Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (9/176)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

An example of this is when a pledged house requires repairs, so the pledgee repairs it by bringing workers to plaster it, repair a door that has fallen, or the like. Is the pledgee then entitled to recover the expense from the pledgor, or not?

The answer is that the matter requires further detail:

First: if the pledgor has given him permission, he may recover it from him. That is, if the pledgor said to him, “If anything in the house becomes damaged, repair it,” then he may recover the expense from him, because by doing so he becomes his agent. In that case, his statement concerning the amount he spent is accepted upon his oath, unless he claims something contradicted by common sense, in which case his statement is not accepted. For example, if he says, “You gave me permission to repair the doors if they broke,” and the pledgor says, “Yes, I gave you permission,” then he says, “I did so, and I spent one thousand riyals on each door,” whereas the customary expense for such work is one hundred riyals, his statement is not accepted, because common sense contradicts it. But if he claims an amount that is plausible, his statement is accepted, though only upon his oath.

Second: if he spends on the pledged property without the pledgor’s permission, it must likewise be considered whether he can seek his permission, because he is nearby, or by telephone or correspondence. In that case, he may not recover the expense unless he seeks his permission. But if this is not possible—such as when the pledgor is an unknown man who entered this large city and no one knows where he is—and the pledged property requires urgent repairs, then he may repair it and recover the expense even if he did not seek his permission, because it is not possible to seek it. Thus, the matter has several cases:

The first case is that the pledgor has permitted him to carry out the repairs. In that case, he may recover the expense, because he has become his agent.

The second case is that he has not permitted him to carry out the repairs, and it is impossible to seek his permission. In that case,

مثال ذلك: احتاج البيت المرهون إلى تعمير فعمره بأن أتى بأناس يليِّسونه، أو يصلحون باباً سقط، أو ما أشبه ذلك، فهل يرجع المرتهن على الراهن أو لا يرجع؟ الجواب: فيه تفصيل: أولاً: إن كان الراهن قد أذن له رجع عليه، يعني إن كان الراهن قد قال له: إن خرب شيء من البيت فأصلحه، فإنه يرجع عليه؛ لأنه إذا عمل ذلك صار وكيلاً فيرجع عليه، وحينئذٍ يُقبل قوله في قدر ما أنفق بيمينه، إلا أن يدعي شيئاً يكذبه الحس فلا يُقبل، فلو قال: أذنت لي أن أصلح الأبواب إذا تكسرت، قال: نعم أذنت لك، قال: قد فعلت وقد أنفقت على كل باب ألف ريال، والنفقة المعتادة مائة ريال في مثل هذا العمل، فلا يُقبل قوله؛ لأن هذا يكذبه الحس، أما إذا ادعى شيئاً قريباً فإنه يقبل قوله لكن بيمينه. ثانياً: أن ينفق بلا إذنه على الرهن فينظر ـ أيضاً ـ هل يمكن أن يستأذن منه لكونه قريباً منه، أو بالهاتف، أو بالمكاتبة، فإنه لا يرجع إلا إذا استأذنه، فإن كان لا يمكن لكون الراهن رجلاً مغموراً، دخل هذه المدينة الواسعة ولايدري أين هو؟ والرهن يحتاج إلى تعمير عاجل، فهنا يعمره ويرجع وإن لم يستأذنه؛ لأنه لا يمكن استئذانه، فصارت المسألة لها أحوال: الحال الأولى: أن يكون الراهن قد أذن له بالتعمير، فهنا يرجع؛ لأنه صار وكيلاً له. الحال الثانية: ألا يأذن له بالتعمير ويتعذر استئذانه، فهنا