Does the statement 'My slave is free if Allah wills' result in manumission?
Chapter on Explicit Divorce and Others
Al-Mughni
Book of Divorce
Primary text
Manumission is effected when a master declares, 'My slave is free if Allah wills' (*Abdi hurr in sha Allah*). Imam Ahmad established this ruling in one narration, stating that these pronouncements (divorce and manumission) are not oaths (*yamin*). This is the position of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Al-Hasan, Mak'hul, Qatadah, Al-Zuhri, Malik, Al-Layth, Al-Awza'i, and Abu Ubayd.
Supporting text
The opinion contrary to this holds that the manumission does not take place, which is supported by another narration from Ahmad, and is the view of Tawus, Al-Hakam, Abu Hanifa, and Al-Shafi'i. They analogize this situation with divorce, arguing that suspension upon an unknowable will renders the declaration ineffective.