Title: Regarding the Deed of Emancipation for Slaves - Al-Noor 24: 33 Question: Regarding the Deed of Emancipation for Slaves - Al-Noor 24: 33 Qur'an says [ An-Nur 24:33]:"And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste until Allah gives them means from His grace. And if any of your slaves asks for a Deed in writing (an agreement to purchase their freedom), write it for them if ye know any good in them; yea, give them something yourselves from out of the wealth Allah has given you...". How should "any good" (for the slaves) to be understood? Can you clarify? Best Regards. H.YILMAZ Answer: In my opinion, the phrase "If you know any good in them" is related to the following sentence, rather than the preceding one. The implication of the referred directive, as I understand it, is given below: According to the first part of the verse, the Qur'an says that if any of the slaves desires freedom, the Muslims should enter into a contract of emancipation with him. According to this contract, the slave shall pay a mutually agreed upon amount to his owner and shall, subsequently, be set free; If the at the end of the stipulated period, even though the has not been able to earn the required amount, yet the Muslims assess that he has actually tried his best and can, actually, live as a responsible free citizen, then they should make the agreed upon payment to the owner of the slave from the Bayet al-Maal , and help the slave in buying his freedom. The 'good' mentioned in the verse, in this context, refers to the potential of the person to live his life as a responsible and a productive citizen in the society, if granted freedom. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad October 4, 2001