The appropriation
o f
articles, in
which it is not
cuftomary is
unlawful.
An appropriation
cannot
be fo ld or
transferred ;
n io n b e tw e e n t h e Elders c o n c e rn in g th e ap p rop riation o f b o o k s__
Fikkea-Aboo-al-Seyb, h o w e v e r , h o ld s i t to b e la w f u l ; and d ec re es
pafs a c c o rd in g ly .
I t is n o t la w fu l to ap p rop r iate m o v e ab le s , th e app rop riation o f
w h i c h is u n u fu a l o r u n c om m o n , a c c o rd in g tq .o u r dodtors. Shafei
a lle g e s th a t th e appropriation is la w fu l o f e v e r y th in g w h i c h admits o f
th e u fe w i th o u t a d e ftru d tion o f 'th e fu b jed t, o r ctf e v e r y th in g la w f
u l l y fa leab le , b e c au fe fu c h a r tic le s as adm it u fu fru d t re fem b le land,
borfes, o r arms. T h e a rg um e n t o f o u r d oc to r s is th a t appropriation
re q u ir e s perpetuity, a c c o rd in g to w h a t has be en a lr e a d y R a t e d ; and
th is c an n o t e x if f in moveables, f in c e th e fe are n o t o f a la f lin g n a tu r e :
a n a lo g y th e r e fo r e fu g g e f t s th a t th e appropriation o f m ov eab les in general
is u n l a w f u l :— it is a dm it te d , h o w e v e r , in fom e a r tic le s , (althou-oh c o n t
r a r y to a n a lo g y ,) b e c au fe o f th e trad ition s a lread y re co rd ed ,— and in
o th e r a r tic le s ( fu c h as axes, Jaws, and fo fo r th , ) b e c au fe o f utility:
b u t th e app rop riation o f fu rn itu r e , c lo th e s , and fla v e s , is u n la w fu l , as
b e in g c o n t ra r y to th e fu g g e ft io n s o f a n a lo g y , b e c au fe th e y h a v e n e ith
e r trad ition n o r u t i l i t y to fu p p o r t th e le g a l i t y , and th e r e fo r e re fem b le
dirms and deenars. W i t h re fp ed t to w h a t Shafei has ad vanced th a t
th o fe a r tic le s are an a lo g ou s to lands, horfes, and armour, ” w e r e p ly
th a t n o a n a lo g y can b e adm itted b e tw e e n t h em ; b e c au fe la n d endu res
p e r p e tu a lly ; and h o r fe s and a rm o u r are in ft rum en t s o f w a r a g a in ft
in fid e ls , w h i c h is am o n g th e h ig h e f t re lig io u s o b lig a tio n s , w h e n c e th e
p ro p e r ty o f piety e x ift s in th e ap p rop riation o f th e fe a r tic le s in a m u c h
f lr o n g e r d e g re e th an in th e ap p rop riation o f o th e r m o v e a b le s ; -— th e
a n a lo g y , th e r e fo r e , is n o t a llow e d .
U pon an app rop riation b e c om in g v a lid and a b lo lu te , th e fa le or
t ran s fe r o f th e th in g appropriated is u n law fu l , a c c o rd in g to all la w y e r s :
th e transfer is u n law fu l , b e c au fe o f a fa y in g o f th e p ro p h e t, “ Be-
fow the actual land itself in charity, in fuch a manner that
“ it Jhall no longer be faleable nor inheritable. A n ap p rop r iatio n , th e r e fo
re ,
fo r e , is in cap a ble o f fa le or t ran s fe r , u p o n b e c om in g v a lid and ab fo-
lu te . I f , h o v v e y e r , th e ap p ro p r ia tio n c o n f if t o f a n u n d e fin ed p art o f
a n y th in g , and ( in c o n fo rm ity w i th th e dod trine o f Aboo Yoofaf) b ec
om e a b fo lu te , and th e p a r tn e r r e q u ir e it to b e divided o ff, fu c h d iv ifion
is la w fu l ; b e c au fe divifion im p lie s feparation and diflinElion. In
all th in g s , in d e ed , e x c e p t th o fe w h i c h are c om p u ta b le b y w e ig h t o r
m e a fu re , exchange c h ie f ly p r e v a i l s : in appropriation, h o w e v e r , a
fu p e r io r reg a rd is had to fep ara tion and d iftin d tio n , in o rd e r th a t th e
apprppriation m a y b e v a l id : th e d iv id in g it off,- th e r e fo r e , is n o t to b e
reg a rd ed in th e l ig h t o f a fa le o r tran s fe r , and is c o n fe q u e n t ly le g a l.
I f a p e r fo n ap p ropriate h is fh a re in p a r tn e r fh ip la n d s , he m u f f
d iv id e it o f f and d e ta ch i t fr om th o fe o f h is p a r tn e r ; b e c au fe h e a lon e
has a u th o r ity to d o th is d u r in g h is li fe , or h is e x e c u to r , a fte r h is d e -
cea fe . I f , on th e o th e r h an d , a p e r fon ap propriate th e half ( fo r in -
f la n c e ) q f h is own la n d , in th is c a fe th e Kdzee is to d iv id e it o ff, and
aliena te it from th e a p p ro p r ia to r :— (o r th e ap p rop riator m a y fe ll o n e
h a l f ( fo r in fla n c e ) o f h is lan d to a n y o th e r p e r fo n , and th e n d iv id e o f f
th e p o r tio n appropriated and aliena te it from th a t p e r fo n , and a fte r w
a rd s rep u rch a fe th e rem a in d e r fr om th e p u r c h a f e r * : )— fo r th e ap p ro p
ria tor is n o t at lib e r ty h im f e l f to d iv id e o f f th e p o r tio n o f lan d w h i c h
h e has ap p rop riated , or to fep ara te it from th a t p o r tio n w h i c h h e has
not ap p rop riated , b e c au fe one p e r fo n is in capa b le o f himfelf m a k in g a
d iv ifio n and th u s g iv in g to himfelf fin c e d iv ifio n c an ta k e p la c e o n ly
b e tw e e n two.
I f , in d iv id in g o f f app rop riated la n d , a n y balance o c c u r s , (a s w h e r e
a perfon appropriates h is fh a re in p a r tn e r fh ip la n d , and h e an d h is
p a r tn e r a c c o rd in g ly m a k e a d iv ifio n o f th e la n d , and th e fhare o f on e
o f th em prov es d e fed tive , and th e o th e r m a k e s u p th e d iffe ren c e b y a
p a ym e n t in m o n e y ,) ' it is u n law fu l , w h e r e th is b alance is paid to th e
but it may be
divided off,
where it con-
lifts of an undefined
fa rt o f
any thing*
In cafe o f dividing
it off,
the payment
o f a balance
made by the
appropriator
is lawful; but
i f made to the
* This is merely a device, for the purpofe of obviating legal objections.
V o l . I I . Y y ' appropriator,