Sirin informed Umar ibn al-Khattab of that, so he raised the whip against Anas and recited to him: "And those who seek the contract (kitab) among those whom your right hands possess, then contract with them if you know there is goodness in them." Thus, Anas contracted with him. Our argument is that it is an emancipation for a compensation, so it is not obligatory, like the istis'a' (compelling a slave to earn his freedom). The verse is interpreted as [a recommendation of] desirability, and the statement of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, contradicts the action of Anas. There is no disagreement among them that for someone in whom there is no goodness, it is not obligatory to grant his request. Ahmad said: "Goodness is truthfulness, righteousness, and fulfillment of the wealth of the kitaba." Ibrahim, 'Amr ibn Dinar, and others said something similar, though their expressions concerning it differ. Ibn Abbas said: "Capacity and giving of wealth." Mujahid said: "Capacity and performance." Al-Nakha'i said: "Truthfulness and fulfillment." 'Amr ibn Dinar said: "Wealth and righteousness." Al-Shafi'i said: "Ability to earn and trustworthiness." Is it disliked to contract someone who has no earning [ability] or not? Al-Qadi said: The manifest meaning of Ahmad's words is that it is disliked. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to dislike it. This is the opinion of Masruq and al-Awza'i. There is another narration from Ahmad that it is not disliked. Al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, Ibn al-Mundhir, and a group of scholars did not dislike it, because Juwayriya bint al-Harith was contracted by Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas al-Ansari, and she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) seeking assistance in her kitaba, so he paid her kitaba for her and married her. Ibn al-Mundhir argued that Barira was contracted while she had no trade, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not disapprove of that. The basis for the first [position] is what we mentioned regarding his emancipation. It is fitting that the mukatab be examined; if he is someone who would be harmed by the kitaba or would go to waste due to his inability to provide for himself, then his kitaba is disliked. If he finds someone to provide for his sustenance, his kitaba is not disliked, as the benefit of freedom is achieved without harm.
(17) Mentioned by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on the sin of one who slanders his slave, from the Book of al-Mukatab, Sahih al-Bukhari 3/198. Reported by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter of whoever said: It is obligatory for a man to enter into a kitaba..., from the Book of al-Mukatab, al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/319. And 'Abd al-Razzaq, in: Chapter on the obligation of kitaba and the mukatab asking people, from the Book of al-Mukatab, al-Musannaf 8/371, 372. (18) In B, M: "'ana" (meaning/capacity). (19) In the original: "qudra" (ability). (20) Reported by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter of what was said regarding the interpretation of His saying, the Exalted: "If you know there is goodness in them," from the Book of al-Mukatab, al-Sunan al-Kubra 10/318. And 'Abd al-Razzaq, in: Chapter on the obligation of kitaba and the mukatab asking people, from the Book of al-Mukatab, al-Musannaf 8/374. And Ibn Abi Shayba, in: Chapter of whoever disliked that a man should contract his slave..., from the Book of Sales and Judgments 70/23. (21) Reported by Abu Dawud, in the chapter on selling the mukatab if the kitaba is annulled, from the Book of Emancipation, Sunan Abi Dawud 2/347. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 6/277. (22) The verification of the hadith of Barira has preceded in: 6/326, 8/359, 360.
سيرِينُ عمرَ بنَ الخَطَّابِ بذلك، فرَفعَ الدِّرَّةَ على أنسٍ، وقَرَأ عليه: {وَالَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ فَكَاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا}. فكاتَبَه أنَسٌ (١٧). ولَنا، أنَّه إعْتاقٌ بعِوَضٍ، فلم يَجِبْ، كالاسْتِسْعاءِ، والآيةُ مَحْمولةٌ على النَّدْبِ، وقولُ عمرَ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنه، يُخالِفُ فِعْلَ أنَسٍ. ولا خِلافَ بينَهم فى أَنَّ مَنْ لا خَيْرَ فيه لا تَجِبُ إجَابَتُه. قال أحمدُ: الخَيْرُ صِدْقٌ، وصَلاحٌ، ووَفاءٌ بمالِ الكِتابةِ. ونحوَ هذا قال إبراهيمُ، وعمرُو بن دِينارٍ، وغيرُهما، وعِبارَتُهم فى ذلك مُخْتلِفةٌ، قال ابنُ عباسٍ: غَناءٌ (١٨)، وإعْطاءٌ للمالِ. وقال مُجاهدٌ: غَناءٌ (١٨)، وأدأءٌ. وقال النَّخَعِىُّ: صِدْقٌ، ووَفاءٌ. وقال عمرُو ابن دِينارٍ: مالٌ، وصلاحٌ. وقال الشافعىُّ: قُوَّةٌ (١٩) على الكَسْبِ، وأمانةٌ. وهل تُكْرَه كِتابةُ مَنْ لا كَسْبَ له أو لا؟ قال القاضى: ظاهِرُ كلامِ أحمدَ كَراهِيَتُه. وكان ابنُ عمرَ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنه، يَكْرَهُه (٢٠). وهو قولُ مَسْرُوقٍ، والأوْزاعِىِّ. وعن أحمدَ، روايةٌ أُخْرَى، أنَّه لا يُكْرَهُ. ولم يَكْرَهْه الشافعىُّ، وإسْحاقُ، وابنُ المُنْذِرِ، وطائِفةٌ من أهْلِ العلم؛ لأنَّ جُوَيْرِيةَ بنتَ الحارِثِ، كاتَبَها ثابتُ بن قيسِ بن شَمَّاسِ الأنْصارِىُّ، فأتَتِ النَّبِىَّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- تَسْتَعِينُه فى كِتابَتِها، فأدَّى عنها كِتابَتَها، وتَزَوَّجَها (٢١). واحْتجَّ ابنُ المُنْذِرِ، بأن بَرِيرة كاتَبَتْ ولا حِرْفَةَ لها، ولم يُنْكِرْ ذلك رسولُ اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- (٢٢). ووَجْه الأوَّلِ ما ذَكَرْنا فى عِتْقِه، ويَنْبَغِى أن يُنْظَرَ فى المُكاتَبِ، فإنْ كان ممن يتَضَرَّرُ بالكِتابةِ ويَضِيعُ، لِعَجْزِه عن الإِنْفاقِ
(١٧) ذكره البخارى، فى: باب إثم من قذف مملوكه، من كتاب المكاتب. صحيح البخارى ٣/ ١٩٨. وأخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب من قال: يجب على الرجل مكاتبة. . .، من كتاب المكاتب. السنن الكبرى ١٠/ ٣١٩. وعبد الرزاق، فى: باب وجوب الكناب والمكاتب يسأل الناس، من كتاب المكاتب. المصنف ٨/ ٣٧١، ٣٧٢.(١٨) فى ب، م: "عنى".(١٩) فى الأصل: "قدرة".(٢٠) أخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب ما جاء فى تفسير قوله تعالى: {إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا}، من كتاب المكاتب. السنن الكبرى ١٠/ ٣١٨. وعبد الرزاق، فى: باب وجوب الكتاب والمكاتب يسأل الناس، من كتاب المكاتب. المصنف ٨/ ٣٧٤. وابن أبى شيبة، فى: باب من كره أن يكاتب عبده. . .، من كتاب البيوع والأقضية ٧٠/ ٢٣.(٢١) أخرجه أبو داود، فى باب فى بيع المكاتب إذا فسخت الكتابة، من كتاب العتق. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٣٤٧. والإِمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٦/ ٢٧٧.(٢٢) تقدم تحريج حديث بريرة، فى: ٦/ ٣٢٦، ٨/ ٣٥٩، ٣٦٠.
