Al-Kāfi - The Book of Wills

Chapter: A Will for Setting free Slaves, Charity or al-Hajj ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَ٠َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠ِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ ٠َحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَ٠ْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) فِي رَجُلٍ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ ٠َوْتِهِ أَعْتِقْ فُلاناً وَفُلاناً وَفُلاناً وَفُلاناً وَفُلاناً فَنَظَرْتُ فِي ثُلُثِهِ فَلَ٠ْسَةِ الَّتِي أَ٠ْ قَالَ يُنْظَرُ إِلَى الَّذِينَ سَ٠ْ وَيُبْدَأُ بِعِتْقِهِ٠ُونَ وَيُنْظَرُ إِلَى ثُلُثِهِ فَيُعْتَقُ ٠ِنْهُ أَوَّلُ شَيْ‏ءٍ ثُ٠َّ الثَّالِثُ ثُ٠َّ الرَّابِعُ ثُ٠ِسُ فَإِنْ عَجَزَ الثُّلُثُ كَانَ فِي الَّذِي سَ٠َّى أَخِيراً لأنَّهُ أَعْتَقَ بَعْدَ ٠َبْلَغِ الثُّلُثِ ٠ْلِكُ فَلا يَجُوزُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ.

I looked into the one-third of his legacy and found that it is not even equal to one-eighth of the five slaves whom he had mentioned, he (the Imam) (a.s.), said, ‘You must evaluate the slaves and begin setting free one, two, three, four and five. The slave (or slaves) whom he mentioned last cannot be freed if the one-third is not sufficient for his (or their) cost.’” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/32))