Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) used to say: The mukatab slave will remain a slave as long as anything from the price of his contract of manumission remains due.

Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair and Sulaiman bin Yasar used to say: A mukatab is a slave as long as anything from the amount agreed upon in the contract of emancipation remains due upon him.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is my opinion. Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If a mukatab dies leaving behind more wealth than his price of emancipation, and leaves behind children who were born during his state of kitabah or were included in the contract of kitabah, then first the price of emancipation will be paid from his wealth, and whatever remains after that will be inherited by the mukatab’s children.

It is narrated from Humaid bin Qais Makki that a mukatab, Ibn Mutawakkil, died in Makkah, and some of the price of his manumission was still due, and he also owed debts to people, and he left behind a daughter. The governor of Makkah found it difficult to decide in this matter, so he wrote to Abdul Malik bin Marwan. Abdul Malik replied: First pay off the debts owed to people, then pay whatever remains of the price of manumission, and after that, whatever is left should be divided between his daughter and his mawla.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In our view, the ruling is as follows: If a slave says to his master, "Make me a mukatab (contracted for manumission)," it is not obligatory upon the master to do so against his will, and I have not heard from any scholar that the master would be compelled to make his slave a mukatab. And when someone would mention to them the saying of Allah, the Glorious and Exalted: "Contract them (for manumission) if you know any good in them," they would recite these verses: "When you have finished with Ihram, then hunt," and, "When the prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek the bounty of Allah."

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, says: This is also an imperative form, but here Allah Almighty has granted people permission in this matter. This command has not been made obligatory for them.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I heard some people of knowledge regarding the explanation of this verse: "Give them from the wealth which Allah has given you." They used to say: What is meant by this verse is that a man should make his slave a mukatab (contracted for freedom), then forgive him some part of the amount agreed upon in the contract of manumission.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I have heard this as good and have found people acting upon it.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It has reached me that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, made his slave a mukatab for thirty-five thousand dirhams, then in the end he forgave him five thousand dirhams.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When a slave becomes a mukatab, his wealth will belong to him. However, his children will not be included in his contract of kitabah, unless it is stipulated as a condition, then the children will also be included.