Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām - Abd Allah al-Bassam - (5/206)

Tawḍīḥ al-AḥkāmAbd Allah al-Bassam

against it, or by negligence toward it.

Taʿaddī (transgression) is to do what is forbidden, whereas tafrīṭ (negligence) is to omit what is obligatory. Whoever transgresses against the trust or is negligent regarding it is liable, for his hand has become the hand of an aggressor. Conversely, whoever neither transgresses nor is negligent bears no liability, because he remains a trustee.
Al-Wazīr said: The scholars unanimously agree that a wadīʿah is a pure trust and entails no guarantee unless there is transgression or negligence. They also concur that if the depositor stipulates that the trustee must guarantee it, the stipulation does not make him liable; al-Wazīr recorded this as a consensus.

Sharḥ al-Iqnaʿ adds: Should the owner of the deposit condition liability upon the trustee, the condition is invalid and the trustee does not become liable, because such a stipulation conflicts with the very nature of the contract.

Sharḥ al-Iqnaʿ further states: The trustee is an honest custodian; therefore, his statement—backed by his oath—is accepted when he claims to have returned the deposit, for he derives no benefit from having held it. His word is likewise accepted, with an oath, concerning any allegation of betrayal or negligence, because the default assumption is their absence. Moreover, Allah the Exalted has commanded him to restore trusts to their owners; had his testimony not been admissible, this directive would not have been addressed to him: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts back to their owners” (Q 4:58).

Ibn Hubayra said: The scholars agree that the trustee’s statement, accompanied by his oath, is accepted regarding both loss of the deposit and its return.

The deposit must be kept—according to customary practice—in a secure place suitable for items of its kind, just as one would safeguard his own property, for Allah has ordered that it be delivered back, and that cannot be achieved without proper safekeeping. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts back to their owners” (Q 4:58).

Benefits

First: Ibn al-Munḏir said: Everyone whose view has reached us is unanimous that if the trustee secures the deposit and then reports that it was lost, his statement is accepted upon his oath.

Second: Al-Wazīr said: They are unanimous that the trustee’s statement concerning loss and return is accepted with

عليها، أو التفريط فيها. ٢ - التعدي: هو فعل ما لا يجوز، والتفريط: هو ترك ما يجب، فمن تعدى على الأمانة، أو فرط فيها فهو ضامن؛ لأنَّ يده يد معتدية، ومن لم يتعد، ولم يفرط فلا ضمان عليه؛ لأنَّه أمين. ٣ - قال الوزير: اتَّفقوا على أنَّ الوديعة أمانة محضة، غير مضمونة إلاَّ بالتَّعدي، أو التفريط، واتَّفقوا على أنَّه إذا أودعه على شرط الضمان أنه لا يضمن بالشرط، حكى ذلك إجماعًا. قال في شرح الإقناع: وإن شرط ربُّ الوديعة على المودعَ ضمان الوديعة لم يصح الشرط، ولا يضمنها الوديع؛ لأنَّه شرطٌ ينافي مقتضا العقد، فلم يضمنها. ٤ - قال في شرح الإقناع أيضًا: المودعَ أمين، والقول قوله مع يمينه فيما يدَّعيه من رد؛ لأنَّه لا منفعة له في قبضها، ويقبل قوله أيضًا في نفس ما يدعى عليه من خيانةٍ، أو تفريطٍ؛ لأنَّ الأصل عدمها؛ ولأنَّ الله تعالى أمره بأدائها إلى أهلها؛ ولو لم يكن قوله معتبرًا مقبولاً ما وُجِّه الأمر إليه فقال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا﴾ [النساء: ٥٨]. قال ابن هبيرة: اتفقوا على قبول قول المودع في التلف، والرد مع يمينه. ٥ - ويجب حفظ الوديعة في حرز مثلها عرفا، كما يحفظ ماله؛ لأنَّه تعالى أمر بأدائها, ولا يمكن ذلك إلاَّ بالحفظ، قال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا﴾. * فوائد: الأولى: قال ابن المنذر: أجمع كل من نحفظ عنه أنَّ المستودع إذا أحرز الوديعة، ثم ذكر أنَّها ضاعت، قُبِل قوله بيمينه. الثانية: قال الوزير: اتَّفقوا على أنَّ القول قول المستودع في التلف والرد مع