Chapter on the Legal Punishment of Slaves in Adultery

Hadith.5051 - Ibrahim bin Hashim narrated from Al-Asbagh bin Al-Asbagh. He said: Muhammad bin Sulayman Al-Misri narrated to me from Marwan bin Muslim from Ubayd bin Zurarah or from Burayd Al-Ijli (the doubt is from Muhammad), who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a slave who commits adultery. Imam (as) said: "He is to be lashed half the prescribed punishment." I asked: "What if he does it again?" Imam (as) replied: "He is to be lashed the same amount." I asked: "What if he repeats it again?" Imam (as) said: "He is not to be given more than half the prescribed punishment." I asked: "Is he ever liable for stoning due to any of his actions?" Imam (as) replied: "Yes, he is to be killed on the eighth offense if he does it eight times." I asked: "What is the difference between him and a free man when their actions are the same?" Imam (as) said: "Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, had mercy on him by not combining the burden of slavery and the punishment of a free man upon him." Then Imam (as) said: "It is obligatory upon the leader of the Muslims to pay his price to his master from the zakat share allocated for freeing slaves."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5052 - Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Al-Harith ibn Al-Ahwal from Burayd Al-ʿIjli from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) regarding a slave woman who commits adultery. Imam (as) said: "She is to be lashed half the prescribed punishment, whether she has a husband or does not have a husband."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5053 - Ibn Mahbub narrated from Ali ibn Riʾab from Zurarah from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) who said: "The prescribed punishment for Umm Al-Walad (a slave woman who has borne a child for her master) is the same as that of a slave woman if she has not borne a child."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5054 - Ibn Mahbub narrated from Nuaym ibn Ibrahim from Mismaʿ Abu Sayyar from Abu Abdullah (as) who said: "The liability of umm Al-walad (a slave woman who has borne a child to her master) concerning the rights of people is upon her master." Imam (as) also said: "As for the rights of Allah (swt), the Exalted, regarding prescribed punishments, that is upon her own body." Furthermore, Imam (as) said: "Retribution (qiṣaṣ) applies between her and other slaves, but there is no retribution between a free person and a slave."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5055 - Ibn Mahbub narrated from Abdullah ibn Bukayr from Anbasah ibn MuṣAb who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (as), "If my bondwoman commits adultery, should I administer the prescribed punishment on her?" Imam (as) replied: "Yes, but let it be done in secrecy, for I fear the ruler's authority upon you."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5056 - Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated from Ṣalih ibn Al-Sindi from Al-Husayn ibn Khalid who reported from Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as): Imam (as) was asked about a man who had a slave woman. The slave woman said to him, "I have paid part of my emancipation contract, so I am free according to that portion." He replied: "Yes." After she had paid part of her contract, her master had intercourse with her. The Imam (as) said: "If he forced her into that act, he will be punished in proportion to what she had paid of her contract, and the punishment will be waived for him in proportion to what remained of her contract. However, if she willingly participated with him, she will share the punishment equally with him and will be lashed the same amount."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5057 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about a man who took possession of a slave woman from the spoils of war (Al-fay') and had intercourse with her before the division of the spoils. Imam (as) said: "The slave woman should be appraised and handed over to him for her value, and his share from the spoils should be deducted from that amount. He should be lashed according to the imposed punishment, and punishment will be reduced in proportion to his share in her." It was then asked: "Why is the slave woman handed over to him for her value instead of to someone else?" Imam (as) said: "Because he had intercourse with her, and it is feared that she might be pregnant."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5058 - Sulayman bin Khalid narrated from Abu Abdullah, Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about a slave jointly owned by two men, where one of them freed his share. Later, the slave committed an offense that warranted one of Allah's (swt) prescribed punishments. The Imam (as) said: "If, at the time half of him was freed, he was appraised so that the one who freed him could pay half of his value to the other partner, then half of him is free, and he should receive half the punishment prescribed for a free person and half the punishment prescribed for a slave. However, if he was not appraised, then he remains a slave and should receive the full punishment prescribed for a slave."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Hadith.5059 - Abbad bin Kathir Al-Basri narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), who said: "For mukatab slaves (contracted for emancipation), if they commit fornication, they are to be lashed in proportion to what they have paid towards their emancipation with the punishment of a free person, and for the remaining portion, they are lashed with the punishment of a slave."

Translation: Bab Ul Qaim Publications — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.