Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

وَ فِي رِوَايَةِ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنِ اَلْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ اَلْمُسْلِمِينَ تَنَصَّرَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فَاسْتَتَابَهُ فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ فَقَبَضَ عَلَى شَعْرِهِ وَ قَالَ "طَئُوا عِبَادَ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ" فَوُطِئَ حَتَّى مَاتَ".

In a narration reported by Musa bin Bakr from Al-Fudhayl, from Abu Abdullah (a.s): "A man from among the Muslims converted to Christianity. He was brought to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s). Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) asked him to repent, but he refused. Then Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) seized him by his hair and said: 'Trample upon him, O servants of Allah (swt)!' So they trampled him until he died."

وَ رَوَى فَضَالَةُ عَنْ أَبَانٍ أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: فِي اَلصَّبِيِّ إِذَا شَبَّ فَاخْتَارَ اَلنَّصْرَانِيَّةَ وَ أَحَدُ أَبَوَيْهِ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أَوْ جَمِيعاً مُسْلِمَيْنِ قَالَ "لاَ يُتْرَكُ وَ لَكِنْ يُضْرَبُ عَلَى اَلْإِسْلاَمِ ".

In a narration reported by Fadalah from Aban, Abu Abdullah (a.s) said: "Regarding a child who grows up and chooses Christianity while one of his parents is a Christian or both of them are Muslims, he is not to be left (in that state), but rather he is compelled to follow Islam."

وَ رَوَى اِبْنُ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ أَبَانٍ أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يَمُوتُ مُرْتَدّاً عَنِ اَلْإِسْلاَمِ وَ لَهُ أَوْلاَدٌ وَ مَالٌ قَالَ "مَالُهُ لِوُلْدِهِ اَلْمُسْلِمِينَ ".

Ibn Faddal reported from Aban that Abu Abdullah (a.s) said: "If a man dies as an apostate from Islam and he has children and wealth, his wealth is to be inherited by his Muslim children."

وَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: "إِذَا أَسْلَمَ اَلْأَبُ جَرَّ اَلْوَلَدَ إِلَى اَلْإِسْلاَمِ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ دُعِيَ إِلَى اَلْإِسْلاَمِ فَإِنْ أَبَى قُتِلَ وَ إِنْ أَسْلَمَ اَلْوَلَدُ لَمْ يَجُرَّ أَبَوَيْهِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَهُمَا مِيرَاثٌ ".

Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) said: "If the father embraces Islam, he leads his child to Islam. When the child reaches maturity, he is invited to accept Islam; if he refuses, he is to be killed. However, if the child accepts Islam, they do not bring their parents into it, and there will be no inheritance between them."

رَوَى سَعْدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِمَمْلُوكِهِ أَنْتَ حُرٌّ وَ لِي مَالُكَ قَالَ "يَبْدَأُ بِالْمَالِ قَبْلَ اَلْعِتْقِ يَقُولُ لِي مَالُكَ وَ أَنْتَ حُرٌّ بِرِضاً مِنَ اَلْمَمْلُوكِ".

Sa'd ibn Sa'd narrated from Hariz who said: I asked Abu al-Hasan (a.s) about a man who said to his slave, "You are free, and your wealth belongs to me." Imam (a.s) 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."

وَ سَأَلَهُ اَلْحَسَنُ اَلصَّيْقَلُ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ أَوَّلُ مَمْلُوكٍ أَمْلِكُهُ فَهُوَ حُرٌّ فَأَصَابَ سِتَّةً فَقَالَ "إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ نِيَّتُهُ عَلَى وَاحِدٍ فَلْيَخْتَرْ أَيَّهُمْ شَاءَ فَلْيُعْتِقْهُ".

Al-Hasan al-Sayqal asked about a man who said: "The first slave I acquire will be free." Then he acquired six slaves. Imam (a.s) said: "His intention was for one. Let him choose whichever one he wishes and set him free."

وَ رَوَى إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ أَخِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ اَلْمَمْلُوكِ يَحْضُرُهُ اَلْمَوْتُ فَيُعْتِقُهُ مَوْلاَهُ فِي تِلْكَ اَلسَّاعَةِ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ اَلدُّنْيَا حُرّاً هَلْ لِلْمَوْلَى فِي عِتْقِهِ ذَلِكَ أَجْرٌ أَوْ يَتْرُكُهُ مَمْلُوكاً فَيَكُونُ لَهُ أَجْرٌ إِذَا مَاتَ وَ هُوَ مَمْلُوكٌ لَهُ أَفْضَلُ فَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ "يُتْرَكُ اَلْعَبْدُ مَمْلُوكاً فِي حَالِ مَوْتِهِ فَهُوَ آجَرُ لِمَوْلاَهُ وَ هَذَا اَلْعِتْقُ فِي تِلْكَ اَلسَّاعَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ نَافِعاً لَهُ".

Ibrahim ibn Mahziyar narrated from his brother, Ali ibn Mahziyar, who said: I wrote to Imam (a.s) 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 (a.s) wrote: "It is better for the master to leave the slave as a servant at the time of his death, for this brings more reward to the master. Freeing him in such an hour offers no benefit."

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى اَلْعُبَيْدِيُّ عَنِ اَلْفَضْلِ بْنِ اَلْمُبَارَكِ: أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ فِي رَجُلٍ لَهُ مَمْلُوكٌ فَمَرِضَ أَ يُعْتِقُهُ فِي مَرَضِهِ أَعْظَمُ لِأَجْرِهِ أَوْ يَتْرُكُهُ مَمْلُوكاً فَقَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ فِي مَرَضٍ فَالْعِتْقُ أَفْضَلُ لَهُ لِأَنَّهُ يُعْتِقُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ عُضْواً مِنَ اَلنَّارِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي حَالِ حُضُورِ اَلْمَوْتِ فَيَتْرُكُهُ مَمْلُوكاً أَفْضَلُ لَهُ مِنْ عِتْقِهِ".

Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ubaydi narrated from al-Fadl ibn al-Mubarak: He wrote to Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s) 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 (a.s) replied: "If it is during his illness, then freeing him is better for him because Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, frees a part of the master from the Fire for every part of the slave that is freed. However, if it is at the time of death, then leaving him as a servant is better than freeing him."

وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى اَلْعُبَيْدِيُّ عَنِ اَلْفَضْلِ بْنِ اَلْمُبَارَكِ اَلْبَصْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ اَلرَّجُلُ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ فَلاَ يَجِدُهَا كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ "عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَطْفَالِ فَأَعْتِقُوهُمْ فَإِنْ خَرَجَتْ مُؤْمِنَةً فَذَاكَ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَخْرُجْ مُؤْمِنَةً فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ شَيْءٌ".

Muhammad ibn Isa al-Ubaydi narrated from al-Fadl ibn al-Mubarak al-Basri, from his father, from Abu Abdullah (a.s): I said to Imam (a.s): "May I be your ransom, a man is required to free a believing slave, but he cannot find one. What should he do?" Imam (a.s) replied: "Resort to the children (among slaves) and free them. If they turn out to be believers, then that fulfills the requirement. But if they do not turn out to be believers, then there is no obligation upon you."

وَ رَوَى مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَبِيعُ عَبْدَهُ بِنُقْصَانٍ مِنْ ثَمَنِهِ لِيُعْتَقَ فَقَالَ لَهُ اَلْعَبْدُ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَكَ عَلَيَّ كَذَا وَ كَذَا أَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ مِنْهُ قَالَ "يَأْخُذُهُ مِنْهُ عَفْواً وَ يَسْأَلُهُ إِيَّاهُ فِي عَفْوٍ فَإِنْ أَبَى فَلْيَدَعْهُ".

Muawiyah ibn Maytharah narrated from Abu Abdullah (a.s): 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 (a.s) replied: "He may take it from him willingly and ask him for it politely. But if the slave refuses, then let him leave it."