❖ The Duration of ʾĪlāʾ for a Free Man and a Slave
Written by: ʿImrān Ayyūb Lāhorī
❀ Ruling
The stronger opinion is that the duration of ʾĪlāʾ for both a free man and a slave is four months, as indicated by the generality of the Qur’anic verse:
لِّلَّذِينَ يُؤْلُونَ…
- Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله also holds this view.
However:
- Imām Mālik and Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رحمهما الله state that the ʾĪlāʾ duration for a slave is two months.
- According to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, this applies only to a female slave (ama).
- According to Imām Mālik, this applies only to a male slave.
References:
- Tafsīr al-Lubāb fī ʿUlūm al-Kitāb 4/101
- al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 2/134
- al-Musawwā 2/141
