the third; because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not allow the emancipation of the one who emancipated six slaves during his sickness, except for a third of them. This is because it is a donation of wealth, similar to a gift. If he emancipates more than a third, it is not valid except for the third. If he emancipates slaves during his sickness, one after another, it begins with the first and then the next, until the third is fulfilled. If the emancipation occurs all at once and they do not come out of the third, lots are cast between them, and the third is determined by drawing lots. This is al-Khiraqi’s issue regarding when the emancipation occurs all at once and he has no wealth other than them. As for if he grants them tadbir, the one mentioned first and the one mentioned last are equal, because tadbir is an emancipation suspended upon a condition, which is death, and when the condition is met, the conditioned event is established at the same time. Similarly, the one bequeathed for emancipation is equal to the tadbir; because all of it is emancipation after death. So, whenever he emancipates three slaves of equal value—who constitute his entire wealth—all at once, or grants them tadbir, or bequeaths their emancipation, or grants some of them tadbir and bequeaths the emancipation of the remainder, and the heirs do not permit more than the third, lots are cast between them with one share of freedom and two shares of servitude. Whoever receives the share of freedom becomes free, and his two companions remain in servitude. This was the opinion of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Aban ibn Uthman, Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, Dawud, and Ibn Jarir. Abu Hanifa said: A third of each one becomes free, and he must work to earn his remaining value. A similar view is reported from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Shurayh, al-Sha'bi, al-Nakha'i, Qatada, and Hammad; because they are equal in the cause of entitlement, so they are equal in the entitlement, as if he owned a third of them alone, which is a third of his wealth, or as if he bequeathed each one of them to a man. The companions of Abu Hanifa rejected the drawing of lots and said: It is gambling and a judgment of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya). Perhaps they reject the report narrated regarding this issue because of its contradiction to the analogy (qiyas) of the principles. The hadith was mentioned to Hammad, so he said: This is the speech of the Shaytan—meaning Iblis. Muhammad ibn Dhakwan said to him: The pen is lifted from three; one of whom is the insane person until he recovers—meaning you are