Muwatta Malik #1722
The Oath of Qasama
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
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 .
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.''
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About Muwatta Malik
This hadith is #1722 from Muwatta Malik, in the Book of The Oath of Qasama.