 
    is appropriate to his work and his efforts.

    5-He should not insult him or hit 
    him.

    6-He should treat him well and be 
    kind to him.

    7-He should overlook his mistakes 
    and shortcomings,

    Your mother should fear Allaah in her dealings with her 
    servants. She should remember that Allaah has more power over her than she 
    has over her servants, and that things do not always remain the same, she 
    cannot be sure that things will not change and that she will not lose 
    blessings because of such actions. Hence the wise Muslim should pay 
    attention to that, and be grateful for blessings so that Allaah may increase 
    them by His bounty. 

    Perhaps if your mother reads what we have quoted here of 
    ahaadeeth, rulings, etiquette and warnings, she will stop being so harsh 
    towards the servants and will repent to her Lord, and will ask forgiveness 
    from those whom she has wronged, and will treat them kindly, before there 
    comes a Day on which there will be no dirham and no dinar, rather it will be 
    the matter of good deeds and bad deeds. How many Muslims have exhausted 
    themselves doing acts of worship and good deeds in this world, but the 
    reward thereof is lost in the Hereafter because it is taken from them and 
    given to those against whom they transgressed in this world by insulting and 
    slandering them. 

    It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with 
    him) that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) said: “Whoever has wronged his brother, let him seek forgiveness 
    from him for it –  because (on the Day of Resurrection) there will be no 
    dinar and no dirham – before some of his good deeds are taken and given to 
    his brother, and if he has no good deeds (to his credit) some of his 
    brother’s bad deeds will be taken and added to (his burden).” 

    Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6169 

    It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with 
    him) that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) said: “Do you know who the bankrupt one is?” They said, “Among us, 
    the one who is bankrupt is the one who has no money or goods.” He said: “The 
    one who is bankrupt among my ummah is the one who will come on the Day of 
    Resurrection with prayer, fasting and zakaah (to his credit), but he will 
    come having insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of 
    this one, shed the blood of that one, beaten this one, so they will all be 
    given some of his good deeds, and if his good deeds run out before all the 
    scores are settled, then some of their bad deeds will be taken and thrown 
    onto him, then he will be thrown into the Fire.” Narrated by Muslim, 2581. 

    What you must do is to advise your mother and keep on doing 
    so; do not despair of her being guided or repenting. But that must be done 
    kindly and gently, paying attention to your mother’s rights, for her rights 
    are great. Do not worry if she gets angry with you, because she has no right 
    to do so. You will be rewarded if you bear her wrongs with patience. 

    Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) 
    was asked about a man who had a sum of money stolen and he thought that one 
    of his children had taken it. He started to pray against him and cut him 
    off, but he was innocent and had not taken anything. Would the son be 
    rewarded for his father’s prayers against him? 

    He replied: 

    Yes, if the son was wronged, for Allaah will expiate his sins 
    by means of the wrong that was done to him, and will reward him for his 
    patience; and the one who prays against another unjustly is sinning. End 
    quote. 

    Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 31/303 

    And Allaah is the Source of strength.