Buying Slaves
Al-Kāfi|Volume 5|Book 2|Chapter 93
14- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِساً عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ وَمَعَهُ ابْنٌ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا تِجَارَةُ ابْنِكَ فَقَالَ التَّنَخُّسُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لا تَشْتَرِيَنَّ شَيْناً وَلا عَيْباً وَإِذَا اشْتَرَيْتَ رَأْساً فَلا تُرِيَنَّ ثَمَنَهُ فِي كِفَّةِ الْمِيزَانِ فَمَا مِنْ رَأْسٍ رَأَى ثَمَنَهُ فِي كِفَّةِ الْمِيزَانِ فَأَفْلَحَ وَإِذَا اشْتَرَيْتَ رَأْساً فَغَيِّرِ اسْمَهُ وَأَطْعِمْهُ شَيْئاً حُلْواً إِذَا مَلَكْتَهُ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَنْهُ بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ.
14. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Once I was sitting with abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, when a man came in with his son. Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, asked, ‘What kind of business does your son do?’ He replied, ‘He sells slaves.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, said, ‘You must not buy what is defective physically or morally. When you buy a head, you must not show its price on balance; whatever head sees its price in the balance it does not succeed. When you buy a head change its name, feed it something sweet and when you become the owner give four dirham charity for it.’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (19/238)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī