Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (8/359)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

“If the buyer and seller disagree, the seller’s statement is accepted, or they both return what they received.” (1)

Accordingly, we say to the buyer: either accept the item specified by the seller, or withdraw from the sale. Since the seller is the one who would bear the liability—for the item would be taken from him—he is not held liable for anything beyond what he acknowledges. Thus, in this matter there is both textual evidence and sound reasoning.

The same applies to a disagreement over the amount of the price, as mentioned earlier: the seller’s statement is accepted, on account of the hadith and because he bears the liability. The item cannot leave his ownership except for a price he accepts. Thus, either the buyer accepts this, or he rescinds the sale; there is no need for mutual oaths. This is the view chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah regarding the amount of the price, and it applies even more clearly to the specific item sold.

His statement, “The sale is invalidated,” is open to objection according to the terminology of the scholars, because the sale has not become invalid; rather, it has been rescinded. There is a difference between invalidity and rescission. The correct wording, therefore, is: “The sale is rescinded.”

“If each of them refuses to hand over what is in his possession until he receives the counter-value, and the price is a specific item, a trustworthy person is appointed to receive from them both and to deliver the item sold first and then the price. But if the price is a debt that is presently due, the seller is compelled first, then the buyer, if the price is present at the session…”

His statement, “If each of them refuses to hand over what is in his possession until he receives the counter-value,” is likewise among the issues of disagreement between buyer and seller. If they dispute over which of them should hand over first, and the seller says, “I will not hand it over to you until you hand over the price,” while the buyer says, “I will not hand over the price until you hand over the item sold,” then this matter has several scenarios.

His statement, “and the price is a specific item,” means that it is specified. This is the first scenario.

(1) Its source documentation has been given previously on p. 326.

«إذا اختلف المتبايعان فالقول ما قال البائع أو يترادان» (١) وعلى هذا فنقول للمشتري: إما أن تأخذ السلعة التي عيَّنها البائع، وإما أن تترك البيع؛ ولأن البائع غارم، فهو الذي ستؤخذ منه السلعة، فلا يغرم غير ما أقر به، فيكون في هذه المسألة دليل وتعليل. ومثل ذلك الاختلاف في قدر الثمن على ما سبق، فالقول قول البائع للحديث، ولأنه غارم، فلا يمكن أن تخرج السلعة من ملكه إلا بثمن يرتضيه، فإما أن يقبل المشتري بذلك، وإما أن يفسخ البيع، ولا حاجة للتحالف، وهذا الذي اختاره شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية في قدر الثمن، وكذلك في عين المبيع من باب أولى. قوله: «وبطل البيع» في هذا التعبير نظر عند أهل العلم حسب المصطلح بينهم؛ لأن البيع لم يبطل ولكن فسخ، وفرق بين البطلان وبين الفسخ، فصواب العبارة أن يقال: وانفسخ البيع. وَإِنْ أَبى كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا تَسْلِيمَ مَا بِيَدِهِ حَتّى يَقْبضَ العِوَض، والثّمَنُ عَيْنٌ، نُصِبَ عَدْلٌ يَقْبِضُ مِنْهُمَا، وَيُسَلِّمُ المَبِيْعَ ثُمّ الثّمَنَ، وَإِن كَانَ دَيْناً حَالاًّ أُجبِرَ بَائِعٌ ثُمّ مُشْتَرٍ إِن كَانَ الثّمَنُ فِي المَجْلِسِ .. قوله: «وإن أبى كل منهما تسليم ما بيده حتى يقبض العوض» هذه ـ أيضاً ـ من مسائل الخلاف بين المتبايعين، فإذا اختلفا أيهما يسلم أولاً، فقال البائع: لا أسلمك حتى تسلمني الثمن، وقال المشتري: لا أسلمك حتى تسلمني المبيع، وهذه المسألة لها صور. قوله: «والثمن عين» أي: معين، هذه الصورة الأولى.

(١) سبق تخريجه ص (٣٢٦).