Is the master obligated to arrange marriage for a slave upon the slave's request for chastity?
Chapter on Maintenance of Slaves
Al-Mughni
Book of Maintenance (Nafaqāt)
Primary text
The master is obligated to ensure the chastity of his slave if the slave requests marriage. This is one opinion held by Al-Shafi'i. The evidence for this obligation is the saying of Allah, Glory be to Him: {And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male and female slaves} (Quran 24:32). The command implies obligation, which only becomes binding upon the slave's request. Furthermore, a tradition narrated by 'Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas indicates that if a master possessed a female slave he did not marry her to someone or consummate with her, or a male slave he did not marry, whatever happens between them is held against the master. This would only hold true if the master were obligated to ensure their chastity. Since the slave is accountable and restricted, and requests marriage, the master must respond, similar to a person restricted due to foolishness. Marriage is also a frequent necessity, and its absence causes harm, necessitating compulsion like maintenance, unlike sweet foods.
Supporting text
Abu Hanifa and Malik hold that the master is not compelled to arrange marriage because it involves potential harm to the master, and it is not something essential for the slave's physical constitution, thus the master is not compelled, similar to feeding expensive sweets.