Section: A bequest to one's mukatab (contractual slave) is valid, because in terms of dealing, he is like a stranger to his master, and for this reason, it is permissible to give him one's zakat. If he says, "Remit some of my mukatab's kitaba (contractual payment) or some of what he owes," they shall remit whatever they wish, whether it is a small or large amount, from his first installments or his last. If he says, "Remit for him one of his installments," they may remit whichever installment they wish, just as if he had said, "Remit for him whichever installment you wish." It is the same whether his installments are uniform or varied, because the expression encompasses any one of them without specification. If he says, "Remit for him whichever installment he wishes," it is left to his discretion, and they are obligated to remit the installment he chooses to have remitted, because his master has delegated the choice to him. If he says, "Remit for him his largest installment," they are obligated to remit the one among them that is the greatest in wealth, because it is the greatest in amount. If he says, "Remit for him the majority of his installments," they are obligated to remit more than half of them, because the majority of a thing exceeds half of it. So if his installments are five, they remit three, and if they are six, they remit four. It is possible that this refers to a single installment that is the greatest among them in wealth, similar to his statement: "his largest installment." If his installments are equal, the first interpretation prevails. If he says, "Remit for him his middle installment," and there is only one middle one, the bequest is specified to it; for example, if his installments are equal in amount and term, and their count is odd, then the middle one in terms of count is specified. If they are five, the middle is the third; if they are seven, the middle is the fourth. If their count is even, and they differ in amount—some being one hundred, some two hundred, and some three hundred—the middle ones are the two hundred, and the bequest is specified to them, because they are the middle ones. If they are equal in amount but differ in term, such as two being due in one month, one in two months, and one in three months, the bequest is specified to the one due in two months, because it is the middle one. If these three meanings coincide in one, the bequest is specified to it.
(30) Omitted from M. (31) In the original, A, and B: "wada'u" (they remit). (32) In B and M: "akbaruha" (its greatest). (33) In A, B, and M: "akbaruha" (its greatest). (34) In M: "munfarid" (singular). (35) In the original and M: "fata'ayyan" (it is specified). (36) In M: "li-annaha" (because it is).
فصل: وتَصِحُّ الوَصِيَّةُ لمُكاتَبِه؛ لأَنَّه مع سَيِّدِه فى المُعامَلَةِ كالأجْنَبِىِّ، ولذلك جازَ أَنْ يدْفَعَ إليه زَكاتَه. فإنْ قال: ضَعُوا عن مُكاتَبِى بعضَ كتابَتِه، أو بعضَ ما عليه. وَضَعُوا ما شاءُوا، قليلًا كان أو كثيرًا، من أوَّلِ نُجومِه أو مِن آخِرِها. وإِنْ قال: ضَعُوا عنه نَجْمًا مِن نُجومِه. فلهم أَنْ يضَعُوا أىَّ نَجْمٍ شاءُوا، كما لو قال: ضَعُوا عنه (٣٠) أىَّ نجمٍ شِئْتُم. وسَواءٌ كانتْ نُجومُه مُتَّفِقَةً أو مختلِفَةً؛ لأنَّ اللَّفْظَ يتناوَلُ واحِدًا منها غيرَ مُعَيَّنٍ. وإِنْ قال: ضَعُوا عنه أىَّ نَجْمٍ شاءَ. كان ذلك إلى مَشِيئَتِه، فيَلْزَمُهم وَضْعُ النَّجْمِ الذى يخْتارُ وَضْعَهُ؛ لأنَّ سَيِّدَه جعَلَ المشيئَةَ له. وإِنْ قال: ضَعُوا عنه أكْبَرَ نُجومِه. [لَزِمَهم أَنْ يَضَعُوا] (٣١) عنه (٣٠) أَكْبَرَها مالًا؛ لأَنَّه أكْثَرُها (٣٢) قَدْرًا. وإِنْ قال: ضَعُوا عنه أكْثَرَ نُجومِه. لَزِمَهم أَنْ يَضَعُوا عنه أكثرَ مِنٍ نِصْفِها؛ لأنَّ أكثرَ الشىءِ يَزِيدُ على نِصْفِه، فإذا كانتْ نُجومُه خَمْسَةً، وضَعُوا ثلاثةً، وإِنْ كانتْ سِتَّةً، وضَعُوا أرْبَعَةً. ويَحْتَمِلُ أَنْ يَنْصَرِفَ ذلك إلى واحِدٍ منها أكْثَرِها (٣٣) مالًا، بمَنْزِلَةِ قولِه: أكْبَر نُجومِه. فإنْ كانتْ نُجومُه مُتَساوِيَةً، تَعَيَّنَ الاحْتِمالُ الأَوَّلُ. وإِنْ قال: ضَعُوا عنه أَوْسَطَ نُجومِه. فلم يكُنْ فيها إِلَّا وَسَطٌ واحِدٌ، تَعَيَّنَتَ الوَصِيَّةُ فيه، مثل أَنْ تكونَ نُجومُه مُتَساوِيَةَ القَدْرِ والأجَلِ، وعَدَدُها مُفْرَدٌ (٣٤)، فيَتَعَيَّنُ وَضْعُ أَوْسَطِها عدَدًا، فإذا كانت خَمْسَةً، فالأوْسَطُ الثالِثُ، وإِنْ كانتْ سَبْعَةً، فالأوْسَطُ الرَّابِعُ، وإِنْ كان عددُها مُزْدَوَجًا، وهى مُخْتَلِفَةُ المِقْدارِ، فبَعْضُها مائةٌ، وبعضُها مائتانِ، وبعضُها ثلاثُمائةٍ، فأوْسَطُها المائتان، فتَتَعَيَّنُ (٣٥) الوَصِيَّةُ فيه؛ لأَنَّه أوْسَطُها. وإِنْ كانتْ مُتَساوِيَةَ القَدْرِ، مُخْتَلِفَةَ الأجَلِ، مثل أَنْ يكونَ اثنانِ منها إلى شَهْرٍ، وواحدٌ إلى شَهْرَيْن، وواحِدٌ إلى ثلاثةِ أشْهُرٍ، تَعَيَّنَتَ الوَصِيَّةُ فيما هو إلى شَهْرَيْنِ؛ لأَنَّه (٣٦) أَوْسَطُها. وإن اتَّفَقَتْ هذه المعَانِى الثَّلاثةُ فى
(٣٠) سقط من: م.(٣١) فى الأصل، أ، ب: "وضعوا".(٣٢) فى ب، م: "أكبرها".(٣٣) فى أ، ب، م: "أكبرها".(٣٤) فى م: "منفرد".(٣٥) فى الأصل، م: "فتعين".(٣٦) فى م: "لأنها".
