محمد

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who bought something on credit with al-Rahn (security deposit). He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of a man who had left his slave-girl as al- Rahn (security deposit) with a people; if he could have sexual intercourse with her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Those who hold her as al-Rahn (security deposit) bar him from reaching her.’ I asked, ‘What happens if he gets a chance? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, I do not see it as unlawful.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about security deposit, mortgage and guarantor in transaction on credit. He (the Imam) said, ’It is not unlawful.”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you hold a slave or stumper as al-Rahn (security deposit) and they die; there is nothing upon you, but if the stumper is destroyed or the slave runs away you are responsible for it.’”

“About al-Rahn (security deposit and mortgage), abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If loss takes place on the side of mortgagee without willingly consuming it, he asks the mortgager to provide compensation for his loss; but if he consumes it then both sides exchange the difference to each other.’”

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Rahn (security deposit). He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is more than what mortgagee has provided and it is destroyed, the difference must be paid to the mortgager; but if it is less and is destroyed, the one who has the extra must pay the difference to the mortgagor, and if both sides are equal then there is nothing to dispute about.’”

I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a man whose brother had died and left a box in which there were al-Rahn (security deposit) goods, of which certain ones had the name of the owner on them and others did not have any names on them and for how much they were left as al- Rahn (security deposit), and what do you say about that with an unknown owner. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is like his own property.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who made an al-Rahn (security deposit and mortgage) deal which is for one hundred dirham with a value of three hundred dirham and it was consumed; if he had to pay two hundred dirham to the other party. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, because he has taken al-Rahn (security deposit) in which there is increase and loss.’ I then asked, ‘What happens if half is consumed?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is proportionate.’ I then asked, ‘Do they return to each other the extra?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, that it true.’”

"It is the responsibility of the pledger (rahin), and the pledgee (murtahin) has the right to claim his money from him."

“I once asked abu Ibrahim, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who left a slave, or clothes, or jewelries, or goods of the household as al-Rahn (security deposit) with someone, then said to mortgagee, ‘You have permission to wear the clothes so wear them and benefit from the goods and use the services of the servant.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful for him when he has made it lawful for him but I do not like if he did.’ I asked, ‘If one leaves a house as al-Rahn (security deposit) which has a certain amount of income. To whom such income belongs?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It belongs to the owner of the house.’ I then said, ‘One has left his uncultivated land as al-Rahn (security deposit) saying to the party, “Farm it for yourself.’” He (the Imam) said, ‘This is not like that. He farms it for himself and it is lawful for him as he has made it lawful for him but he farms it with his own asset and establishes it.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘There is a man who owes to me a certain amount of dirhams and his house is as al-Rahn (security deposit) with me and I want to sell it. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do you, by Allah, have the intention to take the roof away from the top of his head?”’

"If a man pledges (rahn) a piece of land that contains fruit, then its produce shall be accounted as part of his payment. He is also entitled to calculate what he worked on and spent on it. Once his debt is settled, he must return the land to its owner."

"In a case of dispute over a pledged item (rahn) between the pledger (rahin) and the pledgee (murtahin), where the pledger claims its value is such-and-such, and the pledgee claims it is of a higher value, the pledgee shall be believed until the value covers the debt because he is considered trustworthy."

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who held al-Rahn (security-deposit) for an unspecified time and his party disappeared; if he had a time limit within which he could sell al-Rahn (security deposit). He (the Imam) said, ‘No, until his party comes.’”

I asked Imam (as) about a man who pledges his bondwoman (as collateral). Is it permissible for him to have intercourse with her?" Imam (as) replied: "Those who have taken her as collateral (the creditors) prevent him from having access to her." I then asked: "What if he manages to be with her privately without the knowledge of those who took her as collateral?" Imam (as) said: "Yes, I do not see any harm in this."

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who held a stumper and camels as al-Rahn (security deposit) against his assets; if he could ride them. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he feeds them he can ride; but if the one who has left them as al-Rahn (security deposit) feeds them, then he cannot ride.’”

Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The back (of a riding animal) may be ridden if it is given as collateral (rahn), and the one who rides it is responsible for its expenses. And the milk may be drunk if it is given as collateral, and the one who drinks the milk is responsible for its expenses."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who became bankrupt and owed debts to some people, some of whom held collateral (ruhun) while others did not. The man then died, and his remaining wealth was insufficient to cover his debts. Imam (as) said: "All that he left behind, including the collateral and other possessions, shall be divided among the creditors in proportion to their shares of the debt."

"I asked Abu al-Hasan (as) about a man whose brother passed away and left behind a box containing pledged items. Some of these items had the names of their owners and the amounts for which they were pledged, while others had no information about their owners or the amounts for which they were pledged. What is the ruling regarding the items whose owners are unknown?" Imam (as) replied: 'They are treated as part of his property.' "

"Commander of the Faithful (as) ruled regarding collateral (rahn) that if its value is greater than the debt owed to the creditor and it is destroyed, the excess value must be returned to the owner of the collateral. And if the collateral is worth less than the debt and is destroyed, the debtor must pay the remaining amount owed to the creditor. But if the value of the collateral equals the debt, then there is no further obligation on either party."