shares (al-ashqas) are treated like whole persons in matters where a slight defect does not pose an obstacle, as evidenced by Zakat; for whoever owns half of eighty sheep is treated like one who owns forty. This does not apply to the animal sacrificed (udhiyah), as a slight defect therein does pose an obstacle. Abu Bakr and Ibn Hamid said: It does not suffice him. This is also the opinion of Malik and Abu Hanifa, because what one is commanded to allocate to a person for an expiation cannot be divided between two, just like the mudd in feeding. For the companions of al-Shafi'i, there are two views similar to these, and they have a third view: if the remainder of both slaves is free, it suffices, otherwise not; because when the remainder of both is free, the perfection of the legal rulings and the capacity to act are realized. The Qadi derived this as a position for us as well, although an objector could say: The perfection of the rulings was not achieved by the emancipation of this one, but rather only by its joining with the emancipation of the other half, so it does not suffice him. Therefore, if we say: The emancipation of two halves does not suffice, then it does not suffice in this case for any of the two expiations. If we say: It does suffice, and the two expiations are of the same type, the emancipation suffices for both. And if they are of two types, it has been said: It is derived from the two views. The correct position is that it suffices as a single view, because the emancipation of two halves for them is like the emancipation of two slaves for them.
Section: It is not permissible to offer the expiation for Zihar before it occurs, because a ruling may not be advanced before its cause. If he says to his slave: "You are free this hour for my Zihar if I practice Zihar," the slave is emancipated, but it does not suffice him for his Zihar if he does practice it, because he advanced the expiation before its specific cause, which is not permissible, just as if he had advanced the expiation for an oath before the oath, or the expiation for killing before the wounding. If he says to his wife: "If you enter the house, you are to me like the back of my mother," it is not permissible to perform the expiation before she enters the house, because this would be advancing the expiation before the Zihar. If he emancipates a slave for his Zihar, then she enters the house, the slave is emancipated and he becomes a Zihar-practitioner, but it does not suffice him, because the Zihar is suspended upon a condition, and it does not exist before the occurrence of its condition. If he says to his slave: "If I practice Zihar, you are free for my Zihar," then says to his wife: "You are to me like the back of my mother," the slave is emancipated due to the occurrence of
(16) Omitted from: [B]. (17) In [B], an addition: "another". (18) In [M]: "ẓāhartu". (19) In the original, [A]: "yaẓhar". (20) In the original, [A]: "taẓāhart".