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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

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on making up missed prayers during prohibited times?

 

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible to make up (qada’) missed prayers at any time, even during the periods when prayer is generally prohibited. The prayers that are forbidden and considered invalid during these times are 'absolute voluntary prayers' (nafl mutlaq)—which have no specific cause—and voluntary prayers whose cause follows the prayer itself, such as the Sunnah of entering Ihram or the Sunnah of the Istikharah prayer. Furthermore, no prayer is considered disliked (makruh) during these prohibited times when performed within the Meccan Sanctuary (Makkah al-Mukarramah).
 
It is stated in Bushra al-Karim (Vol.1/P.181), one of the Shafi’i texts: 'It is not forbidden to perform prayers that have a cause that is not delayed (i.e., the cause is preceding), such as making up a missed prayer (fa’itah)—even if it was a voluntary one—and the funeral prayer (janazah); or a cause that is simultaneous, such as the prayer for rain (istisqa’) or the eclipse prayer (kusuf)... and the Sunnah of wudu, the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid), the Sunnah of circumambulation (tawaf), the Sunnah of arrival, and the prostrations of recitation (tilawah) or thankfulness (shukr). These mentioned prayers and their like are not forbidden provided that one does not specifically intend (ta'ammud) to perform them during the disliked time because it is a disliked time. If one does so intentionally, it becomes forbidden, even if it is a mandatory makeup prayer that is due immediately; because in that case, one is acting in defiance of the Sharia. This is in contrast to when one does not specifically seek out that time, even if the prayer happens to fall within it, or if one seeks it for another purpose—such as delaying a funeral prayer to that time so that a larger number of people may pray over the deceased; in such cases, it is permissible and valid... And it is forbidden to perform prayers with no cause at all, like absolute nafl, or those with a delayed cause, such as the Istikharah prayer, the prayer for Ihram, the prayer for a need (hajah), the prayer before leaving the house, or the prayer before execution; because their causes occur after the prayer itself.' And Allah the Exalted knows best."

A pregnant woman has iron deficiency. When she showers, she becomes very tired and feels cold. What is the ruling on tayammum in this situation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
One should not resort to tayammum (dry ablution) as a substitute for the obligatory ghusl (ritual bathing) so long as it remains possible to use water — for example, by heating the water, warming the place where the bathing takes place, or taking other similar precautions. However, if such measures prove ineffective, or are simply not possible to carry out, and performing ghusl [with cold water] would result in severe harm, then tayammum becomes permissible in that case, due to genuine inability to use water on account of the harm that would result, as described in the question. That said, she must make up (qaḍā') the prayers she performed using this tayammum.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm: "One should not perform tayammum on account of cold unless warming the limbs fails to remove the aforementioned harm, and no means are available to heat the water — such as a vessel, firewood, or fire — and one fears [that using cold water would result in] any of the harms mentioned earlier in the discussion on illness: danger to life, loss of function in a limb, the onset or worsening of an illness, delayed recovery, or the [visible bodily] blemish mentioned in that discussion on illness. In such a case, tayammum becomes permissible due to the harm involved, but the prayer must still be made up afterward (qaḍā'). If, however, warming the body proves effective, or the means to heat the water are available, or none of the aforementioned harms are feared — then tayammum is not permissible, even if using the water causes some degree of discomfort or pain, since mere discomfort alone does not permit resorting to tayammum." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What are the legal and religious consequences for a charitable organization in the event that a sacrificial animal is damaged or spoiled after slaughter?

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Charitable organizations entrusted with slaughtering sacrificial animals (uḍḥiyyah) and distributing their meat on behalf of their owners are obligated to safeguard the meat from spoilage, damage, theft, and any other harm. This is because such organizations act as agents (wukalā') on behalf of those offering the sacrifice, and an agent holds what is entrusted to them in trust (amānah) — whether they receive a wage for their work or act on a voluntary basis.
If the sacrificial animal is damaged after slaughter during the processes of packaging, transportation, or storage due to negligence or oversight — whether on the part of the organization's own staff overseeing the operation, or on the part of third parties contracted by the organization such as transport or shipping companies — then liability falls upon the negligent party, who is required to compensate for the value of the sacrifice. It is not permissible to cover such compensation from the organization's other donor funds.
However, if the damage to the sacrificial animal occurs without any negligence in its preservation and storage on the part of any party involved in the transportation, shipping, or storage process, and is instead attributable to force majeure circumstances beyond their control, then no financial liability is borne by any party in such a case. And Allah Almighty knows best.

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