What constitutes an explicit verbal formulation for emancipation?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Manumission
Primary text
Explicit formulations for emancipation involve terms derived from 'hurriyah' (freedom) or 'itq' (emancipation), such as saying 'Anta hurr' (You are free), 'muharrar' (emancipated), 'ateeq' (freedman), 'mu'tiq' (one who frees), or 'a'taqtuka' (I have freed you). These terms are explicit because they are found in the revealed texts (Quran and Sunnah) and are conventionally used to signify emancipation. If any of these explicit terms are used, emancipation occurs even if the speaker had no specific intention of freeing the slave.
Supporting text
It is plausible that emancipation does not occur if the explicit term was intended for a meaning other than emancipation. For instance, if a master calls his slave 'free' intending to describe his character as chaste and noble, or if he addresses a group containing his unacknowledged slave concubine ('umm walad') while intending others, the slave is not freed in these specific contexts, analogous to issues in divorce where addressing one party results in an unintended consequence for another present.