A Slave Does Business Who Becomes Indebted

كَانَ أَذِنَ لِغُلَامٍ لَهُ فِي الشِّرَاءِ وَ الْبَيْعِ فَأَفْلَسَ وَ لَزِمَهُ دَيْنٌ فَأُخِذَ بِذَلِكَ الدَّيْنِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ وَ لَيْسَ يُسَاوِي ثَمَنُهُ مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ فَسَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ إِنْ بِعْتَهُ لَزِمَكَ الدَّيْنُ وَ إِنْ أَعْتَقْتَهُ لَمْ يَلْزَمْكَ الدَّيْنُ فَأَعْتَقَهُ فَلَمْ يَلْزَمْهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ[1].

If you sell him you are responsible for the debt, but if you set him free you are not responsible for the debt.’ He set him free and he was not held responsible for anything.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع- عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَاتَ وَ تَرَكَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْناً وَ تَرَكَ عَبْداً لَهُ مَالٌ فِي التِّجَارَةِ وَ وَلَداً وَ فِي يَدِ الْعَبْدِ مَالٌ وَ مَتَاعٌ وَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ اسْتَدَانَهُ الْعَبْدُ فِي حَيَاةِ سَيِّدِهِ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ وَ إِنَّ الْوَرَثَةَ وَ غُرَمَاءَ الْمَيِّتِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِيمَا فِي يَدِ الْعَبْدِ مِنَ الْمَالِ وَ الْمَتَاعِ وَ فِي رَقَبَةِ الْعَبْدِ فَقَالَ أَرَى أَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْوَرَث

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who dies owing a certain amount of debts and leaves behind a slave who has his assets in business and a son. In the hand of the slave he leaves the assets, goods and debts owed by the slave which he had incurred during the lifetime of

قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَأْذَنُ لِمَمْلُوكِهِ فِي التِّجَارَةِ فَيَصِيرُ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ أَذِنَ لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَدِينَ فَالدَّيْنُ عَلَى مَوْلَاهُ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَدِينَ فَلَا شَيْ‌ءَ عَلَى الْمَوْلَى وَ يُسْتَسْعَى الْعَبْدُ فِي الدَّيْنِ.

“This is concerning my question before abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who authorizes his slave to do business but he becomes indebted. He (the Imam) said, if his master had authorized him to borrow; then he is responsible for the debts, but if he had not authorized him to borrow, he is not responsible for a