Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/254)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

its prohibition. Nevertheless, no prescribed punishment is imposed because scholars differ over the matter, so it constitutes a doubt; and the correct view is that such a sale is invalid.

The same applies to an unauthorized person’s transaction: when someone sells another person’s property without his permission. The person entitled to authorize it may approve the transaction, or may decline to do so.

If he does not approve it, the transaction is invalid. If he does approve it, however, the scholars differ regarding it: some validate it, while others do not. For example, someone comes to a man and asks him, “I am required to free a slave; do you have a slave?” He replies, “Yes. How much will you pay?” The man says, “Ten thousand riyals.” Now, the other man knows that his neighbor has a slave woman for whom he wants five thousand riyals, so, seeing this as a profitable opportunity, he sells her to him. Once he has sold her to him and received the ten thousand, he is pleased with the deal and has intercourse with her.

According to the madhhab, this transaction is void, because it was conducted neither by the owner nor by the owner’s agent. If the owner of the slave woman approves it, the madhhab maintains that it is still invalid, even if approved, because it was not conducted by the owner or by someone standing in the owner’s place. The second opinion is that, if it is approved, the contract is valid from its inception, not merely from the time of approval. Accordingly, this man’s intercourse with the woman concerns ownership over which there is disagreement, and so he is not subject to the prescribed punishment for fornication.

His statement: “or the like.” (1)

His statement: “or if the woman is compelled to commit fornication,” meaning that no prescribed punishment is imposed upon her. If he compels her and commits fornication with her—may Allah protect us—then she is not subject to the prescribed punishment. But the one who compelled her is undoubtedly subject to it; indeed, it would be more appropriate to say that he should receive both the prescribed punishment and discretionary punishment. Thus, he is subject to the prescribed punishment for fornication

(1) Al-Rawd states: “That is, cases similar to those mentioned, such as ignorance of the prohibition of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) on the part of one newly converted to Islam or raised in a remote desert region.” (7/322)

أنه حرام، فلا يحد للخلاف فيه، فهو شبهة، والصحيح أنه لا يصح. وكذلك تصرف الفضولي، وهو أن يبيع الإنسان ملك غيره بغير إذنه، فهذا التصرف قد يجيزه من له الحق، وقد لا يجيزه. فإن لم يجزه فالتصرف غير صحيح، وإن أجازه فالتصرف فيه خلاف بين أهل العلم، منهم من أجازه، ومنهم من منعه، فهذا رجل جاءه إنسان يسأله فقال: أنا عليَّ عتق رقبة، فهل عندك رقبة؟ قال: نعم، كم تبذل؟ قال: عشرة آلاف ريال، والثاني يعرف أن عند جاره جارية، يريد فيها خمسة آلاف ريال، فقال: هذه غبطة فباعها له، فلما باعها له وسلمه العشرة أعجبته فجامعها، فهذا التصرف على المذهب باطل؛ لأنه ليس من مالك، ولا من وكيل، فإذا أجازه مالك الأمَة فالمذهب لا يصح، ولو أجيز؛ لأنه ليس من مالك، ولا ممن يقوم مقام المالك، والقول الثاني: أنه إذا أجيز يصح العقد من أصله، لا من الإجازة، وعلى هذا يكون وطء هذا الرجل لهذه المرأة في ملك مختلف فيه، فلا يحد حد الزنا. قوله: «ونحوه» (١). قوله: «أَوْ أُكْرِهَتِ المَرْأَةُ عَلَى الزِّنَا» أي: إنها لا تحد، فإن أكرهها حتى زنا بها ـ والعياذ بالله ـ فليس عليها حد، لكن المُكْرِهَ يحد بلا شك، بل لو قيل بالحد والتعزير لكان أولى، فيحد للزنا

(١) قال في الروض: «أي نحو ما ذكر كجهل تحريم الزنا من قريب عهد بالإسلام، أو ناشئ ببادية بعيدة» (٧/ ٣٢٢).