Fatwa No : 83193
The ruling on the compensation in the case where someone entrusts another person's gold to a jeweler, and the jeweler goes missing.

The ruling on the compensation in the case where someone entrusts another person's gold to a jeweler, and the jeweler goes missing.

What do the respected scholars and honorable Muftis say regarding the following matter: One of my relatives sent me two misqāl of gold and some money from Iran to have jewelry made. After receiving it, I handed it over to a shopkeeper to make the jewelry. The mentioned shopkeeper was a trustworthy individual, and I had been doing business with him for the past 20 to 25 years. However, after I gave him the gold and money, the tragic incident of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination occurred, and shortly after that, the shopkeeper disappeared. Along with my items, he also had many other people's belongings entrusted to him. I continued searching for him and eventually found him in Lasbela. He told me that he had nothing left and had become a pauper. He added that he only had a piece of land which he would sell to repay everyone’s trust. A long time has passed since then, and no progress has been made, and I have now almost lost hope. Meanwhile, my relative in Iran is demanding the return of the gold and money. At that time, gold was about 8,000 rupees per tola, and now it has risen to approximately 36,000 rupees per tola. Now I would like to ask: Am I liable to return the gold itself, or should I pay the value of the gold based on the price at the time it was handed over? Also, my relative is demanding the amount of gold that could have been purchased with the money he had sent at that time. Is his demand valid according to Shariah?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the situation mentioned, since the jeweler has been found and he is willing to sell some property to compensate for his negligence, it is obligatory upon the questioner to recover either the two misqāl of gold or its current market value, along with the exact amount of cash that was given to the jeweler, and hand it over to the rightful owners. Nothing beyond that is required. As for the mentioned relative, it is obligatory upon him to deal with the questioner with kindness and patience, rather than being harsh or demanding.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

ففي الهداية شرح البداية: قال والمتاع أمانة في يده فإن هلك لم يضمن شيئا عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله وهو قول زفر رحمه الله ويضمنه عندهما إلا من شيء غالب كالحريق الغالب والعدو المكابر اھ (3/ 244)۔
و في حاشية سعدى چلپی على هامش تكملة فتح القدير : اقول قال الزيلعي وبقولهما يفتى اليوم لتغير احوال الناس و به يحصل صيانة اموالهم اھ (إلى أن قال) و في فتاوى قاضی خان : الفتوى على قول أبى حنيفة رحمه اللہ اھ (۸/ ۶۲)۔
و في الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته للزحيلي: قال البغدادي عن بعض كتب الحنفية: وبقول الصاحبين يفتى اليوم لتغير أحوال الناس، وبه يحصل صيانة أموالهم اھ (5/ 3848)۔
و في حاشية ابن عابدين: و في البدائع: لا يضمن عنده ما هلك بغير صنعه قبل العمل أو بعده؛ لأنه أمانة في يده وهو القياس. وقالا يضمن إلا من حرق غالب أو لصوص مكابرين وهو استحسان اهـ. قال في الخيرية: فهذه أربعة أقوال كلها مصححة مفتى بها، وما أحسن التفصيل الأخير والأول قول أبي حنيفة - رحمه الله تعالى -. وقال بعضهم: قول أبي حنيفة قول عطاء وطاوس وهما من كبار التابعين، وقولهما قول عمر وعلي وبه يفتى احتشاما لعمر وعلي صيانة لأموال الناس، والله أعلم اهـ. و في التبيين: وبقولهما يفتى لتغير أحوال الناس اھ (6/ 65)۔
و في الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته للزحيلي: وكيفية الضمان أو قاعدته: أنه يجب ضمان المثل باتفاق العلماء إذا كان المال مثلياً، وقيمته إذا كان قيمياً، فإن تعذر وجود المثل وجبت القيمة للضرورة. (6/ 4801)۔
و في تفسير روح المعاني: تحت قوله تعالی: ﴿وَإِنْ كانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ﴾ (إلی قوله) أي- وإن كان ذو عسرة لكم عليه حق أو غريما أو من غرمائكم (2/ 53)۔