Dïftinöiöns
between a
null and an
invalid fale.
The property
purchafed
under a null
C H A P . V .
. Of Invalid* Null, and * Abominable Sales-.
A s a l e is i n v a l i d w h e r e i t is la w fu l w ith r e fp e il o f it s e s s e n c e *.
b u t n o t w ith r e fp e td o f it s q u a l i t y ; a n d n u l l , w h e r e th e f u b j e i l is
n o t o f a n a p p r e c ia b le n a tu r e -, a n d th e te rm s i n v a l i d a n d n u l l , a r e
o fte n in d ifc r im in a te ly u fe d i— A n a b o m in a b l e fa le - is f u c h a s is la w fu l
b o th m it s e s s e n c e a n d q u a l i t y , b u t a tte n d e d w ith fa m e c ir c u m fla n c e
o f a b o m i n a t io n .
A s a l e in e x c h a n g e fo r c a r r io n , b lo o d , o r th e p e r fon o f a fr e e r n a n ,
is n u ll, b e c au fe n o n e o f th e fe c afe s bears th e c h a r a S e r i f t ic b f f a le *
(n am e ly , a ll e x c h a n g e o f p r o p e r ty f o r p r o p e r ty , ) f in c e th e fe a r tic le s d o
n o t c o n f t itu te p ro p e r ty w i th a n y p e r fo n . A fa le in e x c h a n g e fo r w in e
o r p o r k (o n th e o th e r h a n d ,) ; is m e r e ly in v a d d -, b e c au fe th e ch a ra c -
te r if t ic o f fale d o e s e x if t in th e fe in fla n c e s , as th e fe a r tic le s a re c o n -
fidered as p r o p e r ty w i t h fom e d e fc r ip tio n s o f p e o p le , fu c h as C h r iftia n S
and J e w s ; b u t th e y do n o t c o n f t itu te p ro p e r ty w i th M u jfu lm a n s , and
a c o n t r a i l com p r eh en d in g th e fe a r tic le s is th e re fo r e in v a lid .
I n a fa le th a t is n u ll, th e p u r ch a fe r is n o t em p ow e r e d to p e r fo rm
a n y a c t w i th re fp ed t to th e fubjedt o f th e fa le , b u t it rem a in s as a
* T h e word in the original is Makrooh, which the tranflator (following its literal and
common acceptation) has rendered abominable. T h e term, however, in this work, is not to
be underftood in the ill fenfe in which it is generally employed in the Englifh language;
the cafes to which it relates being fuch as are in every refpe£t legal, but which being attended
with circumftances o f impropriety, an abftinence from them is recommended.
tn i f t
t ru f t in h is h an d s , a c c o rd in g to fom e o f o u r m o d e rn d o c to r s ; b e c au fe ,
as th e c o n t r a il o f fa le , in fu c h an in f ta n c e , is to t a lly d ifre g a rd ed , th e r e purchafer s
rema ins o n ly th e f e i z in o f th e p u r c h a fe r w i t h th e c o n fe n t o f t h e f l i e r :
and a c c o r d in g ly , i f th e a r t ic le w e r e to p e r ifh in th e p u r c h a fe r ’ s h an d s ,
in th is in fta n c e , h e is n o t re fp o n fib le fo r i t . O th e r s are o f op in ion
th a t th e fu b jed l o f th e fa le , in th is c a f e , is n o t a d e p o ft, b u t th a t th e
p u r ch a fe r is n o t re fp on fib le fo r i t ;— ( in o th e r w o r d s , i f i t p e r ifh in
th e p u r ch a fe r ’ s h an d s , h e is a n fw e r a b le ; ) — b e c au fe th e a r t ic le is as
m u c h in h is p o ffe flio n , in th is in fta n c e , as an a r t ic le d e ta in ed in a
p e r fo n ’ s h an d s w i th an in te n tio n o f p u r c h a fe , ap d fo r w h i c h h e is re-,
fp on fib le . S om e a lle g e th a t H a n e e fa is o f th e f i r f o p in io n , and th e
tw o d ifc ip le s o f th e fe c o n d . T h e rea fons fo r th is d iffe r en c e o f d o c t
r in e W ill be e x p la in ed in t r e a t in g o f th e d e cea fe o f an A in W a lid o r
M o d a b b ir , in th e h an d s o f a p u r ch a fe r .
IN a c a fe ó f in v a lid fa le , th e p u r c h a fe r b e c om e s p ro p r ie to r o f th e but that pur-
a r t ic le u p o n t a k in g p o fle ffio n o f i t ; and is r e fp o n fib le fo r it [ i f it b e an invalid
lo f t in h is h an d s .] Shafe'i is o f a d iffe ren t o p in io n , as . w i l l b e h e r e -
a fte r e xp la in ed .
T h e fa le o f c a r r io n , b lo o d , o r th e p e r fon o f a f r e em a n , is n u l l ,
in th e fam e m a n n e r as a fale m r e tu r n fo r th o fe a r tic le s is n u l l ;
b e c a u fe , as th o fe a r tic le s do n o t c o n f t itu te p r o p e r ty , t h e y are uri-
faleable .
A s a l e ó f w in e o r p o r k , i f in r e tu rn fo r m o n ey , is n u ll; and i f in A fale offor-
r e tu rn fo r a n y o th e r a r t ic le , (a s c lo th , fo r in f t a n c e ,) i t is in v a lid , if for mahij,
— w h e n c e it is th a t th e fe lle r o f p o r k or w in e , fo r c lo th , b e com e s th e |n”he’way'of
p ro p r ie to r o f fu c h c lo th , a lth o u g h th e a£tual p o r k or w in e d o n o t b e - is
c om e th e p ro p e r ty o f th e p u r ch a fe r . T h e d iftin d lio n in th e fe c afe s
is , th a t w in e an d p o rk are h e ld b y Z im m e e s to b e p r o p e r ty , w h e r e a s
M u jfu lm a n s co n fld e r th em as a r t ic le s f r om w h i c h n o u fe c a n b e d e rived*
b e c au fe th e l a w h a s com m a n d e d th e c o n tem p t o f th em , and
6 p roh ib ited