He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Concerning a man who had a slave woman by whom he had five children: he deposited some dirhams with someone and told him, “If I die, give her the dirhams.” He then died, and some of the dirhams were taken from the executor. Her children then summoned her before the judge and demanded the dirhams from her. She handed them over and acknowledged that she had received them from the testator. They then demanded the entire sum from the executor, claiming that the money she had acknowledged as part of those dirhams had not come from him, and that her acknowledgment had been made only after they had coerced her into it. Is the woman’s statement that it formed part of the sum to be accepted or not?

He replied:

The statement of the depositary appointed as executor concerning the amount of the money is to be accepted upon his oath. His statement that he paid the woman what he paid her is also to be accepted if she confirms his account. The statement of each of them that they hold no more than that is to be accepted upon their respective oaths.

A bequest to a slave woman who has borne her master a child is valid if it can be covered by one-third of the estate. This woman is entitled to take what was bequeathed to her if it amounts to less than one-third. If the heir denies the bequest, she is entitled to require him to swear an oath. If an upright witness testifies in her favor and she supplements his testimony with her oath, judgment shall be given in her favor. Once the money has passed out of the executor’s hands, his testimony in her favor is admissible.