Book of Pledge (Al-Rahn)

Pledge (al-rahn) in the language signifies stability and continuity. It is said: "Water is rahin," meaning stagnant. And "a blessing is rahin," meaning fixed and continuous. It is also said to mean confinement. Allah the Almighty says: "Every person is a pledge (rahin) for what he has earned" (1), and "Every soul is a pledge (rahinah) for what it has earned" (2). A poet said:

And it parted from you with a pledge that has no release, on the day of farewell, so the pledge became sealed (3).

He likens the fixation of his heart upon her, and its confinement with her, due to the intensity of his passion for her, to the pledge that the pledge-taker (murtahin) holds, keeping it with him without parting from it. "The sealing of the pledge" (ghalaq al-rahn) means the pledge-taker’s acquisition of it due to the pledger’s inability to redeem it. In Islamic Law (Shari'a), the pledge is the wealth that is made as security for a debt, so that it may be satisfied from its price if satisfaction from the one who owes it proves impossible. It is permissible by the Book (Quran), the Sunnah, and consensus (ijma'). As for the Book, it is the saying of Allah the Almighty: "And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a pledge (rihan) in possession" (4). It is also recited as "rihan" (4). Rihan is the plural of rahn, and ruhun is the plural of the plural, as stated by Al-Farra' (5). Al-Zajjaj said: It is possible that it is a plural of rahn, like saqf and suquf. As for the Sunnah, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bought food from a Jew and pledged his coat of mail to him. This is agreed upon (6). Abu Hurayra also narrated...