human; because nothing of human creation was manifest in it, so it is similar to the nutfah (drop of semen) and the 'alaqah (clot of blood). The second (narration) is that the four rulings are connected to it; because it is the beginning of human creation, making it similar to when it is manifest. Abu Abd Allah ibn Hamid extracted a third narration, which is that the slave girl becomes an umm al-walad by it, but the 'iddah (waiting period) of a free woman does not terminate by it; for it was narrated from Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding a slave girl if she delivers and the midwives touch it and know it is flesh, even if its flesh is not manifest: one acts with precaution in the 'iddah by (waiting) another (period), and acts with precaution regarding the freedom of the slave girl. The apparent meaning of this is that he ruled for the freedom of the slave girl but did not rule for the termination of the 'iddah; because the freedom of the slave girl is obtained for the sake of freedom, so precaution is taken to achieve it, whereas the 'iddah involves the prohibition of marriage and the sanctity of the private parts, so precaution is taken to preserve it. Some Shafi'is said the opposite: the 'iddah is not obligatory, and the slave girl does not become an umm al-walad; because the original state is the non-existence of both, so it remains upon its original state. But this is not correct; because the 'iddah was established, and the original state is its continuation upon what it was, and the original state regarding a human is freedom, so we prioritize that which leads to it. And Allah knows best.

2015 - Issue: He said: "And when he dies, she has become free, even if he does not possess anything else."

He means that the umm al-walad is freed from the capital of the estate, even if he does not possess anything else. This is the opinion of everyone who holds the view that they are to be freed; we know of no disagreement among them regarding this. It makes no difference whether she conceived during his health or his illness; because that results from his pleasure and desire, and things he consumes for his pleasures and desires are the same in the state of health and illness, like what he eats and wears; and because her freedom is after death, and what occurs after death is equal in health and illness, such as settling debts, tadbir (conditional manumission), and wills. We know of no disagreement on this among