Muwatta Malik: Book 44, Hadith 6

Yahya said that Malik said, “What is done in our community about slaves is that when a slave is struck intentionally or accidentally and the master brings a witness, he swears with his witness one oath and then he has the value of the slave. There is no swearing for revenge in slaves, accidentally or intentionally, and I have not heard any of the people of knowledge say that there was.”

Malik said, “If a slave is killed intentionally or accidentally, the master of the slave who is slain has no swearing or oath. The master cannot demand his right except with a fair proof or a witness if he swears with one witness.”

Yahya said that Malik said, “This is the best of what I have heard on the matter.”

قَالَ يَحْيَى قَالَ مَالِكٌ الأَمْرُ عِنْدَنَا فِي الْعَبِيدِ أَنَّهُ إِذَا أُصِيبَ الْعَبْدُ عَمْدًا أَوْ خَطَأً ثُمَّ جَاءَ سَيِّدُهُ بِشَاهِدٍ حَلَفَ مَعَ شَاهِدِهِ يَمِينًا وَاحِدَةً ثُمَّ كَانَ لَهُ قِيمَةُ عَبْدِهِ وَلَيْسَ فِي الْعَبِيدِ قَسَامَةٌ فِي عَمْدٍ وَلاَ خَطَإٍ وَلَمْ أَسْمَعْ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ قَالَ ذَلِكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ فَإِنْ قُتِلَ الْعَبْدُ عَمْدًا أَوْ خَطَأً لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الْعَبْدِ الْمَقْتُولِ قَسَامَةٌ وَلاَ يَمِينٌ وَلاَ يَسْتَحِقُّ سَيِّدُهُ ذَلِكَ إِلاَّ بِبَيِّنَةٍ عَادِلَةٍ أَوْ بِشَاهِدٍ فَيَحْلِفُ مَعَ شَاهِدِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ يَحْيَى قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَهَذَا أَحْسَنُ مَا سَمِعْتُ ‏.

Muwatta Malik: Book 44, Hadith 6

 
The above hadith is from the Muwatta Malik collection of hadiths. Compiled by Imam Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century, the Muwatta Malik is one of the earliest surviving books of hadith. This foundational Islamic text was written over four decades and contains nearly 2,000 narrations systematically organized into 61 books.

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For more Hadith in Book 44: The Oath of Qasama
 

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