I entered upon Abu Abdullah (as), along with Ali ibn Abdul-Aziz. Imam (as) asked me: "Who is this?" I said: "Our mawla (freed servant)." Imam (as) said: "Did you free him or his father?" I said: "His father." Imam (as) said: "Then this is not your mawla; this is your brother and your cousin. A mawla is one upon whom the blessing of freedom has directly been granted. But if the blessing was granted to his father, then he is your brother and cousin." Bakr ibn Muhammad continued: A man asked him a question in my presence and said: "I have a slave who drinks and engages in disliked acts, and I wish to free him. Do you prefer that I free him or sell him and give his price in charity?" Imam (as) said: "Freeing a slave is sometimes more virtuous, and at other times charity is more virtuous. Freeing is better when people's conditions are good, but when people's conditions are difficult, charity is better. As for this particular slave, selling him is preferable to me, given his current state."