No maintenance is due when the parties belong to different religions, except in the case of a bond of walāʾ (clientage through manumission).

The father must secure a wet-nurse for his child and pay the wage; he may not prevent the child’s mother from nursing him. She, however, is not obliged to do so except out of necessity1—such as fear for the child’s survival—and she may claim the customary fee even if another woman would nurse the child free of charge, whether she is irrevocably divorced from him or still under his marriage. If she marries another man, that husband is entitled to stop her from suckling the first child unless the child has no alternative.

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He is responsible for his slaves’ maintenance: food, clothing, and lodging, and he must not impose upon them excessive hardship. If the two agree to a mukhārajah (profit-sharing) arrangement, it is permissible. He must allow the slave to rest at the time of the midday siesta, during sleep, and for the obligatory prayers, and when travelling he must let him ride in turns. If the male slave asks to marry, the master should arrange the marriage—or sell him instead. Should a female slave desire intimacy, the master may have intercourse with her2, or marry her off, or sell her.

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He must likewise provide his livestock with fodder, water, and whatever else they require, and he must not3 load them with more than they can bear4, nor may he milk them so heavily that it harms their young. If he is unable to maintain them, he is compelled to sell them, lease them out, or, if they are edible, slaughter them.