Section

If master and slave disagree about the very existence of a kitāba, the claim of the one who denies it prevails. If their dispute concerns the amount of the redemption price, its type, its due date, or whether it has been paid, the master’s word is accepted.

When the kitāba itself is invalid—such as when the price is stipulated in wine, pork, or an unknown commodity—the legal consequences attached to its outward form still dominate: should the slave pay, he is emancipated, but a simple waiver of the debt does not set him free. Either party may annul such a contract, and it is automatically voided by the master’s death, insanity, or legal interdiction.