Chapter on the Inheritance of Slaves

"A servant of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) passed away. Imam Ali (as) said: 'Look and see if he has any heirs.' It was said to Him (as): 'He has two daughters in Yamamah who are enslaved.' So, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) purchased them using the deceased's wealth and then gave them the remainder of the inheritance."

Hadith.5731 - Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said that Commander of the Faithful (as) used to say regarding a free man who dies while his mother is a slave: "She should be purchased from the wealth of her son, then freed, and then she will inherit from him."

I asked Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a man who dies and leaves behind a son who is enslaved. Imam (as) said: "His son should be purchased from his wealth, then freed, and he will inherit whatever remains."

Hadith.5734 - In the narration of Ibn Muskan from Sulayman ibn Khalid, Abu Abdullah (as) said: "When a man died and had a slave woman as his wife, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) would purchase her from his wealth, free her, and then grant her inheritance."

"The Commander of the Faithful (as) ruled regarding a man who claimed that a slave belonged to him and asserted that he was his son. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) ruled that the slave should be freed from the wealth of the one who made the claim. If the claimant died and his wealth was divided before the slave was freed, then the inheritance had already preceded him. However, if the slave was freed before the division of the wealth, then he is entitled to his share of the inheritance."

I asked him about a man who had a slave woman (umm walad) and her child from him died. He then married her to another man, and she bore him a child. Later, that man died, and she returned to her original master. I asked: "Does he have the right to be intimate with her before marrying her?" Imam (as) said: "He cannot be intimate with her until she completes the waiting period (iddah) for the deceased husband, which is four months and ten days. After that, he may be intimate with her through ownership without marriage." I asked: "What about her child from the husband?" Imam (as) said: "If the deceased husband left wealth, the child should be bought for its value and then freed, and the child would inherit. If he left no wealth, the child remains with its mother in the same condition."

"A slave does not inherit, and a divorced person does not inherit."

I heard Abu Abdullah (as) say: "A free person and a slave do not inherit from one another."

I asked Abu Abdullah Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) about a male and female slave - do they prevent others from inheriting if they themselves do not inherit? Imam (as) replied: "No."