And this is if he exceeds the limit, or fails to protect it, then the statement is that of the pledgee along with his oath; because he is the one held liable, and because he is denying the obligation of any amount in excess of what he has admitted, and the statement is that of the denier. Al-Shafi'i stated this, and we do not know of any dissenter regarding it. If they differ regarding the amount of the debt, such as the pledgor saying: "I pledged this slave of mine to you for one thousand," and the pledgee saying: "Rather, it is for two thousand," the statement is that of the pledgor. Al-Nakha'i, al-Thawri, al-Shafi'i, al-Batti, Abu Thawr, and the People of Opinion (Ashab al-Ra'i) stated this. It was narrated from al-Hasan and Qatadah that the statement is that of the pledgee, provided it does not exceed the price or value of the pledge, and a similar view is held by Malik; because the apparent situation is that the pledge is equal to the amount of the debt. Our argument is that the pledgor is denying the excess that the pledgee claims, and the statement is that of the denier, based on the saying of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "If people were given based on their claims, a group of people would claim the blood and wealth of others; however, the oath lies upon the defendant." Narrated by Muslim. Furthermore, the default principle is the freedom of liability from this [extra] thousand, so the statement is that of the one who denies it, just as if they differed regarding the essence of the debt. What he mentioned regarding the "apparent situation" is not conceded; for the custom is to pledge an item for less than its value. Once this is established, the statement is that of the pledgor regarding the amount for which he pledged it, whether they agree that he pledged it for the entire debt or they differ. If they agree that the debt is two thousand, and the pledgor says: "I only pledged it to you for one of the two thousands," and the pledgee says: "Rather, I pledged it to you for both," the statement is that of the pledgor along with his oath; because he is denying that the pledgee's right in one of the two thousands is attached to his slave, and the statement is that of the denier. And if they agree that it is a pledge for one of the two thousands, and the pledgor says: "It is a pledge for the deferred [part of the debt]," and the pledgee says: "Rather, it is for the current [due part]," the statement is that of the pledgor along with his oath; because he is a denier, and because his statement is accepted regarding the essence of the pledge, so it is likewise regarding its characteristics. This is if there is no evidence; if one of them has evidence, judgment is passed accordingly, without disagreement in all of these issues.
(1) In: The Chapter of the Oath upon the Defendant, from the Book of Judgments (Kitab al-Aqdiya). Sahih Muslim 3/1336. It was also recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter of {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and [their] oaths for a small price}, from the Book of Interpretation (Kitab al-Tafsir), from Surah Ali 'Imran. Sahih al-Bukhari 6/43. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter of the Judge's Admonition regarding the Oath, from the Book of Etiquette of Judges (Kitab Adab al-Qudah). Al-Mujtaba 8/218. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter of Evidence for the Claimant and the Oath for the Defendant, from the Book of Rulings (Kitab al-Ahkam). Sunan Ibn Majah 2/778.
