facilitating his Hajj, or he serves someone who covers his expenses, then it is permissible if his deadline has not yet arrived, because this follows the same course as him leaving off earning, and that is not something he is prohibited from.

Section: A mukatab does not have the right to enter into a contract of kitabah (manumission contract) except with the permission of his master. This is the view of al-Hasan and al-Shafi'i, because the kitabah is a type of manumission, so it is not permitted for the mukatab, just as a completed emancipation is not; and because he does not possess the authority to manumit, so he does not possess the authority to contract for kitabah, like the one granted permission [to trade]. The Qadi chose the view that the kitabah is permissible, and this is what Abu al-Khattab mentioned in "Ru'us al-Masa'il". This is also the view of Malik, Abu Hanifah, al-Thawri, and al-Awza'i, because it is a type of exchange, so it resembles a sale. Abu Bakr said: It is suspended—similar to his view regarding completed emancipation—so if the master grants permission for it, it becomes valid. Al-Shafi'i said: There are two views regarding it, which we have already mentioned previously. Thus, if he enters into a kitabah contract with his slave, and both become incapacitated, they both return to being slaves of the master. If the first mukatab performs his obligations and then the second one performs his, the wala' (clientage right) of each one belongs to his respective mukatab. If the first performs his obligations and the second is incapacitated, he becomes a slave to the first. If the first is incapacitated and the second performs his obligations, his wala' belongs to the original master. If the second performs his obligations before the emancipation of the first, he becomes free. Abu Bakr said: His wala' belongs to the master. This is the view of Abu Hanifah, because emancipation cannot be separated from wala', and wala' cannot be suspended, as it is a cause through which inheritance is received, so it is like lineage (nasab); and because inheritance does not stop, its cause does not stop either. The Qadi said: It is suspended; if he performs his obligations, he becomes free and the wala' belongs to him, otherwise it belongs to the master. This is one of the two views of al-Shafi'i, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Wala' belongs only to the one who emancipated." And because the slave is not his property, and it is not permissible for wala' to be established for him over one who was not emancipated while in his ownership. As for their argument that it is not permissible for it to be suspended, as is the case with lineage and inheritance: that is not so, for lineage is suspended until the boy reaches puberty, or until his affiliation is determined if the physiognomist (al-qafah) does not attribute him to one of those who had intercourse with the mother; likewise, inheritance is suspended, given that the difference between lineage and inheritance on one hand, and wala' on the other, is that...