And if the claimant says, “Pay¹ the debt you owe—one thousand,” or, “Do I have anything against you?” or, “Do I have one thousand against you?” and the defendant answers, “Yes,” or says, “Give me one day,” or, “until I open the chest,” or he declares, “He has one thousand against me, God willing,” or, “unless God wills,” or adds, “or Zayd,” then he has acknowledged the debt.

Should he attach the statement to a condition, the admission is void, whether the condition comes first—“If Zayd so wishes, I owe him one dinar”—or last—“I owe him one dinar if Zayd so wishes,” or, “when the pilgrims arrive.” The only exception² is when he says, “I owe such-and-such³ when such-and-such a time comes—one dinar,” for in that case the liability takes immediate effect. If, however, he clarifies that he meant a deferment or a bequest, his clarification is accepted once he swears to it.

If someone claims a dinar from him and he responds, “If Zayd testifies to it, he is telling the truth,” that does not constitute an admission.

Section
When an appended clause changes the admission

If he says, “He has against me, from the price of wine, one thousand,” nothing is due; but if he says⁴, “One thousand from the price of wine,” it becomes binding.

It is permissible to exclude one-half or less. Thus he is liable for ten in the statement, “He has against me ten except six,” and liable for five in, “You do not have ten against me except five,” provided that he does not