Allah the Almighty created wealth for human beings so they may seek assistance through it in fulfilling the duties of religious obligations and performing acts of worship. Allah the Almighty says: {It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth} (11). The slave is included in this general scope, and is among those obligated to perform religious duties and acts of worship, therefore he is eligible for ownership. For this reason, he possesses ownership in marriage. If ownership is established for a fetus, despite it being a drop of fluid lacking life, based on its potential to become a human, then the slave, who is already a human being and is legally responsible (mukallaf), is more deserving of this. Once this is established, it is not permissible for him to practice concubinage except with the permission of his master. Even if his master grants him a slave girl as property, it is not permissible for him to have sexual intercourse with her until he [the master] grants him permission [to do so]; for his ownership is incomplete, and his master may revoke it from him whenever he wishes without needing to rescind a contract, thus he does not have the authority to dispose of it except with the permission of his master. If the master grants him permission and says: "Practice concubinage with her (13)," or: "I permit you to have intercourse with her," or words indicating such, it becomes permissible for him. Whatever is born to him from this concubinage follows the status of his property; because the slave girl is his property, so too is her child. And if he practices concubinage without the permission of his master, the child is the property of his master (14).

Section: He may practice concubinage with whoever he wishes, provided the master has granted him permission for that. Ahmad explicitly stated this; because whoever is permitted to practice concubinage, it is permitted [for him without] (15) limitation, like a free man. If the master grants him permission without specifying, he may practice concubinage with one woman (17). Similarly, if he grants him permission to marry, it is not permissible for him to marry more than one woman. This is the position held by the scholars of opinion. [Abu Thawr said: If] (18) he grants him permission to marry, and he enters into a contract with two women in one contract, it is valid. Our argument is that the absolute permission covers only the smallest number to which the name applies with certainty, and anything beyond that is