( 170 )
putation: Take the price, which is three hundred dirhems; the legacy from this is thing; there remain with the donor’s heirs three hundred less thing; and the donee obtains thing. Now the donee gives to the donor part of thing: consequently, there remains only thing less part of thing for the donee. He returns to the donor one hundred less one-third of thing; but takes the dowry, which is one-third of thing, less one-third of part of thing. Thus he obtains one and two-thirds thing less one hundred dirhems and less one and one-third of part of thing. This is twice as much as part of thing; and the moiety of it is as much as part of thing, namely, five-sixths of thing less fifty dirhems and less two-thirds of part of thing. Reduce this by removing two-thirds of part of thing and fifty dirhems. Then you have five-sixths of thing, equal to one and two-thirds of part of thing plus fifty dirhems. Reduce this to one single part of thing, in order to know what the amount of it is. You effect this by taking three-fifths (120) of what you have. Then one part of thing plus thirty dirhems is equal to half a thing; and one-half thing less thirty dirhems is equal to part of thing, which is the legacy returning from the donee to the donor. Keep this in memory.
Then return to what has remained with the donor;
But the reasons for reducing the question to these two equations are not given by the author, and seem to depend on the dicta of the sages of the Arabian law.
