Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (9/291)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Section

Interdiction is imposed upon the legally incompetent, the minor, and the insane, for their own welfare. Whoever gives them his property through a sale or a loan may reclaim the very item itself; but if they destroy it, they are not liable.

His statement: “Interdiction is imposed upon the legally incompetent, the minor, and the insane, for their own welfare.” This is the second category of interdiction: those placed under interdiction for their own welfare. They are three:

The legally incompetent person: one who does not manage wealth properly. He is an adult of sound mind, but does not know how to handle money properly; thus, he goes and spends it on things that bring no benefit or use.

The minor: one who has not reached puberty.

The insane person: one who has lost his reason.

These three are placed under interdiction and are not permitted to dispose of their wealth. This is for their own welfare, not for the welfare of others. If the legally incompetent person is an adolescent, we place him under interdiction for two reasons: legal incompetence and minority. However, there is no harm in giving him the customary amount with which people ordinarily transact, in order to test him, for Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Test the orphans until they reach marriageable age. Then, if you perceive in them sound judgment, deliver to them their property.” [Quran 4:6]

That is, we do not place him under complete interdiction. Rather, we give him an amount appropriate for him to handle, until we learn that he manages properly; then, once he reaches puberty, we give him his property.

Should we give the insane person anything in order to test him?

The answer is no, because he is insane. If we gave him anything at all, he would ruin it.

The legally incompetent adult is like the adolescent: that is, we do not allow him to dispose of his wealth as he wishes, but we give him some of the small things customarily given for ordinary use.

فصلٌ وَيُحْجَرُ عَلَى السَّفِيهِ والصَّغِيرِ والمَجْنُونِ لِحَظِّهِمْ وَمَنْ أعْطَاهُمْ مَالَهُ بَيْعَاً أَوْ قَرْضَاً رَجَعَ بِعَيْنِهِ، وَإِنْ أتْلَفُوهُ لَمْ يَضْمَنُوا، قوله: «ويحجر على السفيه والصغير والمجنون لحظِّهم» هذا هو القسم الثاني من أقسام الحجر، وهو المحجور عليه لحظِّ نفسه، وهم ثلاثة: السفيه: وهو الذي لا يحسن التصرف في المال، فهو بالغ عاقل لكن لا يحسن التصرف في المال، فيذهب يشتري به ما لا نفع فيه ولا فائدة. الصغير: وهو الذي لم يبلغ. المجنون: وهو فاقد العقل. فهؤلاء الثلاثة يحجر عليهم، فلا يمكنون من التصرف في مالهم، لكن لحظهم لا لحظ غيرهم، فإذا كان السفيه مراهقاً حجرنا عليه من وجهين، هما: السفه، والصغر، ولكن لا بأس أن نعطيه ما يتصرف به مما جرت به العادة لنختبره؛ لأن الله تعالى قال: ﴿وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ﴾ [النساء: ٦]، بمعنى أننا لا نحجر عليه حجراً تاماً، بل نعطيه ما يتصرف به بقدره، حتى نعرف أنه يحسن التصرف فإذا بلغ أعطيناه ماله. والمجنون هل نعطيه شيئاً للاختبار؟ الجواب: لا؛ لأنه مجنون، فلو أعطيناه أيَّ شيء فسوف يفسده. والسفيه البالغ كالمراهق، بمعنى أننا لا نمكنه من التصرف في ماله كما يريد، ولكن نعطيه شيئاً مما جرت به العادة من الأشياء اليسيرة.