Second: if it is permissible to free a slave from the bondage of slavery, then rescuing the captive himself is even more warranted, because he is in a plight more severe than slavery—the plight of captivity—and is liable to be killed, especially if his captors threaten to kill him unless money is paid to them.

To whom is the money given when securing the captive’s release?

The answer: we give it to the captors.

These are two categories included under freeing those in bondage. Two further categories remain:

The first category is that we purchase a slave with zakat funds and then emancipate him. This is permissible, because it falls under the general meaning of Allah’s saying, “and for freeing those in bondage” [al-Tawbah 9:60], which includes this case—especially if he is in the possession of a master who mistreats him, or of a master from whom he is not safe. In such a case, he may be purchased with zakat funds and emancipated.

The second category is where a person has a slave and emancipates him, counting this as zakat. This does not suffice, because it is equivalent to waiving a debt as zakat; that is, it is like someone who is owed a debt by a poor person, then waives it and counts it as zakat. This is not permissible.

Thus, there are four categories:

1. The contracted slave.
2. The Muslim captive.
3. A slave who is purchased and emancipated. These three cases are permissible.
4. A slave emancipated by his master, who then counts this as zakat. This is not permissible.

Likewise, in the case of a drowning person who cannot find anyone to rescue him except in exchange for payment, it appears that we