Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (9/329)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

It is also permissible to appoint an agent to effect a mutual rescission (iqālah)—that is, the dissolution of a sale, lease, or other contract. For example, I purchase a car from someone, then do not like it, so I return to him and say, “I want you to rescind the sale.” If he agrees, then it is permissible to appoint someone to effect this mutual rescission, whether on behalf of the seller or the buyer. This is what we call dissolution. The difference between concluding a contract and dissolving it is that concluding a contract brings it into existence, whereas dissolution removes it.

His statement, “and manumission”: it is valid for a person to appoint someone to emancipate his slave, because agency is valid in forming the contract of manumission; therefore, it is also valid in emancipating him and relinquishing ownership of him.

His statement, “and divorce”: a husband may appoint an agent for this, saying, “So-and-so, I appoint you to divorce my wife.” One benefit, for example, is that her divorce may thereby be officially established before the court.

It is also valid for him to appoint his wife as his agent to divorce herself, because whoever has the authority to dispose of a matter may both appoint an agent and act as an agent in it. But does a wife have authority over divorce, such that she may divorce her husband?

The answer is no. However, this is an exception: it is permissible for him to appoint his wife to divorce herself.

The proof for this is that the Prophet ﷺ gave his wives the choice between choosing Allah and His Messenger ﷺ or choosing the life of this world (1). This is akin to divorce, so this case is an exception. She may then say, “I divorce myself from my principal, So-and-so.”

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, chapter on the verse: “But if you desire Allah, His Messenger, and the Abode of the Hereafter, then Allah has prepared a great reward for the righteous among you” (4786); and by Muslim, Book of Divorce, chapter: “Clarification that giving one’s wife the choice does not constitute divorce except with intention” (1475), on the authority of Aishah.

ويجوز التوكيل في الإقالة، وهي فسخ عقد البيع أو الإجارة أو غيره، مثاله: اشتريت من فلان سيارة ثم لم تعجبني السيارة، فرجعت إليه وقلت: أريد أن تقيلني البيع، فقال: نعم، فلو وكلت إنساناً في الإقالة يجوز سواء من البائع أو من المشتري، وهذا نسميه فسخاً، والفرق بين العقد والفسخ، أن العقد إيجاد العقد، والفسخ إزالة العقد. قوله: «والعتق» فيصح أن يوكل شخصاً في إعتاق عبده؛ لأن هذا يصح التوكيل في عقده، فصح التوكيل في عتقه والتخلي عنه. قوله: «والطلاق» أن يوكل فيه فيقول: يا فلان وكلتك أن تطلق زوجتي، وتكون الفائدة ـ مثلاً ـ أنه يثبت طلاقها عند المحكمة. ويصح أن يوكل زوجته في طلاق نفسها؛ لأن من له التصرف في شيء فله التوكيل والتوكل فيه، وهل للزوجة أن تتصرف في الطلاق وتطلق زوجها؟! الجواب: لا، لكن هذه مستثناة، فيجوز أن يوكل زوجته في طلاق نفسها. ودليل ذلك أن النبي ﷺ خيَّر نساءه بين أن يردن الله ورسوله ﷺ أو يردن الحياة الدنيا (١)، وهذا مثل الطلاق فتكون هذه المسألة مستثناة، وتقول: طلقت نفسي من موكلي فلان.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير/ باب قوله: ﴿وَإِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَاتِ مِنْكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا *﴾ (٤٧٨٦)؛ ومسلم في الطلاق/ باب بيان أن تخييره امرأته لا يكون طلاقاً إلاّ بالنية (١٤٧٥) عن عائشة ﵂.