Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (10/241)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

His statement, “It is forbidden to resort to legal stratagems in order to eliminate it,” means that it is forbidden for the purchaser to use legal stratagems to eliminate the right of pre-emption. Such stratagems take many forms. One is to make the price appear high: as long as the price is high, the co-owner will not exercise his right of pre-emption. For example, he buys the share for ten thousand but makes it appear that he bought it for twenty thousand. The co-owner does not want it for twenty thousand because the price is too high. This is unlawful. Whenever it becomes clear that the price was ten thousand, he has the right to take it by pre-emption, even after a long time has passed, because a Muslim’s right is not nullified by legal stratagems.

Another example is for the seller to make it appear that he gave it to the purchaser as a gift. It has already been mentioned that, according to the established position of the school, there is no right of pre-emption in respect of what is transferred without consideration. This is therefore a stratagem to eliminate it.

Another example is for the purchaser to make it appear that he has made it an endowment. That is, as soon as he buys it, he says, “It is an endowment for mosques, students of knowledge, or my children.” Once he makes it an endowment, the right of pre-emption is extinguished, because when ownership passes from an owner to a party against which the right of pre-emption cannot be established in the first place, it is extinguished.

In short, resorting to legal stratagems in order to eliminate it is unlawful. The evidence is:

First: the Prophet ﷺ said, “Actions are only by intentions.” (1)

Second: the Prophet ﷺ said, “May Allah curse the Jews: when fat was forbidden to them, they melted it, then sold it and consumed its price.” (2) Thus, they resorted to a legal stratagem to do what had been prohibited.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in The Beginning of Revelation, chapter: “How Revelation Began to the Messenger of Allah,” no. 1; and by Muslim in The Book of Leadership, chapter: “The Prophet’s statement: ‘Deeds are according to intentions,’” no. 1907, on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. (2) Narrated by al-Bukhari in The Book of Sales, chapter: “The Fat of a Dead Animal Is Not Melted Down, Nor Is Its Fat Sold,” no. 2223; and by Muslim in The Book of Sales, chapter: “The Prohibition of Selling Wine and Dead Animals,” no. 1582, on the authority of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.

قوله: «ويحرم التحيل لإسقاطها» يعني يحرم على المشتري أن يتحيل لإسقاط الشفعة، والتحيل له صور كثيرة، فمن الحيلة أن يظهر أن ثمنها كثير، وما دام ثمنها كثيراً فإن الشريك لن يأخذ بالشفعة، فمثلاً يشتري الحصة بعشرة آلاف ويظهر أنه اشتراها بعشرين ألفاً، والشريك لا يريدها بعشرين ألفاً؛ لأن الثمن غالٍ، فهذا حرام، ومتى تبين أن الثمن عشرة آلاف فإن له أن يأخذها بالشفعة ولو طالت المدة؛ لأن حق المسلم لا يسقط بالتحيل. ومن ذلك ـ أيضاً ـ أن يظهر البائع أنه وهبها للمشتري، وسبق أن المذهب أن ما انتقل بغير عوض ليس فيه شفعة، فهذه حيلة لإسقاطها. ومن ذلك ـ أيضاً ـ أن يظهر المشتري أنه أوقفها، يعني من حين ما يشتريها يقول: هي وقف للمساجد، أو لطلبة العلم، أو لأولاده، فإذا أوقفها سقطت الشفعة؛ لأن انتقال الملك عن المالك إلى جهة لا يثبت فيها الشفعة ابتداءً يسقطها. المهم أن التحيل لإسقاطها حرام والدليل: أولاً: قول النبي ﷺ: «إنما الأعمال بالنيات» (١). ثانياً: قول النبي ﷺ: «قاتل الله اليهود لما حرمت عليهم الشحوم أذابوها ثم باعوها وأكلوا ثمنها» (٢). فتحيلوا على المحرم.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في بدء الوحي/ باب كيف كان بدء الوحي إلى رسول الله ﷺ (١)؛ ومسلم في الإمارة/ باب قوله ﷺ: «الأعمال بالنية» (١٩٠٧) عن عمر بن الخطاب ﵁. (٢) أخرجه البخاري في البيوع/ باب لا يذاب شحم الميتة ولا يباع ودكه (٢٢٢٣)؛ ومسلم في البيوع/ باب تحريم بيع الخمر والميتة (١٥٨٢) عن عمر ﵁.