أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِمَمْلُوكِهِ أَنْتَ حُرٌّ وَ لِي مَالُكَ قَالَ يَبْدَأُ بِالْمَالِ قَبْلَ الْعِتْقِ يَقُولُ لِي مَالُكَ وَ أَنْتَ حُرٌّ بِرِضاً مِنَ الْمَمْلُوكِ[3].
I asked Abu al-Hasan (as) about a man who said to his slave, "You are free, and your wealth belongs to me." Imam (as) said: "He must begin with the wealth before granting freedom, saying, 'Your wealth belongs to me, and you are free,' with the consent of the slave."
أَوَّلُ مَمْلُوكٍ أَمْلِكُهُ فَهُوَ حُرٌّ فَأَصَابَ سِتَّةً فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ نِيَّتُهُ عَلَى وَاحِدٍ فَلْيَخْتَرْ أَيَّهُمْ شَاءَ فَلْيُعْتِقْهُ[4].
"The first slave I acquire will be free." Then he acquired six slaves. Imam (as) said: "His intention was for one. Let him choose whichever one he wishes and set him free."
إِلَيْهِ[5] أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْمَمْلُوكِ يَحْضُرُهُ الْمَوْتُ فَيُعْتِقُهُ مَوْلَاهُ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا حُرّاً هَلْ لِلْمَوْلَى فِي عِتْقِهِ ذَلِكَ أَجْرٌ أَوْ يَتْرُكُهُ مَمْلُوكاً فَيَكُونُ لَهُ أَجْرٌ إِذَا مَاتَ وَ هُوَ مَمْلُوكٌ لَهُ أَفْضَلُ فَكَتَبَ ع يُتْرَكُ الْعَبْدُ مَمْلُوكاً فِي حَالِ مَوْتِهِ فَهُوَ آجَرُ لِمَوْلَاهُ[6] وَ هَذَا الْعِتْقُ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ[7] لَمْ يَك
I wrote to Imam (as) asking about a slave who is near death, and his master frees him at that moment so that he leaves this world as a free man. Does the master earn a reward for freeing him, or is it better to leave him as a slave so that the master gains a greater reward if he dies while still owned? Imam (as) wrote:
إِنْ كَانَ فِي مَرَضٍ فَالْعِتْقُ أَفْضَلُ لَهُ لِأَنَّهُ يُعْتِقُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ عُضْواً مِنَ النَّارِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي حَالِ حُضُورِ الْمَوْتِ فَيَتْرُكُهُ مَمْلُوكاً أَفْضَلُ لَهُ مِنْ عِتْقِهِ.
Hadith.3560 - Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ubaydi narrated from al-Fadl ibn al-Mubarak: He wrote to Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad (as) asking about a man who owns a slave, and the slave becomes ill. Is it better for the man to free him during his illness to gain a greater reward, or to leave him as a servant? Imam (as) replied:
لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الرَّجُلُ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ فَلَا يَجِدُهَا كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَطْفَالِ فَأَعْتِقُوهُمْ فَإِنْ خَرَجَتْ مُؤْمِنَةً فَذَاكَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَخْرُجْ مُؤْمِنَةً فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ شَيْءٌ[1].
Hadith.3561 - Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ubaydi narrated from al-Fadl ibn al-Mubarak al-Basri, from his father, from Abu Abdullah (as): I said to Imam (as): "May I be your ransom, a man is required to free a believing slave, but he cannot find one. What should he do?" Imam (as) replied: "Resort to the children (among slaves)
لَهُ الْعَبْدُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَكَ عَلَيَّ كَذَا وَ كَذَا أَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ مِنْهُ[2] قَالَ يَأْخُذُهُ مِنْهُ عَفْواً وَ يَسْأَلُهُ إِيَّاهُ فِي عَفْوٍ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيَدَعْهُ[3].
Hadith.3562 - Muawiyah ibn Maytharah narrated from Abu Abdullah (as): I asked him about a man who sells his slave at a reduced price so that he may be freed, and the slave says to him in private, "I will give you such-and-such amount." Is it permissible for the man to take it from him? Imam (as) replied: "He may take i
قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع فِي مُكَاتَبَةٍ يَطَؤُهَا مَوْلَاهَا فَتَحْبَلُ قَالَ يَرُدُّ عَلَيْهَا مَهْرَ مِثْلِهَا وَ تَسْعَى فِي قِيمَتِهَا فَإِنْ عَجَزَتْ فَهِيَ مِنْ أُمَّهَاتِ الْأَوْلَادِ[4].
"Imam Ali ibn Al-Hussain (as) was asked about a contract-bound female slave (mukatabah) whose master had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. Imam (as) replied: "He must pay her the equivalent of her dowry, and she must work to pay off her value. If she is unable to do so, then she is considered one of the mo
لَهُ أَبْلَغَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَدْرِكَ أَنْ تَدَّعِيَ مَا يَدَّعِي أَبُوكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا لَكَ أَطْفَأَ اللَّهُ نُورَكَ وَ أَدْخَلَ الْفَقْرَ بَيْتَكَ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَوْحَى إِلَى عِمْرَانَ أَنِّي وَاهِبٌ لَكَ ذَكَراً فَوَهَبَ لَهُ مَرْيَمَ وَ وَهَبَ لِمَرْيَمَ عِيسَى- فَعِيسَى مِنْ مَرْيَمَ وَ مَرْيَمُ مِنْ عِيسَى وَ عِيسَى وَ مَرْيَمُ شَيْءٌ وَاحِدٌ وَ أَنَا مِنْ أَبِي وَ أَبِي
Hadith.3564 - Ibn Abi Sa'id al-Mukari entered upon Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) and said to him: "Has Allah (swt) elevated your status to the extent that you claim what your father claims?" The Imam (as) replied: "What is wrong with you? May Allah (swt) extinguish your light and bring poverty into your house! Do you
نَعَمْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ مَالِكُهُ يَفْتَدِيهِ[4] إِذَا أُخِذَ يُؤَدِّي عَنْهُ.
I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a Christian slave owned by a Muslim man-does the slave have to pay jizyah (tribute tax)? Imam (as) replied: "Yes, because his owner is the one responsible for redeeming him if he is taken, and he (the owner) must pay it on his behalf."