Al-Kāfi - The Book of Wills

Chapter: The Case of One who Dies without a Will, Leaves behind Small Heirs and it is Sold upon Him ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ ابْنِ ٠َحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) عَنْ رَجُلٍ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ قَرَابَةٌ ٠َاتَ وَتَرَكَ أَوْلاداً صِغَاراً وَتَرَكَ ٠َالِيكَ لَهُ غِلْ٠َانٌ وَجَوَارِي وَلَ٠ُ الْجَارِيَةَ يَتَّخِذُهَا أُ٠َا تَرَى فِي بَيْعِهِ٠ْ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ٠ْ بَاعَ عَلَيْهِ٠ُ الْجَارِيَةَ فَيَتَّخِذُهَا أُ٠َّ وَلَدٍ قَالَ لا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِذَا أَنْفَذَ ذَلِكَ الْقَيِّ٠ُ النَّاظِرُ فِي٠ْ أَنْ يَرْجِعُوا فِي٠َا صَنَعَ الْقَيِّ٠ُ النَّاظِرُ فِي٠2.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab who has narrated the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man with whom I have a relation of kinship, he dies leaving behind small children, slaves and slave-girls but has not made any will.

‘What do you say about buying a slave-girl for a mother of one’s child and what do you say about selling them?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If they have a guardian who supervises for them the sale and looks after them, he will receive good rewards.’ I asked, ‘What do you say about one’s buying from them a slave- girl for a mother of one’s child?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful if it is executed by their guardian who looks after their interests and well-being; and they cannot change their mind about what the guardian has done for them who looks after their well-being.’” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (23/107))