Dalīl al-Ṭālib - Marʿi al-Karmi - (194)

Section
Ownership of the gift passes with the mere conclusion of the contract.
It becomes binding once the donee takes possession, on condition that this possession occurs with the donor’s permission. Thus, for any commodity1 that is ordinarily transferred by volume, weight2, number, or linear measure, possession is effected by carrying out that measurement; for a ṣubrah (loose heap) or any item that can be moved, by physically relocating it; for what can be handed over, by hand-to-hand delivery; and for everything else, by relinquishing control (takhliyah). A guardian may both accept and take possession on behalf of a minor or a person of unsound mind.

It is valid to give something as a gift while reserving its usufruct for a specified period, and to gift a pregnant female while retaining her unborn offspring.

If the donor gives a gift and stipulates that he may reclaim it whenever he wishes, the gift stands and the stipulation is void.

If a creditor gifts the debt to his debtor3, or releases him from it, or simply waives it, the act is valid and immediately binding—even before the debt falls due. Such discharge is effective even when the exact amount is unknown.

A gift of a debt to anyone other than the debtor is invalid—unless that person is the guarantor.

(1) In manuscript B the word appears as “wahab” (he granted) instead of “huwa” (he). (2) Manuscript N adds the phrase “aw ‘add” (or he promised). (3) Al-Lubadi comments in his marginalia (p. 257): “It was previously stated in defining hiba (gift) that the donated property must already exist. A debt, however, is not in existence, so the apparent ruling is that gifting a debt is invalid—unless one says that hiba here has the sense of ibra (debt-forgiveness), in which case it is valid. For that reason a debt cannot be given as a gift to anyone other than the debtor himself, as the author has indicated.”

فصل وتملك الهبة بالعقد. وتلزم بالقبض بشرط أن يكون القبض بأذن الواهب فقبض ما وهو١ بكيل أو وزن٢ أو عد أو ذرع بذلك وقبض الصبرة وما ينقل بالنقل وقبض ما يتناول بالتناول وقبض غير ذلك بالتخلية ويقبل ويقبض لصغير ومجنون وليهما. ويصح أن يهب شيئا ويستثني نفعه مدة معلومة وأن يهب حاملا ويستثني حملها. وإن وهبه وشرط الرجوع متى شاء لزمت ولغا الشرط. وإن وهب دينه لمدينه٣ أو أبرأه منه أو تركه له صح ولزم بمجرده ولو قبل حلوله. وتصح البراءة ولو مجهولا. ولا تصح هبة الدين لغير من هو عليه إلا إن كان ضامنا.

١ في "ب" "وهب" بدل "هو". في "ن" زيادة "أو عد".٢ ٣ قال اللبدي في الحاشية "ص: ٢٥٧": قد تقدم في حد الهبة أنه بد في المال الموهوب أن يكون موجودا وهذا غير موجود فالظاهر عدم صحة هبة الدين إلا أن يقال: الهبة هنا بمعنى الإبراء فصحت ولذلك لم تصح هبة الدين لغير من هو عليه كما ذكره المصنف لما ذكرناه.