Chapter on the Legal Punishment of Slaves in Adultery

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الْمِصْرِيُ‌[1] عَنْ مَرْوَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ أَوْ عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ الشَّكُّ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَبْدٌ زَنَى فَقَالَ‌[2] يُجْلَدُ نِصْفَ الْحَدِّ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ عَادَ قَالَ فَيُضْرَبُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ عَادَ قَالَ لَا يُزَادُ عَلَى نِصْفِ الْحَدِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الرّ

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a slave who commits adultery. Imam (as) said: "He is to be lashed half the prescribed punishment." I asked: "What if he does it again?" Imam (as) replied: "He is to be lashed the same amount." I asked: "What if he repeats it again?" Imam (as) said: "He is not to be given more than half t

تُجْلَدُ نِصْفَ الْحَدِّ كَانَ لَهَا زَوْجٌ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا زَوْجٌ‌[4].

Hadith.5052 - Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Al-Harith ibn Al-Ahwal from Burayd Al-ʿIjli from Abu Jafar Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) regarding a slave woman who commits adultery. Imam (as) said: "She is to be lashed half the prescribed punishment, whether she has a husband or does not have a husband."

أُمُّ الْوَلَدِ حَدُّهَا حَدُّ الْأَمَةِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا وَلَدٌ[1].

"The prescribed punishment for Umm Al-Walad (a slave woman who has borne a child for her master) is the same as that of a slave woman if she has not borne a child."

أُمُّ الْوَلَدِ جِنَايَتُهَا فِي حُقُوقِ النَّاسِ عَلَى سَيِّدِهَا قَالَ وَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ حَقِّ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي الْحُدُودِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي بَدَنِهَا وَ قَالَ يُقَاصُّ مِنْهَا لِلْمَمَالِيكِ وَ لَا قِصَاصَ بَيْنَ الْحُرِّ وَ الْعَبْدِ[2].

"The liability of umm Al-walad (a slave woman who has borne a child to her master) concerning the rights of people is upon her master." Imam (as) also said: "As for the rights of Allah (swt), the Exalted, regarding prescribed punishments, that is upon her own body." Furthermore, Imam (as) said: "Retribution (qiṣaṣ) app

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنْ زَنَتْ جَارِيَةٌ لِي أَحُدُّهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لْيَكُنْ ذَلِكَ فِي سِرٍّ فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكَ السُّلْطَانَ‌[3].

I asked Abu Abdullah (as), "If my bondwoman commits adultery, should I administer the prescribed punishment on her?" Imam (as) replied: "Yes, but let it be done in secrecy, for I fear the ruler's authority upon you."

لَهَا نَعَمْ فَأَدَّتْ بَعْضَ مُكَاتَبَتِهَا وَ جَامَعَهَا مَوْلَاهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنِ اسْتَكْرَهَهَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ ضُرِبَ مِنَ الْحَدِّ بِقَدْرِ مَا أَدَّتْ مِنْ مُكَاتَبَتِهَا وَ دُرِئَ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْحَدِّ بِقَدْرِ مَا بَقِيَ لَهُ مِنْ مُكَاتَبَتِهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ تَابَعَتْهُ كَانَتْ شَرِيكَتَهُ‌ فِي الْحَدِّ ضُرِبَتْ مِثْلَ مَا يُضْرَبُ‌[1].

Hadith.5056 - Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated from Ṣalih ibn Al-Sindi from Al-Husayn ibn Khalid who reported from Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as): Imam (as) was asked about a man who had a slave woman. The slave woman said to him, "I have paid part of my emancipation contract, so I am free according to that portion." He re

تُقَوَّمُ الْجَارِيَةُ وَ تُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ بِالْقِيمَةِ وَ يُحَطُّ لَهُ مِنْهَا مَا يُصِيبُهُ مِنْهَا مِنَ الْفَيْ‌ءِ وَ يُجْلَدُ الْحَدَّ وَ يُدْرَأُ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْحَدِّ بِقَدْرِ مَا كَانَ لَهُ فِيهَا فَقِيلَ فَكَيْفَ صَارَتِ الْجَارِيَةُ تُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ بِالْقِيمَةِ دُونَ غَيْرِهَا قَالَ لِأَنَّهُ وَطِئَهَا وَ لَا يُؤْمَنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَمَّ حَمْلٌ‌[3].

Hadith.5057 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about a man who took possession of a slave woman from the spoils of war (Al-fay') and had intercourse with her before the division of the spoils. Imam (as) said: "The slave woman should be appraised and handed over to him for her value, and his share from th

إِنْ كَانَ الْعَبْدُ حَيْثُ أُعْتِقَ نِصْفُهُ قُوِّمَ لِيُغَرَّمَ الَّذِي أَعْتَقَهُ نِصْفَ قِيمَتِهِ فَنِصْفُهُ حُرٌّ يُضْرَبُ نِصْفَ حَدِّ الْحُرِّ وَ يُضْرَبُ نِصْفَ حَدِّ الْعَبْدِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قُوِّمَ فَهُوَ عَبْدٌ يُضْرَبُ حَدَّ الْعَبْدِ[4].

Hadith.5058 - Sulayman bin Khalid narrated from Abu Abdullah, Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about a slave jointly owned by two men, where one of them freed his share. Later, the slave committed an offense that warranted one of Allah's (swt) prescribed punishments. The Imam (as) said: "If, at the time

فِي الْمُكَاتَبَيْنِ إِذَا فَجَرَا يُضْرَبَانِ مِنَ الْحَدِّ بِقَدْرِ مَا أَدَّيَا مِنْ مُكَاتَبَتِهِمَا حَدَّ الْحُرِّ وَ يُضْرَبَانِ الْبَاقِيَ حَدَّ الْمَمْلُوكِ‌[2].

"For mukatab slaves (contracted for emancipation), if they commit fornication, they are to be lashed in proportion to what they have paid towards their emancipation with the punishment of a free person, and for the remaining portion, they are lashed with the punishment of a slave."