■The articles
oppofed mu il
be exaftly
equal in point
of weight ;
but may differ
in quality.
T h e Tale of gold for gold, or fiv e r for fiv e r , is permitted only
w hen they are exadtly equal in point of weight : but the one may be
of a fuperior quality to the other; or the one may be bullion, and the
.other may be wrought; becaufe the prophet has faid “ Sell g o l d for
“ g o l d , from 'hand to hand, ett an equal rate according to -Weight \ f o r
“ any inequality in point o f weight is u s u r y . ” And he has alfo declared
‘ ‘ 'the g o o d n e s s and b a d n e s s o f the -quality is the fame "
(as has been already explained in the preceding book treating
offalei)
Theexchange M u t u a l feizin is an indifpenfable requifite in a S trf fale;— that
Järeupon ts, it is indifpenfeble that each of the parties, prior to their departure
the (jot. from the meeting, take pofleffion of the article refpedtively given in
•exchange ; -becaufe of the tradition above quoted; and alfo, becaiife
>Omar faid to one of the parties in a S ir f fale, “ I f the other party re-
“ qüire'leave to go to his houfe, yet you muß not grant i t — Befides,
-the feizin of one of the parties is an indilpenlable requifite, left the
„contract prove to he an exchange of a debt for a debt:— and as the
.feizin o f ont of the parties is requifite, it follows that, in order to
•eftablifh an equality, the feizin of the other is alfo requifite, iince
-ufury would-otherwife be induced. In a fale o f this nature, moreover,
neither fubjedt has a priority with refpeft to the other ;
and hence a mutual feizin is requifite, whether both the iubjedts be
.o f a determinate nature, (as in.the fale Of one filler veffel for another
-filver veffel,) or of a nature not determinate, (as in the fale oi dirms
and deenars in exchange for dirms and deenars,) or one of them deter-
-minate and the other not, (as in the fide of a filver veffel in exchange
-for dirms and deenars;) becaufe the tradition enjoining a mutual feizin
as abfolute, and makes no diferimination e f thefe circumftances.—-
Befides, although a filver .veffel be determinate, ftill there fubfifts a
ffoubt with 'relpeÄ to its determination, inafmuch as filver is confi-
dered in its nature as a reprefentative of price; and, in a cafe of this
nature, a doubt is a fufficienf caufe for the neceffity of feizin, becaufe
a doubt,
a doubt, in matters relative to ufury, is equivalent to a reality.—
It is to be obferved that what is meant by mutual feizin , is that both
parties make feizin prior to their feparation ; whence i f the parties
walk afide together, or fleep in the place o f meeting, or become in-
fenfible, the S ir f fale is not thereby rendered null, becaufe Omar has
faid “ I f the .feller, in a Sirf fale, fhould leap from the top o f the
“ houfe,' do you leap after him.' ' .
T h e fa le o f g o ld in e x c h a n g e fo r f ilv e r , at an u n e q u a l ra te , is p e r m
it te d , b e c au fe th e fe a r tic le s are o f a d iffe ren t g en u s . S t ill , h o w e v e r ,
in fu c h c a fe , m u tu a l fe iz in is iu d iip en fib le , b e c au fe th e p ro p h e t has
fa id , “ fh e fale o f gold fo r fiv e r is ufury, unlefsit be from hand to
“ hand." I f , th e r e fo r e , th e p arties fep ara te b e fo re both o r one o f
th em m a k e f e iz in , th e fale is in v a l id ; and h e n c e it is n o t la w fu l t o
ftip u la te a n o p tio n a l c o n d itio n , o r an o p tio n al p e r io d , b e c au fe fu c h f t i-
p u latio n s a re p r e v en t iv e o f m u tu a l f e i z in , w h ic h is an in d ifp en fib le
co n d itio n . I f , h o w e v e r , a S ir f fa le b e co n tra c ted w i th an o p tio n a l
co n d it io n , and th e co n d itio n b e a fte rw a rd s rem o v e d p re v iou s to th e
fep ara tion o f th e p arties, th e S ir f fa le is in th a t c a fe v a lid , b e c au fe o f
th e c a u fe o f its in v a lid ity b e in g d e ft ro y e d p re v io u s to i t s c om p le te
e fta b lifhm en t.
A n y d eed w i th r e fp e f t t o th e r e tu rn , in a S ir f fa le , p re v iou s t o
fe iz in o f it , is u n law fu l . I f , th e r e fo r e , a p e r fo n , h a v in g fo ld a
deenar fo r ten dirms, fh o u ld , p re v iou s :to th e fe iz in o f t h em , p u r ch a fe
a p ie c e o f c lo th for th em , in th a t c a fe th e fa le q f th e c lo th is in v a lid ,
o n th is p r in c ip le , th a t th e fe iz in o f th e te n dirms w a s a b fo lu te ly in c
u m b e n t ; b e c au fe o th e rw ife th e S ir f fale w o u ld b e u fu r io u s ; and as
<3o d h a s p roh ib ited u fu r y , i t fo l low s th a t i f th e fale o f th e c lo th w e r e
lic en fe d , an a b fo lu te c om m a n dm en t o f G o d w o u ld th e r e b y b e d e feated.—
I t is re la ted , as an o p in ion o f Zijfer, th a t th e fa le o f th e
c lo th is cap able o f b e in g ren d e red v a l id ; b e c au fe dirms b e in g u n d e te
rm in a te , it fo l low s th a t th e p r ic e o f th e c lo th relates to te n dirms in
V o l . IE 4 B an
Gold may be
fold for filver,.
at an unequal
rate, provided
the exchange
take place upon
the lpot.
No aft can be
performed
with relation
to the return
until it be received.