Preparing Jewellery On Order Purchase

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say concerning the following matter: When customers approach us to have jewellery made for them, they give us an order: “Make such and such jewellery for us, in such and such a design”, i.e., seeing a sample, a complete description of the style and attributes of the item is made apparent. Some money is paid in advance at the time and some is left as a credit i.e., it is payable when picking up the item. Is this type of deal correct?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   Producing jewellery on an order purchase basis where some money is given in advance and the remainder is made payable on receipt of the item, is permissible according to Islamic law.

   Having jewellery or something else prepared by a craftsman falls within bayꜤ al-istiṣnāꜤ (order purchase). The condition of its permissibility is that the genus, type, description, etc., of the item should be explained, so ambiguity concerning it does not remain. There must be Ta’amul (an established practice) of dealing between people in having such things made. Order purchase will not be permissible concerning such an item where this is not the case. Since both these matters are found with respect to gold jewellery, order purchase is permitted in that case.

   In Fatāwā Ālamgīrī:[1]

الاستصناع جائز في كل ما جرى التعامل فيه كالقلنسوة والخف والأواني المتخذة من الصفر والنحاس وما أشبه ذلك استحسانا كذا في المحيط ثم إن جاز الاستصناع فيما للناس فيه تعامل إذا بين وصفا على وجه يحصل التعريف أما فيما لا تعامل فيه كالاستصناع في الثياب بأن يأمر حائكا ليحيك له ثوبا بغزل من عند نفسه لم يجز كذا في الجامع الصغير وصورته أن يقول للخفاف اصنع لي خفا من أديمك يوافق رجلي ويريه رجله بكذا أو يقول للصائغ صغ لي خاتما من فضتك وبين وزنه وصفته بكذا

   In relation to order purchase, it is mentioned in Kifāyah:[2]

و صورتہ ان یجیئ انسان الی اخر فیقول اخرز لی خفا صفتہ کذا و قدر کذا بکذا درھما او یقول للصائغ اصنع لی خاتما من فضتک و بین وزنہ و صفتہ و یسلم الثمن کلہ او بعضہ او  لا یسلم

   In these legal cases, the permissibility of order purchase concerning silver has been mentioned. It is not hidden to the people of knowledge that the rulings of gold and silver are alike, so order purchase is also permitted with respect to gold. Apart from this, in the legal case mentioned below in Al-Mabsūṭ, order purchase has been declared permissible in relation to gold also.

   Imam al-Sarakhsī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states:[3]

ولو استأجر صائغا يصوغ له طوق ذهب بقدر معلوم، وقال: زد في هذا الذهب عشرة مثاقيل، فهو جائز،لأنه استقرض منه تلك الزيادة، وأمره أن يخلطه بملكه فيصير قابضا كذلك، ثم استأجره في إقامة عمل معلوم في ذهب له، ولأن هذا معتاد فقد يقول الصائغ لمن يستعمله: إن ذهبك لا يكفي لمن تطلبه، فيأمره أن يزيد من عنده، وإذا كان أصل الاستصناع يجوز فيما فيه التعامل فكذلك الزيادة

   It is not necessary to pay the full amount at the time of the agreement in an order purchase transaction. There is a choice between paying the full amount in advance, not paying anything in advance, or paying some in advance and the remaining afterwards. These are all allowed, the explanation of which is stated in the legal case Kifāyah mentioned above.

   In Majallah and its commentary Sharḥ Durar al-Ḥukkām:[4]

لا يلزم في الاستصناع دفع الثمن حالا أي وقت العقد.۔۔۔فكما يكون الاستصناع صحيحا بالتعجيل يكون صحيحا بتأجيل بعض الثمن، أو كله

   Note: According to Imam Abū Ḥanīfah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, agreeing a time greater than a month in an order purchase will render it bayꜤ al-salām (advance payment and deferred delivery transaction). It will then be necessary for all the conditions of the latter to be present in the transaction. According to the Ṣāḥibayn, it will remain bayꜤ al-istiṣnāꜤ )an order purchase transaction(.

   Leading scholars of our era have issued a legal edict on the opinion of the Ṣāḥibayn رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا, just as the Islamic Law Council of India (Bareilly) issued a legal edict according  to the opinion of the Ṣāḥibayn, in their 6^th annual Juristic Seminar.  Similarly, the Islamic Law Council, JāmiꜤah Ashrafiyyah (Mubarakpur), also issued a legal edict according to the opinion of the Ṣāḥibayn on the sale of flats, in light of  Hajat e Sharia (legal need), and Ta’amul (prevalent practice of dealing).

   In accordance with the opinion of the Ṣāḥibayn, upon which the legal verdict is issued, even if a time period of one month or more is agreed for the preparation of gold jewellery, it will still remain an order purchase transaction, and such a deal will be permissible.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By:Muḥammad Sajid Attari

Verified by:Mufti Fudayl Raza Attari

Ref No: MAD1673-a

Date: 11th ShaꜤbān 1437 AH/19th May 2016