Book of Zakat

Debt Transference & Guarantor-ship

الْحَوَالَةِ وَالضَّمَانِ

The Book of Dhihar

Glossary


Debt Transference (Ḥawâlah) and Guarantor-ship (Ḍamân)

When a creditor agrees to be referred (for collection) to someone who owes the debtor an equal sum, the debtor becomes exempt. 873 If [a creditor] is referred to a solvent debtor, he or she must accept the transference. 874 This is because the Prophet (SA) said, “If you are referred to a solvent person (for repayment), you should agree.” 875

وَمَنْ أُحِيْلَ بِدَيْنِهِ عَلَى مَنْ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلُهُ، فَرَضِيَ، فَقَدْ بَرِئَ الْمُحِيْلُ. وَمَنْ أُحِيْلَ عَلَى مَلِيْءٍ، لَزِمَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَالَ؛ لِقَوْلِ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ : "إِذَا أُتْبِعَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى مَلِيءٍ، فَلْيَتْبَعْ."

873. Debt transference is permissible by consensus.

If X owes money to Y, and Z owes a similar amount or more to X, X may ask Y to collect his or her dues from Z. This way, X is relieved of the burden of collecting his or her dues and paying Y back.
(A): If Z is solvent and not delinquent, then Y must accept such transference of debt.

However, for the debt transference to be valid, the two debts must be of the same currency or commodity, and the debt that Z owes X must be a binding one that is not subject to annulment. ­­

(-H, -M, -S): It is only recommended (not required) that Y accept the transference. The command in the hadith is a recommendation, because Y is entitled to a full payment back from X and cannot be forced to give up that right.

874. There may appear to be a contradiction between this statement and the previous one mentioning the agreement of the creditor, but in reality, there is no contradiction. The first is a declaratory law (ḥukm waḍ‘i) indicating the conditions to be fulfilled for the debtor to be exempt from paying. The second is a defining law (ḥukm takleefi) ordering the creditor to accept a transference to a solvent debtor. This was considered to be only a recommendation by the majority, but an obligation by the Ḥanbalis. Even if it is an obligation, the creditor may still contend that the person he or she was referred to is insolvent, or that the transference is not acceptable on some other ground, such as the delinquency of the one they were referred to or the difficulty of bringing them to court. Such disputation will be settled by a judge. This means that, although the transference automatically exempts the debtor from payment (according to A), the creditor will still have a chance to refuse it before a judge.

875. (Ag – from Abu Hurayrah)

[Guarantee of Payment]
If a guarantor of payment guarantees the debt of a debtor, the latter does not become exempt; 876 both the debtor and the guarantor are indebted. The creditor has the right to ask either of them for the payment. 877
• If the creditor takes the due payment in full from the warranted person [the debtor], or if the creditor acquits the debtor, the guarantor becomes clear of the liability. • If the creditor acquits the guarantor, the original debtor is not acquitted, and • If the creditor takes the due payment in full from the guarantor, the guarantor demands the money from the original debtor.

[الضمان]
وَإِنْ ضَمِنَهُ عَنْهُ ضَامِنٌ، لَمْ يَبْرَأْ، وَصَارَ الدَّيْنُ عَلَيْهِمَا. وَلِصَاحِبِهِ مُطَالَبَةُ مَنْ شَاءَ مِنْهُمَا. • فَإِنِ اسْتَوْفَى مِنَ الْمَضْمُوْنِ عَنْهُ، أَوْ أَبْرَأَهُ، بَرِئَ ضَامِنُهُ. • وَإِنْ أَبْرَأَ الضَّامِنَ، لَمْ يَبْرَأِ الأَصِيْلُ. • وَإِنِ اسْتَوْفَى مِنَ الضَّامِنِ، رَجَعَ عَلَيْهِ.

[Guarantee of Appearance]
If someone guarantees the appearance of the debtor, and the latter does not show, the guarantor of appearance becomes responsible for paying the debt. 878 If the debtor dies, the guarantor of appearance becomes clear of liability. 879

[الكفالة]
وَمَنْ كَفَلَ بِإِحْضَارِ مَنْ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ فَلَمْ يُحْضِرْهُ، لَزِمَهُ مَا عَلَيْهِ. فَإِنْ مَاتَ، بَرِئَ كَفِيْلُهُ.

876. Until the debt is actually paid off by one of them. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“The soul of the believer is suspended (from entering paradise) because of his or her debt until it is paid off.” (T – from Abu Hurayrah; T: S)

عن عبيد الله بن عدي قال: أخبرني رجلان أنهما أتيا النبي في حجة الوداع وهو يقسم الصدقة فسألاه منها نَفْسُ الْمُؤْمِنِ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِدَيْنِهِ حَتَّى يُقْضَى عَنْهُ

877. The guarantor is now indebted because he or she assumed that liability. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“The guarantor shall be liable.” (D, T – from Abu Umâmah; T: S)

الزَّعِيمُ غَارِمٌ.

878. In case the debtor does not show up on the due date.

879. Since the guarantor of appearance (kafeel) only assumed responsibility to ensure the presence of the debtor, not the payment of the debt.

Debt Transference & Guarantor-ship

( Page : no 78)