Darulifta Ahlesunnat
(Dawateislami)
Question
What do the scholars of Islam say about the following issue: If someone
sells gold jewellery which has been specified in exchange for currency notes on
credit, in such a way that the duration and value are agreed upon, but neither
is the jewellery handed over to the buyer nor is the money received in the same
gathering of the transaction, and said gathering came to an end; will this
contract be considered valid, sinful, or something else?
بِسْمِ اللہِ
الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ
الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
Selling in the manner
described in the question is permissible in Islamic law, and there is no
objection to it. The explanation is as follows:
There is a difference
between gold and silver coins, and gold and silver jewellery. Dinars and
dirhams are not specified in the agreement, and they are a liability upon the
parties involved. Whilst purchasing, if someone asks to purchase a certain
thing in exchange for this dinar, he can later give another dinar in place of
the first one, as the particular dinar is not specified. Yet, when it comes to
gold and silver jewellery, it is not a matter of being in one’s liability.
Rather, this is specified in the agreement. As a result, the exact item
mentioned in the agreement must be handed over.
According to this
explanation, when exchanging dinars and dirhams with currency notes, since both
are not specified in the agreement but are liabilities instead, it becomes
necessary for at least one side to give possession before the parties separate. Failure to do so would lead to both parties
being indebted to each other, and in this situation, it would necessitate بیع الکالئ بالکالئ or افتراق عن دین بدین, both of which have been prohibited in hadith.
If gold and silver
jewellery are exchanged with currency notes, then even if there is no
possession from either side, it would not result in بیع الکالئ بالکالئ or افتراق عن دین بدین,
because although the currency notes will be a debt, the jewellery will not be
as it is specified. This will be considered افتراق عن دین بعین, i.e. to separate from the gathering
while specifying one thing and leaving a debt on the other side, which is
Islamically permissible.
It is narrated from the
Companion ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤUmar رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ:
أن النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نھی عن بیع
الکالئ بالکالئ
The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم forbade transacting a debt in exchange for a debt.”[1]
The leading scholar, Imam Sarkhasī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:[2]
وإذا اشتری الرجل فلوسا بدراھم ونقد الثمن، ولم تکن الفلوس عند
البائع فالبیع جائز، لأن الفلوس الرائجۃ ثمن کالنقود.....وبیع
الفلوس بالدراھم لیس بصرف، وکذلک لو افترقا بعد قبض الفلوس قبل قبض الدراھم،
...... فالفلوس الرائجۃ بمنزلۃ الأثمان، لاصطلاح الناس علی
کونھا ثمنا للأشیاء فإنما یتعلق العقد بالقدر المسمی منھا
فی الذمۃ، ویکون ثمنا، عین أو لم یعین کما
فی الدراھم والدنانیر، وإن لم یتقابضا حتی افترقا بطل
العقد، لأنہ دین بدین، والدین بالدین لا یکون عقدا
بعد الافتراق...... وإن اشترى خاتم فضة أو خاتم ذهب فيه فص، أو ليس فيه فص بكذا
فلسا، وليست الفلوس عنده فهو جائز إن تقابضا قبل التفرق أو لم يتقابضا، لأن هذا
بيع، وليس بصرف فإنما افترقا عن عين بدين؛ لأن الخاتم يتعين بالتعين بخلاف ما سبق
فإن الدراهم والدنانير لا تتعين بالتعيين؛ فلهذا شرط هناك قبض أحد البدلين في
المجلس، ولم يشترط هنا
It is mentioned in Al-Muḥīṭ al-Burhānī:[3]
ولو باع تبر فضة بعینہ بفلوس
بغير أعيانها وتفرقا قبل أن يتقابضا فهو جائز، لأن التبر هاهنا بمنزلة العروض،
فكأنه باع عرضاً بفلوس بغير أعيانها، وهناك لا يشترط التقابض كذا هاهنا وان لم يكن
التبر عنده لم يجز بمنزلة ما لو باع عرضاً ليس عنده بفلوس
It is stated in Baḥr al-Rāʾiq, Fatḥ al-Qadīr
and other books:[4]
المصوغ بسبب ما اتصل به من الصنعة لم يبق ثمنا صريحا، ولهذا يتعين في العقد
In Baḥr
al-Rāʾiq
it is mentioned:[5]
ودخل المصوغ من الذهب والفضة كالآنية تحت القيميات فتتعين بالتعيين للصفة
Imām Aḥmad
Razā Khan رَحْمَةُ
الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes:
المصوغ من الججرین ایضا لایثبت دینا فی
الذمۃ بل یتعین فی العقود کما تقدم عن البحر“ترجمہ:
چاندی سونے کی گھڑی ہوئی چیز (مثلاً :برتن یا
گہنا) یہ بھی ذمہ پر دَین نہیں ہوتے بلکہ عقد میں
متعین ہوجاتے ہیں، جیسا کہ بحرالرائق سے گزرا۔(ت)
A silver- and gold-plated
item (e.g., a vessel or jewellery) is also not a debt in one’s liability.
Rather, it is specified in the contract.[6]
Note (1): It should be clear that
the question asked is related to the buying and selling of specific gold
jewellery. However, there are many instances when specific gold jewellery is
not being sold, but an agreement for the purchase and sale of unspecified gold is
made. For example, a seller sells a gold chain, specifying the quality and
weight, but the exact chain is not designated, and no handover is made in the
gathering of the transaction from either side. The transaction instead remains
on credit either side. This scenario is بیع الکالئ بالکالئ, which is unlawful and sinful, and has been prohibited in
hadith. In this situation, due to افتراق عن دَین بدَین,
i.e., separation of both parties without handover, such a contract becomes
invalid, as is clear from the principles stated above.
Note (2): It should also be clear
that in our society, there is a common practice where a person who wants to
purchase a gold set or any other item goes to a goldsmith, and the latter shows
them a sample of the jewellery. If the customer likes it, they ask the goldsmith
to make the set according to a specific weight, and after a few days, he makes
it accordingly and hands it over to them. This situation is different from the
one described in the question and is related to بیع استصناع (purchase order contract),
the details and conditions of which are mentioned in another fatwa issued by
Dar al-Ifta Ahl al-Sunnah. The link to that fatwa is
provided below:
https://www.daruliftaahlesunnat.net/fatawa_tasheer/ur/970
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ
اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ
وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
Answered By: Muḥammad Sajid Attari
Verified by: Mufti Fuzail Raza Attari
Ref No: Mad-1673b
Date: 18th ShaꜤbān al-MuꜤaẓẓam
1437H/26th May 2016
[1] Sunan Daraqutni, vol. 4, p. 40, Muassasat al-Risala, Beirut
[2] Mubsut lil al- Sarkhasī, vol. 14, pp. 24-25, Dar al-Ma’rifah, Beirut
[3] Al-Muḥīṭ al-Burhānī, vol. 10, p. 412, Idarah al-Quran wa al-ʿUlūm al-Islamiyah
[4] Baḥr al-Rāʾiq, vol. 5, p. 257, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami
[5] Baḥr al-Rāʾiq, vol. 5, p. 299, Dar al-Kitab al-Islami
[6] Fatāwā al-Razawiyyah, vol. 17, p. 405, Raza Foundation, Lahore
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