Contract of Ar-Rahn – Definition and Conditions

Ar-Rahn, or mortgage or collateral, is defined in the Islamic jurisprudence as “possessions offered as security for a debt so that the debt will be taken from it in case the debtor failed to pay back the due money.”

Ar-Rahn is a permissible contract in Shari’ah. It is known from the Sunnah that when the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (SAW), passed away, his shield was with a Jewish man in Medina as a collateral.

The conditions of Ar-Rahn

1. The indebted party cannot be coerced into putting up a collateral;
2. An orphan’s property cannot be put up as a collateral by the trustee, unless under exceptional circumstances;
3. The property held as collateral must be liquid;
4. The property held as collateral must be distinct from other properties;
5. The ownership does not change, therefore the owner is responsible for the cost of upkeeping the property even when it is pledged as a collateral. Likewise, the owner continues to enjoy any secondary benefits to the property;
6. There is disagreement among the scholars on whether the property pledged as a collateral can be used. Many of the scholars say that the property cannot be used by either the debtor or the borrower, while many argue that the owner (the borrower in this case) can continue to use the property;
7. If the property held as collateral is lost or damaged while in possession of the trustee, without any negligence on his part, there is no guarantee by the trustee;
8. The ownership of the property cannot be transferred until the debt is settled or the debtor allows for such a transaction;
9. If the borrower cannot pay back at the expiry of the term, the judge will order the property pledged as collateral to be sold in the open market, even if it is the residence of the borrower.

Sources: Abdelhaleem, 14-15 and Kharofa, 154-161.