Upon whom does the maintenance of a freed slave's children fall if the manumitter dies?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Maintenance (Nafaqāt)
Primary text
If the manumitter dies, the maintenance of the freed slave's children falls upon the heir from the manumitter's agnatic relatives ('asabat), according to the stipulations mentioned in the chapter on Wala' (patronage). The master is obligated to provide maintenance for the children of his freed male slave if he holds Wala' over them, as he is their heir and agnate. Likewise, maintenance is due for the children of his freed female slave if their father was a slave. If the father of those children is freed, their Wala' transfers to his manumitter, and the maintenance becomes his responsibility, provided all conditions are met.
Supporting text
The freed slave is not obligated to maintain his manumitter, even if he is poor, because the freed slave does not inherit from his manumitter. However, if they are mutually manumitters of each other (e.g., a non-Muslim slave frees someone, who is later captured and frees his former master), then each is responsible for the other's maintenance because they inherit from each other.