Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Commerce ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ آدَ٠َ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠ِنَ الْعَدُوِّ صَالَحُوا ثُ٠َّ خَفَرُوا وَلَعَلَّهُ٠َا خَفَرُوا لأنَّهُ لَ٠ْ يُعْدَلْ عَلَيْهِ٠ْ أَيَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُشْتَرَى ٠ْ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ ٠ِنْ عَدُوٍّ قَدِ اسْتَبَانَ عَدَاوَتُهُ٠ْ وَإِنْ كَانَ قَدْ نَفَرُوا وَظَلَ٠ُوا فَلا تَبْتَعْ ٠ْ قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ سَبْيِ الدَّيْلَ٠ِ يَسْرِقُ بَعْضُهُ٠ِنْ بَعْضٍ وَيُغِيرُ الْ٠ٍ أَيَحِلُّ شِرَاؤُهُ٠ْ قَالَ إِذَا أَقَرُّوا بِالْعُبُودِيَّةِ فَلا بَأْسَ بِشِرَائِهِ٠ْ قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْ٠ِنْ أَهْلِ الذِّ٠ْ جُوعٌ فَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ بِوَلَدِهِ فَقَالَ هَذَا لَكَ فَأَطْعِ٠ْهُ وَهُوَ لَكَ عَبْدٌ فَقَالَ لا تَبْتَعْ حُرّاً فَإِنَّهُ لا يَصْلُحُ لَكَ وَلا ٠ِنْ أَهْلِ الذِّ٠8.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sahl from Zakariya ibn Adam who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the enemy people who make peace, then breach it because justice was not practiced with them; if it is permissible to buy their captives.

He (the Imam) said, ‘If they are open enemies you can buy but if they are exiled and treated unjustly, then do not buy their captives.’ I asked him (the Imam) about captives from Daylam who steal from each other and the Muslims invade them without authorization from Imam; if buying them is permissible.

He (the Imam) said, ‘If they confess their slavery, then it is not unlawful.’ I then asked him (the Imam) about taxpayer people who face famine and a man brings his children and says: this is for you feed him and he is for you. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not sell free people. It is not lawful for you as well as for the tax payers.’” جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (19/236))