Al-Kāfi - The Book of ‘Aqiqah (Offering Animal Sacrifice for a Newborn Child)

Al-Kāfi - The Book of ‘Aqiqah (Offering Animal Sacrifice for a Newborn Child) Chapter: The One Who has More Priority for the Custody of a Small Child َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َحْبُوبٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ الرَّقِّيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلا٠ْرَأَةٍ حُرَّةٍ نَكَحَتْ عَبْداً فَأَوْلَدَهَا أَوْلَاداً ثُ٠َّ إِنَّهُ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَ٠َعَ وُلْدِهَا وَ تَزَوَّجَتْ فَلَ٠َّا بَلَغَ الْعَبْدَ أَنَّهَا تَزَوَّجَتْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ وُلْدَهُ ٠ِنْهَا وَ قَالَ أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِهِ٠ِنْكِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجْتِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ ٠ِنْهَا وُلْدَهَا وَ إِنْ تَزَوَّجَتْ حَتَّى يُعْتَقَ هِيَ أَحَقُّ بِوُلْدِهَا ٠ْلُوكاً فَإِذَا أُعْتِقَ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ٠5.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Dawud al-Raqqiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a free woman who has married a slave who has given birth to several children. She is then divorced and then does not stay with her children but marries another man. The slave then finds out about her marriage. He wants to take his children from her saying that he has more right than the mother has since she has married.

He (the Imam) said, ‘The slave has no right to take the children from her even if she has married until the slave becomes free; she has more right about her children than the slave as long as he is owned and when he becomes free then he has more right.’” ختلف فيه - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/80))