Guardianship of Sa’ibah (Unconditionally Freed Slave)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ مَمْلُوكاً لَهُ وَ قَدْ كَانَ مَوْلَاهُ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ ضَرِيبَةً فَرَضَهَا عَلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ وَ رَضِيَ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُ الْمَوْلَى وَ رَضِيَ الْمَمْلُوكُ بِذَلِكَ فَأَصَابَ الْمَمْلُوكُ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ مَالًا سِوَى مَا كَانَ يُعْطِي مَوْلَاهُ مِنَ الضَّرِيبَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَدَّى إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ مَا كَانَ فَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ فَمَا اكْتَسَبَه

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who wants to free his slave. His master takes a certain amount of tax from him every year about which both the master and slave had happily agreed. The slave in business earns a certain amount of assets besides what he gives to his master as tax. He (the Ima

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ السَّائِبَةِ فَقَالَ انْظُرُوا فِي الْقُرْآنِ فَمَا كَانَ فِيهِ‌ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ فَتِلْكَ يَا عَمَّارُ السَّائِبَةُ الَّتِي لَا وَلَاءَ لِأَحَدٍ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَمَا كَانَ وَلَاؤُهُ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ لِرَسُولِهِ وَ مَا كَانَ وَلَاؤُهُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَإِنَّ وَلَاءَهُ لِلْإِمَامِ وَ جِنَايَتَهُ عَلَى الْإِمَامِ وَ مِيرَاثَهُ لَهُ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave). He (the Imam) said, ‘You must consider what is in the Quran, “setting free a slave” O ‘Ammar, he is Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave) over whom there is no guardianship of anyone except Allah. Guardianship over whoever rests with Allah, s

إِذَا وَالَى الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فَلَهُ مِيرَاثُهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ مَعْقُلَتُهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When a man is under the guardianship of a man for him is his legacy and on him is the liability for wergild.’”

يَتَوَلَّى مَنْ شَاءَ وَ عَلَى مَنْ يَتَوَلَّى جَرِيرَتُهُ وَ لَهُ مِيرَاثُهُ قُلْنَا لَهُ فَإِنْ سَكَتَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ وَ لَمْ يَتَوَالَ أَحَداً قَالَ يُجْعَلُ مَالُهُ فِي بَيْتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the slave who is freed as Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave). He (the Imam) said, ‘He is free to find a guardian of his choosing and on whoever he chooses as his guardian are his liabilities for his crimes and for him is his legacy.’ We then asked, ‘What happens if he rem

مَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَجُلًا سَائِبَةً فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ جَرِيرَتِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ مِيرَاثِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لْيُشْهِدْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one frees a slave by manner of Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave) he is not liable for his crimes and there is nothing for him from his legacy and he must arrange witnesses for it.’”

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ السَّائِبَةِ فَقَالَ هُوَ الرَّجُلُ يُعْتِقُ غُلَامَهُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ لَهُ اذْهَبْ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ لَيْسَ لِي مِنْ مِيرَاثِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَا عَلَيَّ مِنْ جَرِيرَتِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ يُشْهِدُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شَاهِدَيْنِ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave). He (the Imam) said, ‘He is a man who frees his slave, then says to him, “Go wherever you like. There is nothing for me from your legacy and I am not liable of anything because of your crimes.” He arranges witness to bear testimony there

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ فَمَاتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُعْتِقَ رَقَبَةً فَانْطَلَقَ ابْنُهُ فَابْتَاعَ رَجُلًا مِنْ كَسْبِهِ فَأَعْتَقَهُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ إِنَّ الْمُعْتَقَ أَصَابَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَالًا ثُمَّ مَاتَ وَ تَرَكَهُ لِمَنْ يَكُونُ مِيرَاثُهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَتِ الرَّقَبَةُ الَّتِي عَلَى أَبِيهِ فِي ظِهَارٍ أَوْ شُكْرٍ أَوْ وَاجِبَةً عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ الْمُعْتَقَ‌

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who owed the freeing of a slave but he died before freeing a slave. His son then went to buy a man from his earnings and set him free on behalf of his father; the freed man earned an asset and then died; and about to whom belongs his legacy? He (the Imam) said, ‘

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مَمْلُوكٍ أُعْتِقَ سَائِبَةً قَالَ يَتَوَلَّى مَنْ شَاءَ وَ عَلَى مَنْ تَوَلَّاهُ جَرِيرَتُهُ وَ لَهُ مِيرَاثُهُ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ سَكَتَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ قَالَ يُجْعَلُ مَالُهُ فِي بَيْتِ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the slave who is freed in the manner of Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave). He (the Imam) said, ‘He is free to choose a guardian whoever he likes to bail out his liabilities due to crime and then inherit his legacy. ’I then asked, ‘What happens if he remains quiet until he

قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع فِيمَنْ نَكَّلَ بِمَمْلُوكِهِ أَنَّهُ حُرٌّ لَا سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ سَائِبَةٌ يَذْهَبُ فَيَتَوَلَّى إِلَى مَنْ أَحَبَّ فَإِذَا ضَمِنَ جَرِيرَتَهُ فَهُوَ يَرِثُهُ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that Amir al-Mu’minin once issued a judgment. It was in the case of a slave whose master had caused him serious physical damage, that he (the slave) is free in the manner of Sa’ibah (unconditionally freed slave) so that he can choose whomever he likes as his guardian to bail out his liabili