Separation of Slaves from their Relatives (Is Not Permissible)

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Once captives were brought to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, from Yemen. When they arrived at al-Juhfah, their supplies depleted and they sold one girl from the captives whose mother was with them. When they came to the Holy Prophet, he heard her crying and he asked, ‘What for is this crying?’ They replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, our supplies depleted, so we sold her daughter.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) sent what was paid for her and brought her back. He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘You must sell them together or keep them together.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of two slaves who are brothers; if they can be separated from each other or a woman slave, if she can be separated from her children. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lawful unless they want it.’”

“I once bought a slave-girl from al-Kufah for abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.). He then went so she can do a certain task. She said, ‘O mother!’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked, ‘Do you have a mother?’ She replied, ‘Yes, I have a mother.’ He (the Imam) commanded to return her and said, ‘On keeping her I did not feel safe from seeing in my children what I dislike to see.’”

“Regarding a man who buys a slave-girl or a slave boy who has a brother or sister, or a father or mother in a city of the cities, he must not take such slave out of that city to another city if the slave is a minor, and must not buy such slaves but if the slave has a mother who agrees as well as the slave, then you can buy.”