Selling a Found Child and One Born Out of Wedlock

اللَّقِيطُ لَا يُشْتَرَى وَ لَا يُبَاعُ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One cannot buy or sell an abandoned child that is found.’”

الْمَنْبُوذُ[4] حُرٌّ فَإِنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُوَالِيَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي رَبَّاهُ وَالاهُ فَإِنْ طَلَبَ مِنْهُ الَّذِي رَبَّاهُ النَّفَقَةَ وَ كَانَ مُوسِراً رَدَّ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مُعْسِراً كَانَ مَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A discarded child who is found is free, if he likes to have a guardian other than the one who has brought him up, he can do so. If the one who has brought him up asks for his expenses, if he is affluent he must pay him back and if he is not affluent then whatever is spent is counted a

الْمَنْبُوذُ حُرٌّ فَإِذَا كَبِرَ فَإِنْ شَاءَ تَوَلَّى إِلَى الَّذِي الْتَقَطَهُ وَ إِلَّا فَلْيَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّفَقَةَ وَ لْيَذْهَبْ فَلْيُوَالِ مَنْ شَاءَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah has narrated from his father (a.s.), who has said, ‘A discarded child is free. When he grows up, he can accept the one who picked him up as his guardian; otherwise, he must pay back what he has spent for him and he then can go to find a guardian of his choice.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ اللَّقِيطَةِ قَالَ لَا تُبَاعُ وَ لَا تُشْتَرَى وَ لَكِنِ اسْتَخْدِمْهَا بِمَا أَنْفَقْتَ عَلَيْهَا.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a discarded child. He (the Imam) said, ‘You cannot sell or buy him, but you can use his service to compensate for what you have spent for him.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ اللَّقِيطِ فَقَالَ حُرٌّ لَا يُبَاعُ وَ لَا يُوهَبُ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a discarded child. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is free but cannot be sold or given away as a gift.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا يَطِيبُ وَلَدُ الزِّنَا وَ لَا يَطِيبُ ثَمَنُهُ أَبَداً وَ الْمِمْرَازُ لَا يَطِيبُ إِلَى سَبْعَةِ آبَاءٍ وَ قِيلَ لَهُ وَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ الْمِمْرَازُ فَقَالَ‌[2] الرَّجُلُ يَكْتَسِبُ مَالًا مِنْ غَيْرِ حِلِّهِ فَيَتَزَوَّجُ بِهِ‌[3] أَوْ يَتَسَرَّى بِهِ فَيُولَدُ لَهُ فَذَاكَ الْوَلَدُ هُوَ الْمِمْرَازُ.

‘One born out of fornication does not recover as well as his price. Al-Mumraz does not recover for seven generations. It was asked, ‘What is al- Mumraz?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘One earns through unlawful ways and with such funds gets married or enjoys it, and a child is born for him. That child is al-Mumraz.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ وَلَدِ الزِّنَا أَشْتَرِيهِ أَوْ أَبِيعُهُ أَوْ أَسْتَخْدِمُهُ فَقَالَ اشْتَرِهِ وَ اسْتَرِقَّهُ وَ اسْتَخْدِمْهُ وَ بِعْهُ فَأَمَّا اللَّقِيطُ فَلَا تَشْتَرِهِ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Can I buy, sell or use services of one born out of wedlock? He (the Imam) said, ‘You can buy, sell, enslave or use his services but do not buy a discarded child that is found.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ تَكُونُ لِيَ الْمَمْلُوكَةُ مِنَ الزِّنَا أَحُجُّ مِنْ ثَمَنِهَا وَ أَتَزَوَّجُ فَقَالَ لَا تَحُجَّ وَ لَا تَتَزَوَّجْ مِنْهُ‌[1].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘I have a slave born out of wedlock; if I can perform al-Hajj with his price or spend it for my marriage/ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not perform al-Hajj with it and do not spend it for your marriage.’”