because he bequeathed the act of purchasing, not the act of paying to them. If the third [of the estate] is sufficient for three [slaves], it is not permitted to purchase fewer than three, because they are the minimum plural. If you are able to purchase more than three for the price of three expensive ones, that is better and more virtuous; because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever emancipates a Muslim individual, Allah will emancipate for every limb of his, a limb of his [the liberator's] from the Fire." Moreover, it provides relief to an additional soul, so it is better than not doing so. If it is possible to purchase three inexpensive [slaves] and a portion of a fourth for the price of three expensive ones, then three are better; because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when asked about the most virtuous of slaves, said: "The most expensive of them in price, and the most precious of them to their owners." The purpose of emancipation is the completion of legal rulings concerning authority, Jumu'ah (Friday prayer), Hajj, Jihad, and other rulings that differ between slavery and freedom, and this is not achieved except by the emancipation of the entire slave.
(24) In the original and (A): "qadarta" (you have the ability). (25) Related by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of His saying: "[the freeing of a neck, or feeding on a day of severe hunger, an orphan of near relationship]" (Quran 90:13-16), from the Book of Emancipation; and in: The Chapter of the saying of Allah: "[or the freeing of a neck]" (Quran 5:89), and which necks are most pure, from the Book of Expiations. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/188, 8/181. And Muslim, in: The Chapter of the Virtue of Emancipation, from the Book of Emancipation. Sahih Muslim 2/1147. And Abu Dawood, in: The Chapter on the Reward of Emancipation, and the Chapter on which necks are most virtuous, from the Book of Emancipation. Sunan Abi Dawood 2/354. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter of what has been narrated regarding the reward of one who emancipates a slave, and the Chapter of what has been narrated regarding the virtue of one who emancipates, from the chapters of Vows. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 7/24, 25, 30, 31. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter of the reward of one who shoots an arrow in the way of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), from the book al-Mujtaba 6/23. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Emancipation, from the Book of Emancipation. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/843. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/420, 422, 429, 431, 447, 525, 4/113, 235, 321, 344, 386, 404. (26) In (M): "'anhu" (from him). (27) Related by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on which necks are most virtuous, from the Book of Emancipation. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/188. And Muslim, in: The Chapter of clarifying that belief in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the most virtuous of deeds, from the Book of Faith. Sahih Muslim 1/89. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Emancipation, from the Book of Emancipation. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/843. And Imam Malik, in: The Chapter of the Virtue of Emancipating Slaves, and the Chapter of Emancipating an Adulteress and the Son of Adultery, from the Book of Emancipation. al-Muwatta 2/779, 780. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/388, 5/150, 171, 265.
