Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (10/252)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

wishes to sleep may, when he wakes, gets up, and performs the Fajr prayer, go to the buyer and say, “I am exercising my right of pre-emption.” Accordingly, we say: once the excuse has ceased, he must assert his claim immediately.

“If he says to the buyer, ‘Sell it to me,’ or ‘Reach a settlement with me,’ or rejects the report of a trustworthy person, or seeks to take only part of it, his right is forfeited.”

His statement, “If he says to the buyer, ‘Sell it to me,’” refers to the pre-emptor—that is, the co-owner. In other words, he says to the buyer, “Sell me what you bought.” His right of pre-emption is then forfeited, because he did not assert his claim immediately. Moreover, his words, “Sell it to me,” constitute an acknowledgment of ownership—namely, the buyer’s ownership. If he acknowledges the buyer’s ownership, this necessarily indicates that he does not wish to assert his claim.

His statement, “or ‘Reach a settlement with me,’” likewise invalidates it, because seeking a settlement delays the immediate assertion of the claim and indicates that the co-owner has acknowledged that it belongs to the buyer.

His statement, “or rejects the report of a trustworthy person”: the subject of “rejects” is the co-owner, while “the trustworthy person” means a reliable informant. That is, a trustworthy man informs the co-owner and says to him, “Your co-owner has sold [his share] to So-and-so,” and he replies, “You are lying. My co-owner could not possibly sell, for he wishes to retain his property.” In that case, the right of pre-emption is forfeited, because the man is trustworthy, and the basic rule concerning the report of a trustworthy person is that it is accepted. Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“O you who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with some news, verify it.” [al-Hujurat 49:6]

This indicates that if a trustworthy person brings us a report, we accept it.

It is also understood from his statement, “or rejects the report of a trustworthy person,” that if he rejects the report of an openly sinful person, the right of pre-emption is not forfeited, because the report of an openly sinful person need not be accepted; rather, it must be verified. If he rejects the report of a habitual liar, this applies all the more so, because such a liar’s deficiency here concerns his reporting; consequently, his report is not accepted.

حين أن يستيقظ ويقوم ويصلي الفجر يذهب إلى المشتري ويقول: أنا آخذ بالشفعة، فعلى هذا نقول: لا بد إذا زال العذر من أن يطالب بها على الفور. وَإِنْ قَالَ لِلْمُشْتَرِي: بِعْنِي، أَوْ صَالِحْنِي، أَوْ كَذَّبَ العَدْلَ، أَوْ طَلَبَ أَخْذَ البَعْضِ سَقَطَتْ. قوله: «وإن قال للمشتري: بعني» القائل الشفيع وهو الشريك، أي قال للمشتري: بعني أي: بع علي الذي اشتريت، سقطت شفعته؛ لأنه لم يطالب على الفور، وقوله: «بعني» إقرار للملك، أي: لملك المشتري، وإذا كان إقراراً لملك المشتري فلازم ذلك أنه لا يريد المطالبة بها. قوله: «أو صالحني» فكذلك تبطل؛ لأن طلب المصالحة يؤخر المطالبة على الفور، ويدل على أن الشريك قد أقر بأنها ملك المشتري. قوله: «أو كذب العدل» «كذب» الفاعل الشريك «العدل» أي: المخبر العدل، يعني أن الشريك أخبره رجل عدل وقال له: إن شريكك باع على فلان، فقال: كذبت، شريكي لا يمكن أن يبيع؛ لأن له رغبة في بقاء ملكه، فإن الشفعة تسقط؛ لأن الرجل عدل والأصل في خبر العدل أنه مقبول، لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا﴾ [الحجرات: ٦] فعلم منه أنه إذا جاءنا عدل فإننا نقبل خبره. وعلم من قوله: «أو كذب العدل» أنه لو كَذَّب الفاسق فلا تسقط الشفعة؛ لأن الفاسق لا يجب قبول خبره بل يتبين فيه، ولو كَذَّب الكذوب فمن باب أولى؛ لأن علة الكذوب هنا في إخباره، فيكون إخباره غير مقبول.