Book of the Mukātib (mukātib)
577 — They unanimously agree that the children of a mukātib born to a free woman are themselves free.
578 — They unanimously agree that any child he fathers with a slave-woman who belongs to other people is the property of that slave-woman’s master.
579 — They unanimously agree that when a man enters into a kitābah with his slave for a permissible amount—specified by count, weight, or measure—payable in recognised instalments according to the Arab months, the contract is valid.
580 — They unanimously agree that a mukātib may buy and sell, receive and give, and give charity in ways that benefit his estate and help it grow, in keeping with the lawful transactions observed among Muslims.
581 — They unanimously agree that he may spend, in a customary manner, from the money in his hand on his own indispensable needs.
582 — They unanimously agree that a slave’s marriage contracted without his master’s permission is invalid.
583 — They unanimously agree that the master(1) is not permitted to sell his mukātib in order to nullify the kitābah, so long as the slave is abiding by the contract and paying the instalments when they fall due.
584 — They unanimously agree that a mukātib whose kitābah is sound becomes free once he pays his instalments at their appointed times, as stipulated.
585 — They unanimously agree that if two instalments—or even all of them—fall due upon the mukātib and the master refrains from demanding payment and leaves him as he is, the contract is not dissolved so long as both parties remain bound by the original agreement.
586 — They unanimously agree that if a Christian writes a kitābah for his Christian slave under the conditions by which kitābah is valid among Muslims, the contract is valid.
587 — They unanimously agree that if a master writes a kitābah(2) for his slave in specified instalments—an amount for which kitābah is permissible—payable at determined times in the Arab months, and says, “When you pay at the times I have named for you, you are free,” then freedom is conferred upon him once he pays exactly as stipulated.