جائیداد کی خرید و فروخت میں بیعانہ: شرعی احکام، معاصر مسائل اور عملی حل کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ تِجَارَةً عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْكُمْ﴾

“O you who have believed, do not consume one an-other's wealth unjustly but only in lawful business by mutual consent." [i]

Divine revelation establishes justice and mutual consent as the foundational bedrock for all financial transactions, shielding society from exploitation and wrongful appropriation of property. Prophetic guidance directed humanity toward honest dealing, ensuring that trade remains a source of mercy rather than discord. Within modern real estate markets, earnest money serves as an initial payment to confirm sale commitments and hold properties. Commercial practices have introduced contentious issues including arbitrary deposit forfeitures, double earnest money penalties, and file trading disputes. This study explores the Shariah rulings governing earnest money through a comparative qualitative analysis of classical jurisprudential schools, resolutions of the OIC Islamic Fiqh Academy, AAOIFI standards, and statutory frameworks such as the Contract Act 1872. Classical scholarship reveals a fundamental division: the majority of jurists prohibit the confiscation of Bay’ana as unlawful consumption of wealth, whereas Hanbali jurists permit it based on early judicial precedent. The Qur'anic injunction

﴿وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا﴾

And fulfill every commitment; indeed, the commitment will be questioned" [ii]

underscores the sanctity of contractual promises. Evaluating contemporary real estate challenges demonstrates that unconditional forfeiture inflicts unjust financial harm on buyers, while completely denying compensation exposes sellers to genuine losses. To reconcile these perspectives, the study proposes utilizing the commitment margin, restricting deductions strictly to proven actual damages, implementing escrow accounts, and creating specialized Shariah arbitration boards. Aligning real estate practices with Islamic ethical principles ensures market stability and safeguards consumer rights.