whoever finds a slave that is surplus to his needs, he is not permitted to move to fasting. If he has a slave whom he needs for his service due to chronic illness, old age, sickness, large stature, or the like, which prevents him from serving himself, or he is someone who does not typically serve himself and does not find a slave surplus to his needs, then manumission is not obligatory upon him. This is the view of al-Shafi'i. Abu Hanifah, Malik, and al-Awza'i said: Whenever he finds a slave, it is mandatory for him to manumit it, and it is not permitted for him to move to fasting, whether he is in need of the slave or not; because Allah the Almighty conditioned the move to fasting upon not finding a slave, with His saying: {Whoever does not find [a slave]}. This person is one who finds. If he finds the price [of a slave] but is in need of it, he is not required to purchase it. This is the view of Abu Hanifah. Malik said: He is required to purchase it; because finding the price is like finding the slave itself. Our view is that whatever a person's needs encompass is like that which is non-existent regarding the permissibility of moving to a substitute, just like someone who finds water but needs it for thirst; it is permissible for him to move to Tayammum (dry ablution). If he has a servant and is someone who typically serves himself, it is mandatory for him to manumit it because it is surplus to his needs. This is unlike one whose custom is not to serve himself, as there is hardship for him in manumitting his servant, and it would result in the loss of many of his necessities. If he has a servant who serves his wife, and he is someone upon whom her service is incumbent, or he has slaves who sustain him with their earnings, or a house he lives in, or real estate whose revenue he needs for his sustenance, or trade goods whose profit he cannot dispense with for his maintenance, then manumission is not mandatory for him. If he becomes wealthy enough regarding any of those things such that he could purchase a slave with it, it becomes mandatory, because he is a finder of the slave. If he has a slave who serves him and he can sell it and purchase two slaves with its price, using one for his service and manumitting the other, it is mandatory for him, because there is no harm in that. Likewise, if he has luxurious clothing that exceeds the clothing of his peers, and he can sell it and purchase what is sufficient for his dress along with a slave, that becomes mandatory for him. If he has a house that he can sell to purchase what is sufficient for the housing of his peers along with a slave, or a small farm from which he has a surplus beyond his needs that would allow him to
(3) Al-Zaman: A chronic ailment. (4) In (A): "his need". (5) Omitted from (A), (B), and (M). (6) Omitted from (M).
أنَّ مَن وَجَدَ رَقَبَةً فاضِلَةً عَن حاجَتِه، فليس له الانْتِقَالُ إلى الصِّيامِ، وإِنْ كانتْ له رَقَبَةٌ يَحْتَاجُ إلى خِدْمَتِها لِزِمَنٍ (٣)، أو كِبَرٍ، أو مَرَضٍ، أو عِظَمِ خَلْقٍ، ونحوِه مِمَّا يُعْجِزُه عنْ خِدْمَةِ نَفْسِه، أو يكونُ مِمَّنْ لا يَخْدُمُ نَفْسَه فى العَادَةِ، ولا يَجِدُ رَقَبَةً فاضِلَةً عن خِدْمَتِه (٤)، فليس عليه الإِعْتاقُ. وبهذا قال الشَّافِعِىُّ. وقال أبو حَنِيفَةَ، ومالِكٌ، والأوْزاعِىُّ: متى وَجَدَ رَقَبَةً، لَزِمَه إعْتاقُها، ولم يَجُزْ له الاْنتِقالُ إلى الصِّيامِ، سواءٌ كان مُحْتاجًا إليها، أو لم يكنْ؛ لأنَّ اللَّه تعالى شَرَطَ فى الانْتِقالِ إلى الصَّيامِ أَنْ لا يَجِدَ رَقَبَةً، بقَوْلِه: {فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ}. وهذا وَاجِدٌ. وإِنْ وَجَدَ ثَمَنَها، وهو مُحْتاجٌ إليه، لمْ يَلْزَمْه شِراؤُها. وبه قال أبو حَنِيفَةَ. وقال مالِكٌ: يَلْزَمُه شِرَاؤها (٥)؛ لأنَّ وِجْدانَ ثَمَنِها كوِجْدانِها. ولَنا، أَنَّ ما اسْتَغْرَقَتْه حاجةُ الإِنْسَانِ، فهو كالمَعْدُومِ، فى جَوازِ الانْتِقالِ إلى البَدَلِ، كَمَنْ وجدَ ماءً يَحْتاجُ إليه لِلعَطَش، يَجُوزُ له الانْتِقَالُ إلى التيَّمُّمِ. وإِنْ كان له خادِمٌ، وهو مِمَّنْ يَخْدِمُ نَفْسَه عادَةً، لَزِمَه إعْتاقُها؛ لأنَّه فاضِلٌ عن حاجَتِه. بخلافِ مَنْ لم تَجْرِ عادتُه بِخِدْمَةِ نَفْسِه، فإنَّ عليه مَشَقَّةً فى إعْتاقِ خادِمِه، وتَضْيِيعًا لِكَثِيرٍ مِن حوائِجه. وإِنْ كانَ له خادِمٌ يَخْدِمُ امرأتَه، وهى مِمَّن عليه إخْدامُها، أو كان له رَقِيقٌ يَتَقَوَّتُ بِخَراجِهِم، أو دَارٌ يَسْكُنُها، أو عَقارٌ يَحْتاجُ إلى غَلَّتِه لمُؤْنَتِه، أو عَرْضٍ للتِّجارَةِ لا يَسْتَغْنِى عنْ ربْحِه فى مُؤْنَتِه، لم يَلْزَمْه العِتْقُ. وإِنْ اسْتَغْنَى عن شىءٍ مِن ذلك مِمَّا يُمْكِنُه أَنْ يَشْتَرِىَ به رَقَبَةً، لَزِمَه؛ لأنَّه واجِدٌ للرَّقَبَةِ. وإِنْ كانتْ له رَقَبَةٌ تَخْدِمُه، يُمْكِنُه بَيْعُها وشِراءُ رَقَبَتَيْنِ بِثمَنِها، يَسْتَغْنِى بِخِدْمَةِ إحْداهما، ويَعْتِقُ الأُخْرَى، لَزِمَه؛ لأنَّه لا ضَرَرَ فى ذلك. وهكذا لو كانتْ له ثِيابٌ فاخِرَةٌ، تَزِيدُ على مَلابِس مِثْلِه، يُمْكِنُه بَيْعُها، وشراءُ ما يَكْفِيهِ فى لِباسِه ورَقَبَةٍ، لَزِمَه ذلك. وإِنْ كانتْ له دارٌ، يُمْكِنُه بَيْعُهَا، وشِراءُ مِا يَكْفِيه لسُكْنَى مِثْلِه ورَقَبَةٍ، أو ضَيْعَةْ يَفْضُلُ منها عنْ كِفَايَتِه ما يُمْكِنُه به (٦)
(٣) الزِّمَن: العلة الملازمة.(٤) فى أ: "حاجته".(٥) سقط من: أ، ب، م.(٦) سقط من: م.
