Chapters on Legal Cases and Rulings
Chapter on Mothers of Offspring
وَ رَوَى عَاصِمٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ تَرَكَ سُرِّيَّةً لَهَا وَلَدٌ أَوْ فِي بَطْنِهَا وَلَدٌ أَوْ لاَ وَلَدَ لَهَا فَإِنْ كَانَ أَعْتَقَهَا رَبُّهَا عَتَقَتْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يُعْتِقْهَا حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ فَقَدْ سَبَقَ فِيهَا كِتَابُ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ كِتَابُ اَللَّهِ أَحَقُّ" قَالَ "وَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهَا وَلَدٌ وَ تَرَكَ مَالاً تُجْعَلُ فِي نَصِيبِ وَلَدِهَا وَ يُمْسِكُهَا أَوْلِيَاءُ وَلَدِهَا حَتَّى يَكْبَرَ اَلْوَلَدُ فَيَكُونُ هُوَ اَلَّذِي يُعْتِقُهَا إِنْ شَاءَ وَ يَكُونُونَ هُمْ يَرِثُونَ وَلَدَهَا مَا دَامَتْ أَمَةً فَإِنْ أَعْتَقَهَا وَلَدُهَا عَتَقَتْ وَ إِنْ تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا وَلَدُهَا وَ لَمْ يُعْتِقْهَا فَإِنْ شَاءُوا أَرَقُّوا وَ إِنْ شَاءُوا أَعْتَقُوا" "وَ قَضَى أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي رَجُلٍ تَرَكَ جَارِيَةً وَ قَدْ وَلَدَتْ مِنْهُ اِبْنَةً وَ هِيَ صَغِيرَةٌ غَيْرَ أَنَّهَا تُبِينُ اَلْكَلاَمَ فَأَعْتَقَتْ أُمَّهَا فَتَخَاصَمَ فِيهَا مَوَالِي أَبِ اَلْجَارِيَةِ فَأَجَازَ عِتْقَهَا لِأُمِّهَا".
Asim narrated from Muhammad ibn Qays, who narrated from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), that Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: "Any man who leaves behind a concubine (surriyah) who has a child, or is pregnant with a child, or has no child, then if her master had freed her, she is free. But if he did not free her before his death, then the Book of Allah (swt), the Almighty and Glorious, has already decided her case, and the Book of Allah (swt) is more deserving to be followed." Imam (a.s) continued: "If she has a child and the man leaves wealth, then she is to be placed under the share of her child, and the guardians of the child shall keep her until the child grows up. At that point, the child has the right to free her if they wish. Meanwhile, the guardians inherit the child's wealth as long as she remains a slave. If her child frees her, she becomes free. However, if her child dies without freeing her, the guardians have the option to either keep her as a slave or free her." "Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, also ruled concerning a man who left behind a bondwoman who had borne him a daughter. The daughter was still young but capable of speaking. The daughter then freed her mother. The guardians of the father's estate disputed this matter, but Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, upheld the daughter's act of freeing her mother."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ اَلْوَلِيدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ قَالَ: قَدِمْتُ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَ مَعِي رَقِيقٌ فَمَرَرْتُ بِالْعَاشِرِ فَسَأَلَنِي فَقُلْتُ هُمْ أَحْرَارٌ كُلُّهُمْ فَقَدِمْتُ اَلْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِقَوْلِي لِلْعَاشِرِ فَقَالَ "لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ شَيْءٌ " فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ فِيهِمْ جَارِيَةً قَدْ وَقَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا وَ بِهَا حَمْلٌ قَالَ "لاَ أَ لَيْسَ وَلَدُهَا بِالَّذِي يُعْتِقُهَا إِذَا هَلَكَ سَيِّدُهَا صَارَتْ مِنْ نَصِيبِ وَلَدِهَا".
Al-Husayn ibn Sa'id narrated from Safwan ibn Yahya, who narrated from al-Walid ibn Hisham: "I came from Egypt with some slaves, and when I passed by the tax collector (al-'Ashir), he asked me about them. I said: 'They are all free.' When I arrived in Medina, I went to Abu al-Hasan (a.s), and informed him about what I had told the tax collector. Imam (a.s) said: 'There is nothing upon you.' I then said: 'Among them is a bondwoman with whom I had relations, and she is pregnant.' Imam (a.s) replied: 'Isn't her child the one who will free her? When her master dies, she becomes the share of her child.'"
Chapters on Legal Cases and Rulings
Chapter on Freedom
رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ كَانَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اَلنَّاسَ كُلَّهُمْ أَحْرَارٌ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَقَرَّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بِالرِّقِّ وَ هُوَ مُدْرِكٌ مِنْ عَبْدٍ أَوْ أَمَةٍ وَ مَنْ شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِ شَاهِدَانِ بِالرِّقِّ صَغِيراً كَانَ أَوْ كَبِيراً.
Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Sinan, who said: "I heard Abu Abdullah (a.s) say: Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, used to say: 'Indeed, all people are free, except for the one who acknowledges servitude upon himself while being of sound understanding-whether he is a slave or a bondwoman-or the one upon whom two witnesses testify to his servitude, whether he is young or old.'"
وَ رُوِيَ عَنِ اَلْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اَلْفَضْلِ اَلْهَاشِمِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ رَجُلٌ أَقَرَّ أَنَّهُ عَبْدٌ قَالَ يَأْخُذُهُ بِمَا قَالَ أَوْ يَرُدَّ اَلْمَالَ.
Al-'Abbas ibn 'Amir narrated from Aban, from Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Hashimi, who said: "I said to Abu Abdullah (a.s), 'A man admitted that he is a slave.' Imam (a.s) said: 'He will be held accountable based on what he said, or he must return the wealth.'"
وَ رَوَى اَلسَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: إِذَا عَمِيَ اَلْعَبْدُ فَلاَ رِقَّ عَلَيْهِ وَ اَلْعَبْدُ إِذَا أَجْذَمَ فَلاَ رِقَّ عَلَيْهِ.
Al-Sakooni narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), from his forefathers, peace be upon them, who said: The Messenger of Allah (swt), peace be upon him and his family, said: "If a slave becomes blind, there is no servitude upon him; and if a slave becomes leprous, there is no servitude upon him."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "إِذَا عَمِيَ اَلْعَبْدُ فَقَدْ عَتَقَ".
Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "If a slave becomes blind, he is emancipated."
وَ رَوَى هِشَامُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "قَضَى أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِيمَنْ نَكَّلَ بِمَمْلُوكِهِ أَنَّهُ حُرٌّ لاَ سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ سَائِبَةٌ يَذْهَبُ فَيَتَوَلَّى إِلَى مَنْ أَحَبَّ فَإِذَا ضَمِنَ حَدَثَهُ فَهُوَ يَرِثُهُ".
Hisham ibn Salim narrated from Abu Basir, from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): "Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, ruled regarding a person who mistreated his slave that the slave becomes free. There is no authority over him, and he is considered a 'sa'ibah' (free without obligation). He may choose to align himself with whomever he wishes, and if that person guarantees his liability, then he inherits from him."
وَ رُوِيَ: فِي اِمْرَأَةٍ قَطَعَتْ ثَدْيَ وَلِيدَتِهَا "أَنَّهَا حُرَّةٌ لاَ سَبِيلَ لِمَوْلاَتِهَا عَلَيْهَا".
It is narrated regarding a woman who cut off the breast of her female slave; "She (the slave) is free, and her mistress has no authority over her."
وَ رَوَى طَلْحَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ أَعْتَقَ بَعْضَ مَمْلُوكِهِ قَالَ "هُوَ حُرٌّ كُلُّهُ لَيْسَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ شَرِيكٌ".
It is narrated by Talhah bin Zayd, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), peace be upon him, regarding a man who freed part of his slave. Imam (a.s) said: "He is completely free; there is no partner with Allah (swt), the Almighty."
وَ رَوَى اَلسَّكُونِيُّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي رَجُلٍ أَعْتَقَ أَمَةً وَ هِيَ حُبْلَى فَاسْتَثْنَى مَا فِي بَطْنِهَا قَالَ "اَلْأَمَةُ حُرَّةٌ وَ مَا فِي بَطْنِهَا حُرٌّ لِأَنَّ مَا فِي بَطْنِهَا مِنْهَا".
It is narrated by Al-Sakooni, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) from his father, Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s), peace be upon him, regarding a man who freed a pregnant bondwoman but excluded what was in her womb. Imam (a.s) said: "The bondwoman is free, and what is in her womb is also free because what is in her womb is a part of her."
