Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Jundi: Mukhtasar Khalil

(Manual of jurisprudence of Khalil) (d1365) Egypt

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Khalil ibn Ishaq al-Jundi (died ca. 1365), also known as Sidi Khalil, was an Egyptian jurisprudent in Maliki Islamic law who taught in Medina and Cairo. His Mukhtasar, known as the Mukhtasar of Khalil, is considered an epitome of shariah law according to the Maliki madhhab, and is regarded as the most authoritative legal manual by North and West African Muslims.

 

Taken from : Precis de jurisprudence musulmane ou principes de legislation ..., By Khalil Ibn-Ishak 

 

Slaves in Ethiopia


Vol2p16

(about pure and impure)

The things cut in pieces and which because of this become impure, are: - the horns, bones, hooves or nails of the animals; - ivory; - nails in general [the nails of camels, ostriches, geese, ducks, gallinaceans] - feathers; - the skin, even tanned. However, the use of skins, except that of pork [except also human skin], is generally allowed, but after tanning with dry matter and water. The Moudaoueneh (1) considers it wrong to touch ivory, but they have not decided on pure or impure, or blameworthy, tanned donkey skin [in fact, especially in Persia, sword sheaths ].

 

Vol2p32

(during the ceremonial washing)

A pause shall not be too long so that the last part that was washed has not dried yet, when considering the temperature of the air and the heat of the person to be average. The Negroes, say the Arabs, have a natural higher temperature compared with other people, and the water on the skin dries faster, when all other things are the same.

 

Vol3p466 

(On what needed to be specified when buying a slave)

For a slave one has to determine besides the general characteristics used for the animals  what kind of height she has to be, e.g. if she will be of four or six hands from the ear down or if the women is a virgin or not if she has the nuance in color being white or deep black or bronze or rose or yellowish or bronze from Abyssinia or brown from Zindj or Ethiopian or flowery or grey as a pearl or more grey or the white of leader. If the slave girl has big eyes and very dark (or bleu, or reddish),  if she has cheeks or all parts of the face chubby (but without ugliness, or the eyes bordered with a nice brown colour, or the depressed in the middle, or curved, or flattered, what is the colour of the hair, if they are strait or curled).

(1) Moudaoueneh: Maliki book of Jurisprudence.