Pawning (Rahn) in Islam – Rules and Regulations
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
Linguistic meaning:
The word Rahn comes from the verb رَهَنَ يَرْهَنُ (pattern of fataḥa), meaning to pledge, pawn, remain constant, detain, or make something binding.
Forms: اِرْتَهَنَ – to take something as a pledge; اسْتَرْهَنَ – to request a pledge.
Rāhin: the pledger; Murtahin: the pledgee; Marhūn/Rahīn: the pledged item.
[al-Munjid: p. 318; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ: p. 1551]
Sharʿī definition:
To give an item as security for a loan.
[Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/247; Sabil al-Salām, 3/1155; al-Mabsūṭ, 21/63; al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuh, 6/4207]
① Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا كَاتِبًا فَرِهَانٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ﴾
“If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit should be taken.” [al-Baqarah: 283]
The mention of travel is due to its common context, but the permissibility of pawning in non-travel situations is agreed upon by the scholars—except al-Ẓāhiriyyah, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Mujāhid.
[al-Mughnī, 4/327; al-Muhadhdhab, 1/305; Bidāyat al-Mujtahid, 2/271]
② ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
توفى رسول الله ودرعه مرهونة عند يهودى بثلاثين صاعا من شعير
“When the Prophet ﷺ passed away, his armor was pledged to a Jew for thirty sāʿ of barley.”
[Bukhārī 2069; Muslim 1603]
This shows permissibility of transactions with non-Muslims when not explicitly prohibited, and that weapons may be pledged to non-combatant non-Muslims.
[Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/619]
③ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
الظهر يركب بنفقته إذا كان مرهونا ولبن الدر يشرب بنفقته إذا كان مرهونا وعلى الذى يركب ويشرب النفقة
“A pledged animal may be ridden for its upkeep, and its milk may be drunk for its upkeep. The one who rides or drinks is responsible for the expense.”
[Bukhārī 2512; Abū Dāwūd 3526; al-Tirmidhī 1254]
Preferred opinion:
If the pledged item requires no upkeep (e.g., house, goods), it is not permissible for the pledgee to use it without the pledger’s permission. If it requires upkeep (e.g., animals), benefit equal to the upkeep is allowed.
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا يغلق الرهن من صاحبه الذى رهنه له غنمه وعليه غرمه
“The pledged item is not to be taken permanently from its owner; its benefit belongs to him and he bears its cost.”
[Weak: Dāraquṭnī 3/32; al-Ḥākim 2/51 – all chains are weak; Ibn Ḥajar in Talḵīṣ al-Ḥabīr, 3/84]
In the pre-Islamic era, if a debt was unpaid by the due date, the pledgee would become the permanent owner of the pledged item. Islam abolished this practice.
If the pledged item is lost or damaged without negligence or betrayal by the pledgee, he is not liable. If negligence or betrayal occurs, he is liable.
[al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah, 2/308]
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
◈ Definition of Rahn (Pawning)
Linguistic meaning:
The word Rahn comes from the verb رَهَنَ يَرْهَنُ (pattern of fataḥa), meaning to pledge, pawn, remain constant, detain, or make something binding.
Forms: اِرْتَهَنَ – to take something as a pledge; اسْتَرْهَنَ – to request a pledge.
Rāhin: the pledger; Murtahin: the pledgee; Marhūn/Rahīn: the pledged item.
[al-Munjid: p. 318; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ: p. 1551]
Sharʿī definition:
To give an item as security for a loan.
[Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/247; Sabil al-Salām, 3/1155; al-Mabsūṭ, 21/63; al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuh, 6/4207]
◈ Evidence from Qurʾān and Sunnah
① Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَإِن كُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ وَلَمْ تَجِدُوا كَاتِبًا فَرِهَانٌ مَّقْبُوضَةٌ﴾
“If you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then a security deposit should be taken.” [al-Baqarah: 283]
The mention of travel is due to its common context, but the permissibility of pawning in non-travel situations is agreed upon by the scholars—except al-Ẓāhiriyyah, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Mujāhid.
[al-Mughnī, 4/327; al-Muhadhdhab, 1/305; Bidāyat al-Mujtahid, 2/271]
② ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
توفى رسول الله ودرعه مرهونة عند يهودى بثلاثين صاعا من شعير
“When the Prophet ﷺ passed away, his armor was pledged to a Jew for thirty sāʿ of barley.”
[Bukhārī 2069; Muslim 1603]
This shows permissibility of transactions with non-Muslims when not explicitly prohibited, and that weapons may be pledged to non-combatant non-Muslims.
[Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/619]
③ Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
الظهر يركب بنفقته إذا كان مرهونا ولبن الدر يشرب بنفقته إذا كان مرهونا وعلى الذى يركب ويشرب النفقة
“A pledged animal may be ridden for its upkeep, and its milk may be drunk for its upkeep. The one who rides or drinks is responsible for the expense.”
[Bukhārī 2512; Abū Dāwūd 3526; al-Tirmidhī 1254]
◈ Scholars’ Opinions on Benefiting from the Pledged Item
- Abū Ḥanīfah: Permissible for the pledgee to benefit from it.
- Mālik & Shāfiʿī: Only permissible with the owner’s permission or if stipulated in the contract.
- Aḥmad: May benefit equal to the upkeep cost.
- Ibn Qudāmah: No benefit unless it requires upkeep (e.g., riding animals, milking livestock), in which case benefit equal to expense is allowed.
- Ibn al-Qayyim: Permissible in general to benefit from pledged items.
Preferred opinion:
If the pledged item requires no upkeep (e.g., house, goods), it is not permissible for the pledgee to use it without the pledger’s permission. If it requires upkeep (e.g., animals), benefit equal to the upkeep is allowed.
◈ Prohibition of Permanent Confiscation
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
لا يغلق الرهن من صاحبه الذى رهنه له غنمه وعليه غرمه
“The pledged item is not to be taken permanently from its owner; its benefit belongs to him and he bears its cost.”
[Weak: Dāraquṭnī 3/32; al-Ḥākim 2/51 – all chains are weak; Ibn Ḥajar in Talḵīṣ al-Ḥabīr, 3/84]
In the pre-Islamic era, if a debt was unpaid by the due date, the pledgee would become the permanent owner of the pledged item. Islam abolished this practice.
◈ Liability for Damage
If the pledged item is lost or damaged without negligence or betrayal by the pledgee, he is not liable. If negligence or betrayal occurs, he is liable.
[al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah, 2/308]
