Indexed OCR Text

6. It is stated in the partnership agreement that if a partner hands in a
written resignation, his partnership will automatically terminate six
months from the date of the resignation. Will his partnership
terminate according to this?
7. If a partner resigns as described above, and the remaining partners
continue giving him his share of the profits at the time of distribution,
does his partnership continue or will it be considered to have
terminated?
8. A partner wrote his resignation but no one knows about it. Later on,
they came across it without anyone giving it to them. Will this
resignation be valid?
9. A partner presents his resignation against a specific condition of the
agreement to the remaining partners, will it be valid?
10. When one partner passed away, his children were invited to a
meeting to include them in the partnership. Some of the heirs
expressed their approval while others remained silent. Will all the
heirs be considered to be part of the partnership?
This query was sent from a South African family to several Dar al-Iftās.
We also received these questions, and they were sent to Dar al-'Ulum
Karachi. We received the answers from there and the same answers
were also printed in Fatāwā 'Uthmānī. The answers from Dar al-'Ulūm
Karachi were short and comprehensive. Our Dar al-Iftā considered
these answers to be most enlightening.
Answer
(1)
The partnership is valid. Although a shirkat-e-'urūd is not valid in the
Hanafi madh-hab, because the person's sons bought the entire estate
collectively from their father, partnership in ownership (shirkat al-
milk) has been established. After shirkat al-milk is realized, a
partnership in goods is also valid.
لما فى الهندية: والحيلة في جواز الشركة فى العروض وكل ما يتعين بالتعيين أن
يبيع كل واحد منهما نصف مالم بنصف مال صاحبه حتى يصير مال كل
واحد منهما نصفین، وتحصل شرکة ملک بینهما، ثم یعقدان بعد ذلک عقد
الشركة فيجوز بلا خلاف كذا فى البدائع. (الفتاوى الهندية: ٢/٣٠٧، باب اول،
فصل ٣)
899

There is no longer an objection to the validity of the partnership in
goods.
As for the partnership agreement which is attached to this query, most
of its conditions are valid but some are invalid. For example, no
partner may enter into a separate business venture; neither directly
nor indirectly. This is conflict with the demand of shirkat-e-'inan. And
the conditions of shirkat-e-mufawadah are not present here. This
condition is therefore invalid. Nonetheless, if an invalid condition is
laid down, it does not invalidate the partnership. Rather, only that
condition is invalid and it is not binding on a person to practise on it.
لما في رد المحتار: لأن الشركة لا تفسد بالشروط الفاسدة. (فتاوى الشامى:
٤/٣١٦، ط : سعيد)
Another invalid condition in the agreement states that if a partner
passes away, then whatever months have passed until the 30th of June,
his children will receive twenty-five pounds for each of those months
together with the value of the business shares. It is stated in the
agreement - which is written in English - that these twenty-five
pounds will take the place of the profit which came into the deceased's
share from the 30th of June to the date of his demise.
A similar invalid condition states that if a partner terminates his
partnership on 31 December, he will be eligible for that amount which
was his share until the 30th of June, together with one hundred and
fifty pounds which will be considered to be his share of the profit from
30 June to 31 December. This condition is also invalid due to the
previously-mentioned reason. If a certain amount as profit was
specified from the original partnership, then the entire partnership
would have been invalidated.
لما فى الدر المختار: وتفسد باشتراط درابم مسماة من الربح لأحدبما لقطع
الشركة لا لأن شرط، لعدم فسادبا بالشروط. (الدر المختار مع فتاوى الشامى:
٤/٣١٦، سعيد)
However, because clause number five of the same agreement contains
a general distribution of the profits according to the Shari'ah, and
instead of specifying a certain amount for a partner, profits and losses
are to be distributed on a percentage basis - and the fundamental
partnership agreement is based on this clause - and the manner laid
out in clauses eleven and twelve is in conflict with clause number five,
900

and a system has been laid down only when the partnership is
cancelled, in fact, according to the English text, a specified amount is
put in place of the profit, which then means that the profit will be
what is specified in clause number five, but this specific amount will be
considered to be in place of the other; this is why the entire
partnership agreement will not be invalidated because of this invalid
condition. Rather, this condition will be invalid.
To summarize: The document which is attached to the partnership
agreement is valid according to the Shari'ah to the extent that the
partnership is valid on its foundation. However, it is not binding to
practise on the invalid conditions which are mentioned in it and which
were referred to above.
(2)
It is not permissible for any partner to act against any of the
conditions of the agreement which are valid according to the Shari'ah.
لأن المسلمين على شروطهم إلا شرطاً حرم حلالاً أو أحل حراماً. (صحيح
البخارى)
(3)
If the whereabouts and nature of the properties which the brothers
bought from their father are known with certainty or it was written
down somewhere, then it was not necessary to write the minor details
and amounts in the partnership agreement for the validity of the
partnership. There are two reasons for this:
1. Specifying the capital amount of the partnership at the time of
making the agreement is not a prerequisite for the validity of the
agreement.
لما فى البدائع: وأما العلم بمقدار رأس المال وقت العقد فليس بشرط لجواز
الشركة بالأموال عندنا وعند الشافعى شرط . ولنا أن الجهالة لا تمنع جواز
العقد لعينها، بل لافضائها إلى المنازعة وجهالة رأس المال وقت العقد لا تفضي
إلى المنازعة، لأنه يعلم مقداره ظابراً وغالباً لأن الدرابم والدنانير توزنان وقت
الشراء فيعلم مقداريا فلا يؤدي إلى جهالة مقدار الربح وقت القسمة. (بدائع
الصنائع: ٦/٦٣، سعيد)
901

2. In the present case, shirkat-e-milk had been established among the
brothers before shirkat-e-'inan. This was mentioned in the answer to
the first question. Furthermore, the shares of all were equal and so was
the profit. Therefore, there was no fear of ignorance of the amount
causing a dispute. As for the circumvention for shirkat fī al-'urūd
which was mentioned in the answer to the first question, 'Allamah Ibn
Humām rahimahullah writes with reference to it:
وبذا لأن المانع من كون رأس مال الشركة عروضاً كل من أمرين: لزوم ربح ما
لم يضمن، وجهالة رأس مال كل منهما عند القسمة، وكل منهما منتف،
فيكون كل ما ربح أحدبما ما بو مضمون عليه، ولا تحصل جهالة في رأس
مال كل منهما، لأنه لا يحتاج إلى تعرف رأس مال كل منهما عند القسمة حتى
يكون ذلك بالحذر فتقع الجهالة لأنهما مستويان فى المال شريكان فيه
فبالضرورة يكون كل ما يحصل من الثمن بينهما نصفان. (فتح القدير:
٥/٣٩٦)
(4)
A partnership does not terminate merely by the absence of a partner
or his leaving his work.
لما فى الهندية: وإن عمل أحديما ولم يعمل الآخر بعذر أو بغير عذر صار
كعملهما معاً، كذا فى المضمرات. (الفتاوى الهندية: ٢/٣٢٠، كتاب الشركة،
باب ٣، فصل ٢)
If the other partners were not happy with his leaving the work, they
should have cancelled the partnership with him explicitly.
(5)
To execute a one-sided cancellation of a partnership, the Shari'ah does
not require the other party to accept the cancellation.
لما فى الدر المختار: وتبطل أيضاً بإنكاربا وبقوله لا أعمل معك وبفسخ
أحدبما. (شامى: ٤/٣٢٧، سعيد)
The agreement which is made in the present partnership does not
make the effectiveness of the resignation to be dependent on the
902

acceptance of the other partners. Therefore, if a partner handed in a
resignation in line with the agreement, his partnership will be
considered to have terminated in the time period which is stated in
the agreement. This is irrespective of whether the other partners
accepted the resignation or not.
(6)
The partnership will terminate. The proof was given in the answer to
question five.
(7)
It was stated above that as per the agreement, the partnership of the
one who tended in his resignation has terminated. A new agreement
will have to be made to reinstate him as a partner. Therefore, if the
other partners clearly re-established a partnership with him either in
writing or verbally - and continued giving a fourth of his share based
on this renewed partnership - he will be considered to be a partner
once again. If not, he will not be a partner.
On the other hand, if a new agreement was not made with him and the
other partners merely continued giving him a fourth share, then there
could be several possibilities. (1) The other partners gave him this
amount voluntarily as a donation. (2) Because the partnership was
terminated, the shares which the other partners had to give to the
partner who resigned were given to him as though they were his
shares. Therefore, as long as a new and explicit partnership agreement
is not made - in the presence of these possibilities - the payment of
the fourth share cannot be classified as a partnership agreement. This
is because a partnership cannot be established on the basis of
possibilities.
(8)
Even the Shari'ah makes it mandatory for a partner who terminates
his partnership to inform the other partners of the termination. The
partnership does not terminate without informing them.
لما فى الدر المختار: وتبطل أيضاً بإنكاربا ... وبفسخ أحدبما ... ويتوقف على علم
الآخر لأن عزل قصدي، وفي رد المحتار: قوله لأن عزل قصدي لأنه نوع
حجر فيشترط علمه دفعاً للضررعنه، فتح. (الدر المختار مع رد المحتار:
٤/٣٢٧، سعيد)
903

The attached agreement also states that it is necessary to present a
resignation to the other partners. If a partner wrote a note of
resignation and kept it with him without presenting it to any of the
other partners, his partnership will not be considered to have
terminated. Yes, when he takes out the resignation and presents it to
the other partners, the partnership will terminate six months from the
date of presenting it.
(9)
This question is unclear. What is the nature of presenting a resignation
in conflict with a specific clause of the agreement? If it is written with
clarity, it will be possible for us to give an answer.
(10)
We haven't come across this clause explicitly. However, based on our
assessment of the other clauses, it becomes clear that in this case, the
children of the deceased partner will be considered to be part of the
business. The fundamental rule is that the partnership terminated
with the death of the partner. It now becomes the duty of the other
partners to give the share of the deceased partner to his children. If
you want to keep them [children] as partners, it will be necessary to
obtain the approval of all the partners.
لما فی الدر المختار: لا یملک الشریک الشرکة إلا بإذن شریك، جوہرة. (الدر
المختار: ٤/٣١٧، سعيد)
In normal situations, this approval has to be stated explicitly and
clearly.
لأن الساكت لا ينسب إليه قول. (شامى: ٣/٦٢، سعيد. والاشباه: ٢/٣٨٢،
القاعدة الثانية عشر، ادارة القرآن)
However, when two partners had a meeting for this very purpose and
decided to make the deceased partner's children partners in the
business, this decision has been taken on behalf of all partners. One
partner remained silent despite being present and did not make any
objection. After that, the children of the deceased continued acting as
partners in the business. Even then, he did not make any objection.
When his response is observed collectively, it is sufficient proof of his
acceptance.
904

نظيره ما فى الأشباه: سكوته عند بيع زوجته أو قريبه عقاراً إقرار بأنه ليس له،
على ما أفتى به مشايخ سمرقند ... وفيه بعد ذلك رآه يبيع أرضاً أو داراً فتصرف
فيه المشتري زماناً وہو ساكت يسقط دعواه.
فيه عما قبله زيادة تصرف المشتري بعد الشراء زماناً وہو ساكت فهو قيد فى
الأجنبي لا فى الزوجة والقريب كما يفهمه إطلاقه. (شرح الأشباه والنظائر:
١/٣٨٧، القاعدة الثانية عشر، ادارة القرآن)
The above rulings together with the partnership agreement and its
clauses are to be found in Fatāwā 'Uthmānī, vol. 3, pp. 57-71. We
received the answers to these questions from several dar al-iftās, e.g.
Dār al-Iftā Dār al-'Ulūm Karachi, Dār al-Iftā Dar al-'Ulum Deoband, and
answers from Hadrat Muftī Sayyid 'Abd ar-Rahīm Sahib rahimahullah
of Rander. We expressed our concurrence with them. However, only
the answers of Dar al-Ifta Dar al-'Ulum Karachi have been quoted for
the sake of brevity.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
905

THE RIGHT OF PRE-EMPTION
The issue of shuf'ah when there are three partners to a plot of land
Question
Three brothers are partners to a plot of land. They are Abu Bakr,
'Imran and Safwan. 'Abu Bakr sold his share to 'Imran. Can Safwan
make a claim of shuf ah? If he can, then for how many shares?
Answer
Safwan can make a claim of shuf ah. He can take half the share of Abū
Bakr. The other half will remain with 'Imran.
الدر المختار:
ويملك بالأخذ بالتراضي أو بقضاء القاضي بقدر رؤوس الشفعاء لا الملک.
وفي فتاوى الشامى: (قوله بقدر رؤوس الشفعاء) ... وشمل ما لو كان المشتري
أحديم وطلب معهم فيحسب واحداً منهم ويقسم المبيع بينهم كما فى الوببانية
وشروحها. (الدر المختار مع رد المحتار: ٦/٢١٩، كتاب الشفعة، سعيد)
درر الحكام:
صورته دار بين ثلاثة وللدار جار ملاصق فإذا بيعت الدار واشترابا أحد
الشركاء تثبت الشفعة للمشتري سواء اشترى إصالة أو وكالة ... وتثبت أيضاً
للشریک الآخر وفائدته أنها لا تثبت للجار لأن الشریک مقدم عليه. (درر
الحكام شرح غرر الأحكام: ٢/٢١٤)
الدر المختار:
وتثبت لمن شرى إصالة أو وكالة أو اشترى لم بالوكالة، وفائدته أنه لو كان
المشتري أو الموكل بالشراء شريكاً وللدار شريك آخر فلهما الشفعة، وقال
الشامي: وفى القنية: اشترى الجار داراً ولها جار آخر فطلب الشفعة وكذا
906

المشتري فهي بينهما نصفين لأنهما شفيعان، قال ابن الشحنة :. وعلى بذا لو
جاء ثالث قسمت أثلاثاً أو رابع فأرباعاً. (الدر المختارمع فتاوى الشامى:
٦/٢٣٩، كتاب الشفعة، سعيد)
وللاستزادة انظر: (درر الحكام شرح مجلة الأحكام: ٢/٦٧٨، المادة: ١٠٠٨. وامداد
الفتاوى: ٣/٤٣١)
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
Shuf'ah on waqf land
Question
A plot of land which is next to a madrasah is on sale. Can the principal
of the madrasah make a claim of shuf ah for that plot of land?
Answer
There is no right of shuf ah for waqf land. Neither the endower nor the
trustee can make a claim of shufah on behalf of the waqf land. In
order for the right of shufah to be established, there has to be an
owner of the land; and waqf land has no owner.
(ولا شفعة فى الوقف) ولا له، نوازل (ولا بجواره) وفى الشامية: قوله ولا شفعة
فى الوقف، اى اذا بيع قال فى التجريد: ما لا يجوز بيعه من العقار كالا وقاف لا
شفعة فى شيء من ذلك عند من يرى جواز بيع الوقف ... وقوله ولا له أى لا
القيمه ولا للموقوف عليه لعدم الملك. (الدر المختار مع رد المحتار: ٦/٢٢٣،
كتاب الشفعة، سعيد)
حاشية الطحطاوى:
قوله ولا له أى إذا بيعت دار بجنب دار الوقف فلا شفعة للواقف ولا يأخذيا
المتولي ولا الموقوف عليه أفاده فى الهندية. (حاشية الطحطاوى على الدر
المختار: ٤/١٢١)
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
907

Shuf'ah when a house has two neighbours
Question
A house has two neighbours. The owner of the house sold it to one of
the neighbours. Can the other neighbour make a claim of shuf ah?
Answer
If two neighbours make a claim of shuf ah, the house will be divided
into three - between the buyer and the two shuf ah claimants. If there
is one neighbour, the house will be divided in two.
الفتاوى الهندية:
ولو أن رجلاً اشترى داراً وبو شفيعها ثم جاءه شفيع مثل قضى القاضي
بنصفها. (الفتاوى الهندية: ٥/١٧٨)
فتاوى الشامى:
قوله ثم لجار ملاصق، ولو متعدداً، والملاصق من جانب واحد ولو بشبر
کالملاصق من ثلاثة جوانب فهما سواء. (فتاوى الشامى: ٦/٢٢١، سعيد)
Allāh knows best.
908

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
All praise is due to Allah ta'ālā translation of the fifth volume of Fatāwā
Dār al-'Ulūm Zakarīyyā was completed on 28 Dhū al-Hijjah 1443 A.H./28
July 2022. We pray to Allah ta'ālā to accept this humble effort and to
make it a source of our salvation in this world and the Hereafter.
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ، وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيْمُ
As with all human endeavours, there are bound to be errors, mistakes
and slip-ups in the translation. I humbly request the reader to inform
me of them so that they could be corrected in future editions.
Constructive criticism and suggestions will be highly appreciated. I
can be contacted via e-mail: maulanamahomedy@gmail.com
Was salām
Mahomed Mahomedy
Durban, South Africa
909

GLOSSARY
Note: The explanations or definitions given below are meant to merely
facilitate an understanding of the words used in the book. They are, by
no means, full definitions. Consult the 'ulama' for detailed
explanations.
Ajīr-e-khās: A hireling who is hired by one person or for one specific
task.
Ajīr-e-mushtarak: A co-partnered hireling or a hireling who does two
or more tasks.
Amanat: Something which is given as a trust.
Amin: The person to whom the item is entrusted.
'Aqd-e-daman: Contract of guarantee.
'Aqd-e-mu'awadah: An agreement or transaction in which there is an
exchange of goods, money or services.
'Aqd-e-muwālāt: Agreement of patronage.
'Aqd-e-tabarru': An agreement containing a voluntary donation or
assistance. For example, an interest-free loan.
Bay' at-tawliyah: Resale at cost price.
Dār al-'ahd: A country which has entered into a covenant with
Muslims.
Dār al-amn: A country which is ruled by non-Muslims but Muslims are
free to practise their religion. They can invite towards Islam and
practise those injunctions of Islam which do not require political rule
and political authority.
Dār al-harb: A country belonging to non-Muslims where unbelievers
enjoy peace and security while Muslim residents are deprived of peace
and security. Furthermore, the Muslims are denied religious rights
such as performing acts of worship, jumu'ah salah, the two 'īd salāhs,
etc. openly.
Dār al-Islam: A country in which Muslims have the political authority
to promulgate and apply all the injunctions of Islam.
910

Dhimmī: A non-Muslim living in a Muslim country and given a
guarantee over his life and wealth.
Harbī: A person living in dār al-harb.
Hibah al-mushā': A grant/gift which is indivisible or undividable.
Hīlah tamlīk: Circumvention for the sake of ownership.
Ijārah al-mushā': A rental contract with respect to something which is
indivisible or undividable.
Kafil: A guarantor.
Kāfir harbī: An unbeliever residing in a dar al-harb.
Luqtah: A lost item which has been found by someone.
Majhūl (narrator): A narrator who is unknown. Nothing is known
about him or his honesty.
Makrūh tahrīmī: An impermissible sinful act close to harām.
Makrūh tanzīhī: An undesirable act though not sinful.
Ma'lūl (narration): A Hadith which looks authentic outwardly but
contains a hidden damaging defect.
Mudarab: The partner in a mudarabah agreement who undertakes to
do the work.
Mursal Hadith: When the one who narrates the Hadith is not a Sahabī
but a Tābi'ī.
Muslim harbī: A person who embraces Islam in a dar al-harb.
Muslim musta'man: A Muslim who is guaranteed peace in a non-
Muslim country.
Nisāb: The minimum amount of wealth which causes zakah to become
obligatory on a person.
911

Qafiz at-tahhan: Giving a certain portion of the flour to the person
who pounds the grain into flour.
Ribā al-fadl: Exchange or sale transactions in trade which result in the
charging of interest through the exchange of the same commodity, but
of a different quality or quantity.
Ribā an-nasī'ah: Interest on loans.
Sā': A weight equal to about 3kgs.
Sahib-e-nisāb: A person who owns the minimum amount of money or
wealth which makes zakah obligatory on him.
Shirkat-e-'inan: Where equality in capital, management or liability
might be equal in one case but not in all respects. Meaning either
profit is equal but not labour, or vice versa.
Shirkat-e-mufawadah: Mufawadāh refers to each person handing
himself over to the other. This partnership is known as mufawadah
because each partner hands over his wealth to the other.
Shirkat-e-milk: Joint ownership of two or more persons in a property.
Shirkat al-'urūd: Partnership on the basis of goods.
Tabarru' mashrüt: Laying down a condition in a favour, or laying down
a condition for one's own benefit in a transaction.
Tadmīn as-sā'ī: Liability to be paid by the one doing the work.
Tadmīn ajīr mushtarak: Liability to be paid by an ajīr mushtarak.
Takhliyah: When the buyer is given the power to come and take
possession of the item whenever he wants.
Talaq-e-bā'in: An irrevocable divorce.
Ta'līq at-tamlīk 'ala al-khatar: Suspending ownership to an event
which could or could not occur.
Ta'mīn al-mas'ūlīyyah: Protecting one's self against liability.
Ta'widh: An amulet tied around the arm or suspended from the neck.
Tawliyah: See bay' at-tawliyah.
912

Wadi at: Something entrusted to someone's custody.
Wajib at-tamlīk: That which is obligatory to give in ownership.
Wajib at-tasadduq: That which is obligatory to give in charity.
Walā'-e-muwālāt: Agreement of patronage.
Walīmah: A meal presented after a marriage by the groom and his
family.
913