عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

Objectives of Financial Transactions (2)
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 09-02-2023

Objectives of Financial Transactions (2)

(In Light of Ibn Ashur`s Book "Maqasid Al-Shariah Al-Islamiyah")

 

Imam Tahir bin Ashur has excelled in deducing the objectives of financial transactions in Islam and clarifying that through general principles established and illustrated in his book along with providing examples. These have become a guideline for the researcher in the jurisprudence of transactions and rules to rely on when addressing emerging issues. Truly, his words deserve to be written with gold and this article and the one before it merely arrange and summarize Ibn Ashour`s objectives.

 

Preserving wealth is one of the total rules classified under necessities (Daruriyat) and is based on growing and circulating wealth, which is classified under needs (Hajiyat). 

In order for wealth to be considered as such, it must be valued based on five things:

1. It can be saved since that which cannot be saved cannot be used at the time it is needed.

2. It is desirable to collect since it is only desired to collect the wealth that is of benefit.

3. It is tradable since what isn`t tradable is not desired to be collected.

4. It is limited in amount since what is unlimited in amount, such as seas and sand, can`t be owned in specific; consequently, it isn`t considered a wealth.

5. It is earned since what isn`t earned is not of benefit. For example, things that occur spontaneously, such as picking up weeds that are useless and there is no desire to collect them.

 

Some financial transactions are due to ownership while some are due to gain:

 

1. Ownership. This term refers to the acquisition of property, such as buying a house for residence. There are three reasons for ownership:

A. It can be owned in particular, such as reviving arid land and owning it for that.

B. Farm leasing.

C. Exchange for compensation like a sale transaction.

One is free to dispose of one's property as long as he/she has the capacity to do so without causing harm to others and without infringing on the provisions of the Sharia.

 

2. Earning.  This term refers to working to secure one`s needs. For example, sharing agreements, such as Muzara'ah, an Arabic word for sharecropping: a partnership in crops whereby one party (the landowner) presents a piece of land to another (the agricultural worker) for the latter to cultivate and maintain in return for a common defined share in the crop. Another example is Mogharasa.

 

There are three principles for earning:

 

A. Earth. It includes anywhere that human action reaches in the globe.

B. Work. It is the means of extracting most of the Earth's benefits, and it is based on the soundness of the mind and the health of the body.

C. Capital. It is money saved for spending on what generates profits.

 

The objectives of Sharia concerning wealth are five:

1- Circulation. It refers to the circulation of wealth amongst people in a lawful manner, such as trade and other, as reflected in the following verse, whereas Allah, The Exalted Says (What means): "In order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you." {Al-Hasher/ 7}.

 

Some means of preserving the circulation of wealth are: 

A- Contracts were legislated to transfer financial rights via commutation or donation.

B- The general rule in financial contracts is irrevocability without selection save with a condition.

C- Tolerating a bit of uncertainty in some contracts, such as Salam and Istisna`, out of facilitation. 

D- Making maintenances an obligation, such that given to the wife, encouraging donations and charities, and allowing spending on luxuries. All of this help support the lower and middle classes.

E- Facilitating transactions and favoring interest over potential corruption. Therefore, the presence of both compensations isn`t a condition to conclude a deal.

F- Dealing in gold and silver as an alternative for exchange to allow circulation. This indicates the wisdom behind the Prophet`s prohibiting men from using gold and silver, and that is leaving no room for the circulation of these two metals instead of keeping them and consequently minimizing their amount.

2- Documentation of financial rights, and this is why it is legislated to have witnesses and mortgage when borrowing money.

3- Preserving public and private wealth. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful!" {An-Nisa`/29}.

4- Proof of ownership.

The Sharia objective behind proof of ownership and earning is:

A- A person`s wealth is his/hers.

B- A person is free to dispose of his/her wealth without harming others nor transgressing against the provisions of Sharia.

C- It is forbidden to take someone`s wealth unjustly since the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "If anyone revives dead land, it belongs to him, and the unjust root has no right." Malik explained, "The unjust root is whatever is taken, or planted without right."

5- Earning wealth justly.

There are four methods for making wealth in a lawful manner:

A- Work

B- Compensation

C- Donation

D- Inheritance

Aspects of justice as regards wealth are:

A- Preserving public interests

B- Warding off harm

A person`s freedom to dispose of his/her wealth is conditioned by not causing harm to others nor conflict with public interest.

 

* (This article is adapted from "Maqasid Al-Sharia Al-Islamiah", At-Tahir Bin Ashour, introduction by Hatim Bo Sama, Egyptian Book House, Cairo, Lebanese Book House, 1st floor, 2011, pp. 293-319)

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

The imam recited a verse containing a prostration of recitation (*sajdat al-tilāwah*) but did not prostrate. After the imam's *salām*, a follower (*maʾmūm*) performed a prostration of forgetfulness (*sujūd al-sahw*) because the imam had not performed the prostration of recitation. Is it permissible to go against the imam in this way?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
There is no sin on the imam if he omits the prostration of recitation (sujūd al-tilāwah), even deliberately. The maʾmūm (the one following the imam) is obliged to follow the imam in the prayer, so if the imam does not perform the prostration of recitation, it is not permissible for the follower to prostrate, because the imam is appointed only to be followed.
If the follower introduces a prostration after the imam’s salām but before his own salām, in a case where there is no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw), his prayer is invalidated if he knew it to be prohibited. Otherwise, he is excused on account of his ignorance and his prayer is not invalidated.
It is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Imām al-Jamal ʿalā Fatḥ al-Wahhāb: “His statement: ‘So the omission of the hayʾāt (the non-essential sunnahs of the prayer) is not compensated for by prostration; if one prostrates for any of them deliberately, his prayer is invalidated, unless he is excused due to his ignorance.’”
Since this issue is one that is hidden from the laymen, as it is among the subtleties of knowledge, and the laymen are excused for ignorance of whatever is of such a nature, and their act of obedience is not invalidated because of it, it may be said that the prayer of one who has not acquired knowledge of this issue is not invalidated, with the necessity of learning the rulings remaining. As for after knowing it, the prayer is invalidated. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) described with specific attributes and authorizing an agent to slaughter them?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Selling sacrificial animals (udhiyah) that are described with specific attributes is permissible. This falls under the category of a salam sale (forward sale) if conducted using the terminology of salam, and under the category of a regular sale if not using the terminology of salam.
 
As for authorizing the seller to slaughter the sacrificial animal, the basic principle is that it is permissible, because the agent (wakil) stands in the place of the principal (muwakkil) in achieving his objective. This is a contract that the principal (the buyer) is entitled to perform himself, so authorizing another (the seller) to do so on his behalf is valid.
 
However, it is a condition for authorization to slaughter that the intention (niyyah) is present either at the time of slaughter or at the time of handing over the sacrificial animal to the agent. The basic principle is that the sacrificial animal must be specifically designated, as it is an act of worship. It is not required to designate it at the time of slaughter; rather, it is valid to do so before that.
 
It is permissible for the principal either to delegate the intention to the agent or to formulate it himself when authorizing the agent to slaughter. However, the sacrificial animal must be designated, even if at the time of slaughter, by the agent.
 
It is obligatory to designate the sacrificial animals so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own specific animal. Therefore, charitable organizations and companies must take this into consideration and establish a specific mechanism that ensures no mixing of sacrificial animals occurs, so that each person offering a sacrifice receives his own designated animal. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on praying alone (munfaridan) in a row, and what should I do if I enter the mosque together with another person, and there is only a single gap in the first row with no second row present — should I fill that gap in the first row, or should I stand together with him in a new second row?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
If a person enters [the congregation] and finds no space available in the row, it is recommended for him — after making his opening takbīr for the prayer — to gently pull someone from the row in front of him to pray alongside him, provided he senses that this person would be agreeable to it. If that person does not agree, then he prays alone, and there is no dislike attached to his doing so in that case.
If he ends up praying alone [behind the row], it is sunnah for him to stand directly behind the imam. Then, if someone else arrives, that person stands to his right; and whoever comes after them stands to his left — and so on — such that the imam remains centered in the middle of the row. This is done so that everyone attains the reward of congregational prayer.
As for the case where two people enter the prayer together, and there is a gap in the row wide enough for only one person, then the two of them should pray together in a new row [of their own], and whoever arrives after them should fill that original gap. This is because if only one of the two fills the gap, the other would end up praying alone [which is to be avoided when it can easily be prevented].
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vol.1/P.494): "If he does not find space, then it is recommended for him, while still standing, to gently pull a single person from the row toward himself after making his opening takbīr — out of caution, so as to avoid the position held by some scholars that a person's prayer standing alone behind the row is not valid.
Az-Zarkashī and others said: this should only be done if it seems he would agree to it; otherwise, he should not pull anyone — indeed, doing so becomes impermissible, out of fear of causing discord (fitnah). It is recommended for the person being pulled to cooperate and agree, so that he may attain the reward of assisting in righteousness and piety (al-birr wat-taqwā). However, he should not pull one of two people [praying together] from the row, since this would cause one of them to end up praying alone. This is why the 'pulling' described here takes place only after the opening takbīr [i.e., once the person doing the pulling has already validly begun his own prayer]."
Accordingly: it is sunnah for you to pray alongside the person praying alone, and then, if someone else arrives afterward, you may go and fill the gap in the original row. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on using an inhaler while fasting?

Using an inhaler through the nose or mouth breaks the fast because the medication in these inhalers is intended to reach the lungs, which are considered part of the body cavity (jauf).
● If a person needs to use it occasionally, they may use it while fasting, continue refraining from food and drink for the rest of the day, and make up for the missed fast later.
● If a person needs to use it daily, they may use it while fasting, continue refraining from food and drink, and pay fidyah (feeding one needy person per missed day).

See More