The heir of the Sa‘iba

Narrated Al-Aswad:

'Aisha bought Barira in order to manumit her, but her masters stipulated that her Wala' (after her death) would be for them. 'Aisha said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have bought Barira in order to manumit her, but her masters stipulated that her Wala' will be for them." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Manumit her as the Wala is for the one who manumits (the slave)," or said, "The one who pays her price." Then 'Aisha bought and manumitted her. After that, Barira was given the choice (by the Prophet) (to stay with her husband or leave him). She said, "If he gave me so much and so much (money) I would not stay with him." (Al-Aswad added: Her husband was a free man.) The sub-narrator added: The series of the narrators of Al-Aswad's statement is incomplete. The statement of Ibn Abbas, i.e., when I saw him he was a slave, is more authentic.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ اشْتَرَتْ بَرِيرَةَ، لِتُعْتِقَهَا، وَاشْتَرَطَ أَهْلُهَا وَلاَءَهَا فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي اشْتَرَيْتُ بَرِيرَةَ لأُعْتِقَهَا، وَإِنَّ أَهْلَهَا يَشْتَرِطُونَ وَلاَءَهَا. فَقَالَ " أَعْتِقِيهَا فَإِنَّمَا الْوَلاَءُ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ". أَوْ قَالَ " أَعْطَى الثَّمَنَ ". قَالَ فَاشْتَرَتْهَا فَأَعْتَقَتْهَا. قَالَ وَخُيِّرَتْ فَاخْتَارَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَقَالَتْ لَوْ أُعْطِيتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا مَا كُنْتُ مَعَهُ. قَالَ الأَسْوَدُ وَكَانَ زَوْجُهَا حُرًّا. قَوْلُ الأَسْوَدِ مُنْقَطِعٌ، وَقَوْلُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَأَيْتُهُ عَبْدًا. أَصَحُّ.