A man who frees part of his slave

Ibrahim said that if a man frees a part of his slave, whether a part of him belonged to him or the whole of him, the slave is entirely free.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that if a man says to his slave woman: Your private part is free, she becomes free; likewise, if he frees any one part of her body, she becomes entirely free.

Khalid bin Salamah said that a man came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) while Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was at Arafah, and the man said: I have freed one third of my slave. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He is entirely free; Allah has no partner.

Amir said: When a person frees part of his slave, the whole of him becomes free.

Al-Sha'bi said: If a man frees one third of his slave, the slave is to work towards the freedom of the remaining two thirds, and the owner is not liable for the rest of him.

Abu al-Malih said: A man freed one third of his slave. The matter was brought before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: He is free in his entirety; Allah has no partner.

Shu'bah said: I asked al-Hakam: If a person says to his slave, "Half of you is free," what is the ruling? He said: If it is as they say, that the liability is binding, then he is freed. And al-Hakam's view was that he should free him.

He said: And I asked Hammad about it, and he said: He should free half of him, and the slave is to work towards the remaining half.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man may free as much of his slave as he wishes.

Al-Hasan said: When a man frees a little or a lot of his slave, the whole of him becomes free; and when he divorces his wife by a finger or more than that, she is divorced.