The Possession Of The Agent Being The Possession Of The Client

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the scholars of Islam say regarding the following: after purchasing goods, the buyer asks the seller to arrange for the goods to be loaded onto a vehicle on his behalf. The buyer also expresses that it is his responsibility to pay for the vehicle. When the driver acquires the goods, will this be regarded as the buyer taking possession?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   If the seller arranges for the goods to be loaded onto a vehicle upon the request of the buyer, the driver taking possession of the buyer’s goods is considered like the buyer taking possession of them.

   The driver is taking hold of the goods as a representative of the buyer. The possession of an agent is considered the possession of the buyer. The reason why this applies here is because the driver is considered the buyer’s employee, as he will seek payment from the buyer.

In al-Fatāwā al-Bazzāziyyah, al-Fatāwā al-Tātārkhāniyyah, Fatāwā ꜤĀlamgīrī, and al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyyah[1]:

اذا قال المشتری للبائع ابعث الی ابنی ، و استاجر البائع رجلا یحملہ الی ابنہ ، فھذا لیس بقبض والاجر علی البائع  الا ان یقول:  استاجر علیّ من یحملہ ، فقبض الاجیر یکون قبض المشتری إن صدقه أنه استأجر ودفع إليه

Correlating this discussion back to the question posed at the beginning, the employee, i.e., the driver, is the representative of the buyer. Whatever the representative takes possession of is considered as the client taking possession of it. It is stated in al-Mabsūṭ li al-Sarakhsī[2]: قبض الوکیل فی حق المؤکل کقبضہ بنفسہ

   It is written in Radd al-Muḥtār[3]:

لأن قبض الوكيل كقبضه

   In Bahār-i-SharīꜤat it is mentioned:

   The possession of the representative is the possession of the client.[4]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Answered By: Mufti Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari

Ref No: NOR-12747

Date: 13th ShaꜤbān al-MuꜤaẓẓam 1444AH/ 6th March 2023