Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (9/184)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

whose indebtedness results from acting as guarantors. We say: this is a mistake. You should not show kindness to others at the expense of harming yourself, for that is not wise.

A guarantee is among the contracts that secure rights: it secures the creditor’s right to his debt. We have already discussed pledges, and, Allah willing, personal suretyship will be discussed later in connection with testimony. The means by which rights are preserved are testimony—by which the right itself is established and recovered—and guarantees, personal suretyship, and pledges, from which the right may be recovered. Thus, a guarantee is a means of securing a right, because if I am unable to collect it from the principal debtor, I may collect it from the guarantor.

Among the conditions of a guarantee are:

“A guarantee is valid only when issued by one legally competent to dispose of property, and the holder of the right may demand payment from whichever of the two he wishes, whether during their lifetimes or after their deaths.”

His statement, “It is valid only when issued by one legally competent to dispose of property”: the subject of “is valid” is the guarantee. A person legally competent to dispose of property is one who is mature, sane, free, and financially sound—that is, one who possesses four qualities:

First, he must be mature; the opposite is a minor. A minor is not given control of his property, even if he manages it well, because Allah, Most High, says:

“And test the orphans until they reach marriageable age. Then, if you perceive in them sound judgment, release their property to them.” [al-Nisa 4:6]

Allah thus stipulated two conditions before property may be handed over:

First: “until they reach marriageable age.”

Second: that we perceive sound judgment in them, as He says: “if you perceive in them sound judgment.”

Sound judgment means managing wealth properly, and its meaning differs according to the context. For example, sound judgment in religion means uprightness in one’s religion; sound judgment with respect to a guardian in marriage means knowing a suitable match and the interests involved in marriage; and a person of sound judgment in acts of worship is one who fulfils the obligations and avoids what is prohibited. Sound judgment

غارمون، وسبب الغرم الضمان، فنقول: هذا خطأ لا تحسن إلى غيرك وتسيء إلى نفسك؛ فإن هذا ليس من الحكمة. والضمان من عقود التوثيقات، ففيه توثيق صاحب الدَّين بدينه وقد مر علينا الرهن وسيأتينا ـ إن شاء الله ـ الكفالة من الشهادة، فالأشياء التي تحفظ بها الحقوق: الشهادة، وهذه يستوفى بها الحق، والضمان والكفالة والرهن، وهذه يستوفى منها الحق، فالضمان مما يتوثق به الحق؛ لأنني إذا لم أتمكن من قبضه من المضمون عنه أخذته من الضامن. وللضمان شروط منها: لَا يَصِحُّ إِلاَّ مِن جَائِزِ التَّصَرُّفِ وَلِرَبِّ الحَقِّ مُطَالَبَةُ مَنْ شَاءَ مِنْهُمَا فِي الحَيَاةِ وَالمَوْتِ. قوله: «لا يصح إلا من جائز التصرف»، «لا يصح» الفاعل يعود على الضمان، وجائز التصرف، هو البالغ العاقل، الحر، الرشيد، أي: من جمع أربعة أوصاف: الأول: أن يكون بالغاً، وضده الصغير، والصغير لا يعطى ماله، حتى وإن كان يحسن التصرف؛ لقول الله ـ تعالى ـ: ﴿وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ﴾ [النساء: ٦]، فاشترط الله لدفع المال شرطين: الأول: ﴿إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ﴾. الثاني: أن نبصر منهم الرشد، لقوله: ﴿آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا﴾. والرشد: هو إحسان التصرف في المال، وهو في كل موضع بحسبه، فمثلاً الرشد في الدين استقامة الدين، الرشد في باب الولي في النكاح، معرفة الكفء ومصالح النكاح، والرشيد في العبادات هو الذي قام بالواجبات وترك المحرمات، والرشد