and his co-owners1 shall be paid for their shares, whereupon the slave shall become fully free. Otherwise, only2 the share already emancipated shall become free.” Another wording states: “Otherwise, the slave shall be appraised and required to earn the balance, without undue hardship being imposed upon him.” Agreed upon3.

489—If the owner makes the slave’s emancipation contingent upon his own death, the slave is deemed mudabbar (promised emancipation upon his owner’s death). He becomes free when his owner dies, provided that his value can be met from the disposable third of the estate. Jābir narrated that a man from the Ansār arranged for a male slave of his to be emancipated after his death, although he had no other property. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of this, he asked, “Who will buy him from me?” Nuʿaym ibn ʿAbd Allāh bought him for eight hundred dirhams. The man was in debt, so the Prophet gave him the money and said, “Pay off your debt.” Agreed upon4.

490—A manumission contract is an arrangement whereby a slave purchases his freedom from his master for a deferred price payable in two or more installments.

491—Allah, the Exalted, says: “Then make a contract with them if you know there is good in them” [al-Nūr: 33]—meaning uprightness in their religion and the ability to earn.

492—If it is feared that emancipating him or entering into a manumission contract with him would lead to corruption, or if he has no means of earning, then neither his emancipation nor such a contract is prescribed.

493—A slave under a manumission contract does not become free until he completes payment, based on the hadith: “The slave under a manumission contract remains a slave