1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from certain persons of our people from Muthanna’ al-Hannat from Zurarah who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of two men who testify in favor of a man to confirm that so and so owes him fifty dirham, then two other men testify and state that he owes him one hundred dirham and all of them testify at the same place. He (the Imam) said, ‘I (in such case) arrange a raffle and whoever ’s name (of the defendant or the plaintiff) comes out I would ask him to take an oath to confirm that he has spoken the truth.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal from Dawud ibn abu Yazid al-‘Attar from certain persons of his people who has narrated the following: “This is about the case of a man who has a woman but a man comes with witnesses to prove her to be his woman, yet others come with testimony to prove her to be the woman of so and so and they all are just witnesses. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A raffle must be arranged and whoever’s name comes out is the rightful party with priority to her over the others.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

1. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father all from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Humran ibn ‘Ayan who has narrated the following: “I once asked Abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a girl who is not mature. She is about seven years old. She lives with a man and a woman. The man claims her to be his slave and the woman claims her to be her daughter. He (the Imam) said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.) had issued a judgment about it. I then asked, ‘How did ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.) judge it?’ He (the Imam) said that he would say, ‘People are all free except those who confess to their slavery in their maturity, or testimony is established in favor of one who claims a slave or slave-girl in which the slave or slave-girl must be given to the plaintiff as his slave.’ I then asked, ‘What do you say about it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘I would ask the one who claims her to be his slave-girl to present testimony. If they testify that she is his slave-girl and have no knowledge if he has sold her or has gifted, then I would give her to him unless the woman presents testimony that she is her daughter and free like her mother; then she is taken from the man and is given to her.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if the man did not present testimony to prove her as his slave-girl?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She is then taken away from him. If the woman presents testimony to prove her to be her daughter, she then is given to her and if neither one of the man and woman presented testimony to prove their claim, she then is left alone to go wherever she wants.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.