وَ سَأَلَهُ عَبْدُ اَللَّهِ بْنُ سِنَانٍ: عَنِ اِمْرَأَةٍ أَعْتَقَتْ ثُلُثَ خَادِمِهَا عِنْدَ مَوْتِهَا أَ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا أَنْ يُكَاتِبُوهَا إِنْ شَاءُوا وَ إِنْ أَبَوْا قَالَ "لاَ وَ لَكِنْ لَهَا مِنْ نَفْسِهَا ثُلُثُهَا وَ لِلْوَارِثِ ثُلُثَاهَا يَسْتَخْدِمُهَا بِحِسَابِ اَلَّذِي لَهُ مِنْهَا وَ يَكُونُ لَهَا مِنْ نَفْسِهَا بِحِسَابِ مَا أُعْتِقَ مِنْهَا".
Abdullah ibn Sinan asked him about a woman who freed one-third of her servant at the time of her death. He asked: "Are her heirs required to enter into a mukataba (a contract of emancipation in exchange for payment) with the servant if they wish, or can they refuse?" Imam (a.s) said: "No, but the servant owns one-third of herself, and the heirs own two-thirds. The heirs may use her services in proportion to their share, and she has freedom over herself in proportion to the part that was freed."