What is the ruling regarding a slave's subsequent admission of ownership after opposing evidence has been nullified?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Claims and Evidences

Book 65 · Issue 3 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If the ruling follows the nullification of evidence and the matter proceeds to lot drawing or division, and the slave subsequently denies belonging to either party, his denial is disregarded. Likewise, if he admits ownership to only one claimant, his admission is not given weight. This is because his status as a slave has already been established by the previously presented, validated testimony. Consequently, he no longer has a proprietary claim over himself, similar to a situation where two men claim a house in the possession of a third party, both present proof of ownership, the possessor admits the house is not his, and then admits it belongs to one of the claimants; his subsequent admission does not give precedence to that one claimant.