Buying Slaves, Finding Defects, Returnable and Non-Returnable

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى جَارِيَةً مُدْرِكَةً فَلَمْ تَحِضْ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى مَضَى لَهَا سِتَّةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَ لَيْسَ بِهَا حَمْلٌ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ مِثْلُهَا تَحِيضُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ كِبَرٍ فَهَذَا عَيْبٌ تُرَدُّ مِنْهُ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a slave- girl who is well aware but does not experience Hayd (menses) for six month now with him and she is not pregnant. He (the Imam) said, Tf others similar to her experience and it is not because of old age, it is a defect, because of

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى جَارِيَةً حُبْلَى وَ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِحَبَلِهَا فَوَطِئَهَا قَالَ يَرُدُّهَا عَلَى الَّذِي ابْتَاعَهَا مِنْهُ وَ يُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ نِصْفُ عُشْرِ قِيمَتِهَا لِنِكَاحِهِ إِيَّاهَا وَ قَدْ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ع لَا تُرَدُّ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ بِحُبْلَى إِذَا وَطِئَهَا صَاحِبُهَا وَ يُوضَعُ عَنْهُ مِنْ ثَمَنِهَا بِقَدْرِ عَيْبٍ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهَا[1].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys a pregnant slave-girl and does not know that she is pregnant so he does sexual intercourse. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must return to the one from whom he has purchased and he must return half of one-tenth of her price because o

لَا تُرَدُّ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ بِحُبْلَى إِذَا وَطِئَهَا صَاحِبُهَا وَ لَهُ أَرْشُ الْعَيْبِ وَ تُرَدُّ الْحُبْلَى وَ تُرَدُّ مَعَهَا نِصْفُ عُشُرِ قِيمَتِهَا وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى إِنْ كَانَتْ بِكْراً فَعُشُرُ ثَمَنِهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِكْراً فَنِصْفُ عُشُرِ ثَمَنِهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A non-pregnant slave-girl, after the owner does sexual intercourse cannot be returned but he can demand for loss because of defect. A pregnant one must be returned with half of one-tenth of her price.’” In another Hadith it is said that if she is virgin it is one- tenth of her price a

قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِي رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى جَارِيَةً فَوَطِئَهَا ثُمَّ وَجَدَ فِيهَا عَيْباً قَالَ تُقَوَّمُ وَ هِيَ صَحِيحَةٌ وَ تُقَوَّمُ وَ بِهَا الدَّاءُ ثُمَّ يَرُدُّ الْبَائِعُ عَلَى الْمُبْتَاعِ فَضْلَ مَا بَيْنَ الصِّحَّةِ وَ الدَّاءِ[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, in the case of a man who bought a slave-girl and did sexual intercourse with her, then found defect in her, issued a judgment that said, ‘She must be evaluated as perfect as well as defective; then the seller must refund the difference of the two prices to the bu

إِنْ وَجَدَ فِيهَا عَيْباً فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَرُدَّهَا وَ لَكِنْ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ بِقِيمَةِ مَا نَقَصَهَا الْعَيْبُ قَالَ قُلْتُ هَذَا قَوْلُ عَلِيٍّ ع قَالَ نَعَمْ.

“About the case of a man who bought a slave-girl and did sexual intercourse, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, Tf he found a defect, he could not return her but ask for what the defect had reduced from her price.’ I then asked, ‘Is this how Ali (a.s.), had judged?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, this is the way Ali (a.s.), h

لَا يَرُدُّهَا عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا وَ لَكِنْ تُقَوَّمُ مَا بَيْنَ الْعَيْبِ وَ الصِّحَّةِ فَيُرَدُّ عَلَى الْمُبْتَاعِ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لَهَا أَجْراً.

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, was asked about the case of a man who buys a slave-girl, then does sexual intercourse, then finds defect in her, and he (the Imam) said, ‘She cannot be returned to her owner, but she can be evaluated as perfect and defective, and the difference of

كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع لَا يَرُدُّ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ بِحُبْلَى إِذَا وَطِئَهَا وَ كَانَ يَضَعُ لَهُ مِنْ ثَمَنِهَا بِقَدْرِ عَيْبِهَا.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), would not return a non-pregnant slave-girl after doing sexual intercourse but he (the Imam) would deduct from her price proportionate to the cost of the defect.’”

يَرُدُّهَا وَ يَرُدُّ مَعَهَا شَيْئاً[1].

“About the case of a man who buys a slave-girl, then does sexual intercourse, then finds her to be pregnant, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He must return her with something.’”

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي الْجَارِيَةَ الْحُبْلَى فَيَنْكِحُهَا وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ قَالَ يَرُدُّهَا وَ يَكْسُوهَا.

“About the case of a man who buys a pregnant slave-girl and does sexual intercourse with her when he did not know, abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘He must return her and clothe her.’”

يَأْخُذُ الْجَارِيَةَ صَاحِبُهَا وَ يَأْخُذُ الرَّجُلُ وَلَدَهُ بِقِيمَتِهِ.

“About the case of a man who buys a slave-girl and makes her to give birth, then finds her to be stolen, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Her owner takes the slave-girl and the man takes the child.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ رَجُلٍ بَاعَ جَارِيَةً عَلَى أَنَّهَا بِكْرٌ فَلَمْ يَجِدْهَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ قَالَ لَا تُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا يُوجَبُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ إِنَّهُ يَكُونُ يَذْهَبُ فِي حَالِ مَرَضٍ أَوْ أَمْرٍ يُصِيبُهَا.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who sells a slave-girl as virgin but she is not found virgin. He (the Imam) said, ‘He cannot return and there is nothing on him, it (virginity) may go away because of illness or something that affects it.’”

قَالَ رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى‌ أَنَّهُ قَدَّمَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ خَصْماً لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا بَاعَنِي هَذِهِ الْجَارِيَةَ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ عَلَى رَكَبِهَا[2] حِينَ كَشَفْتُهَا شَعْراً وَ زَعَمَتْ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا قَطُّ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَيَحْتَالُونَ لِهَذَا بِالْحِيَلِ حَتَّى يَذْهَبُوا بِهِ فَمَا الَّذِي كَرِهْتَ قَالَ أَيُّهَا الْقَاضِي إِنْ كَانَ عَيْباً فَاقْ

a man came to him claiming a slave-girl was sold to him, but he didn't find any pubic hair on her when he uncovered her, and she claimed she never had any. Ibn Abi Layla said to him, "People often deceive using such tricks until they get away with it. What is it that you disliked?". The man said, "Oh Qadhi (judge), if

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع الرَّجُلُ يَشْتَرِي الْجَارِيَةَ مِنَ السُّوقِ فَيُولِدُهَا ثُمَّ يَجِي‌ءُ رَجُلٌ فَيُقِيمُ الْبَيِّنَةَ عَلَى أَنَّهَا جَارِيَتُهُ لَمْ تُبَعْ وَ لَمْ تُوهَبْ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي يَرُدُّ إِلَيْهِ جَارِيَتَهُ وَ يُعَوِّضُهُ مِمَّا انْتَفَعَ قَالَ كَأَنَّهُ مَعْنَاهُ قِيمَةُ الْوَلَدِ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys a slave-girl from the market and makes her to give birth. Then a man comes with proof that she is his slave-girl who is not sold or given as gift to anyone. He (the Imam) said, ’He must return his slave-girl to him along with the benefits he has received

يُرَدُّ عَلَيْهِ فَضْلُ الْقِيمَةِ إِذَا عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ صَادِقٌ.

“In the case of a man who buys a slave-girl that she is said to be a virgin but he does not find her to be as such, he (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ’He (the seller) must return the difference of the price if he can verify that what he says is true.’”

تُرَدُّ الْجَارِيَةُ مِنْ أَرْبَعِ خِصَالٍ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ وَ الْجُذَامِ وَ الْبَرَصِ وَ الْقَرَنِ الْحَدَبَةِ إِلَّا أَنَّهَا تَكُونُ فِي الصَّدْرِ تُدْخِلُ الظَّهْرَ وَ تُخْرِجُ الصَّدْرَ.

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘A slave-girl can be returned because of four issues: Madness, leprosy, Bars (leprosy), al-Qarn (something in the vagina that prevents sexual intercourse) and al-Hadbah (convexity) which makes the chest go in and the back come out.’”

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ الْخِيَارُ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ لِلْمُشْتَرِي وَ فِي غَيْرِ الْحَيَوَانِ أَنْ يَتَفَرَّقَا وَ أَحْدَاثُ السَّنَةِ تُرَدُّ بَعْدَ السَّنَةِ قُلْتُ وَ مَا أَحْدَاثُ السَّنَةِ قَالَ الْجُنُونُ وَ الْجُذَامُ‌ وَ الْبَرَصُ وَ الْقَرَنُ فَمَنِ اشْتَرَى فَحَدَثَ فِيهِ هَذِهِ الْأَحْدَاثُ فَالْحُكْمُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ إِلَى تَمَامِ السَّنَةِ مِنْ يَوْمَ اشْتَرَاهُ.

“I once heard al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘The choice to revoke a contract of sale in the case of animals is for three days in favor of the buyer and in non-animal it is as long as they have not departed each other. The happenings of the year are returned after the year.’ I asked, ‘What is happening of the year?’ He (the

سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا ع يَقُولُ‌ يُرَدُّ الْمَمْلُوكُ مِنْ أَحْدَاثِ السَّنَةِ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ وَ الْجُذَامِ وَ الْبَرَصِ فَقُلْنَا كَيْفَ يُرَدُّ مِنْ أَحْدَاثِ السَّنَةِ قَالَ هَذَا أَوَّلُ السَّنَةِ فَإِذَا اشْتَرَيْتَ مَمْلُوكاً بِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْخِصَالِ مَا بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ رَدَدْتَهُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ فَالْإِبَاقُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ لَيْسَ الْإِبَاقُ مِنْ

“I once heard al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying, ‘Slaves, because of the happenings of the year are returned, such as madness, leprosy and Bars (leprosy).’ We then asked, ‘How is the return because of the happenings of the year?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘This is the beginning of the year. If you buy a slave with any of these things