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.