Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
It is permissible for one who has the right to dispose of his wealth to appoint someone as his representative in all matters, as long as there is no Shar‘i prohibition.
The word Wakālah is a verbal noun from وَكَّلَ يُوَكِّلُ (tafhīl), meaning “to appoint as an agent.” From وَكَلَ يَكِلُ (ḍarb), it means “to entrust, to hand over, or to make someone a deputy with reliance.” From تَوَكَّلَ يَتَوَكَّلُ (tafa‘‘ul), it means “to become an agent or trustee.”
[al-Munjid: p. 984]
This word also appears in the Qur’an at various places:
➊ ﴿حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ﴾ [Āl ‘Imrān: 173]
“Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.”
➋ ﴿لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا﴾ [al-Muzzammil: 9]
“There is no deity except Him, so take Him as disposer of your affairs.”
➌ ﴿وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ﴾ [Ibrāhīm: 12]
“Upon Allah should the believers rely.”
➍ ﴿إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم﴾ [Hūd: 56]
“Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord.”
To appoint a person as one’s deputy, either absolutely or in a restricted capacity.
[Nayl al-Awṭār: 3/658, Mughni al-Muḥtāj: 2/217]
➊ ﴿فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ﴾ [al-Kahf: 19]
“Send one of you with this silver to the city.”
➋ ﴿فَابْعَثُوا حَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا﴾ [al-Nisā’: 35]
“Appoint an arbiter from his family and an arbiter from her family.”
➌ ﴿اذْهَبُوا بِقَمِيصِي هَٰذَا﴾ [Yūsuf: 93]
“Take this shirt of mine.”
➍ ﴿اجْعَلْنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ﴾ [Yūsuf: 55]
“Appoint me over the storehouses of the land.”
➎ ﴿إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا﴾ [al-Tawbah: 60]
“Charity is only for the poor, the needy, and those appointed over it.”
➊ Ibn Abī Awfā (رضي الله عنه) reported: I brought the charity of my father’s wealth to the Prophet (ﷺ), and he said:
«اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى آلِ أَبِي أَوْفَى»
[Aḥmad: 4/353, Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 3/314, Bayhaqī: 4/157, Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr: 11, Mushkil al-Āthār: 4/162, Ibn Mājah: 1796]
➋ The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Anīs (رضي الله عنه):
«واغد يا أنيس إلى امرأة هذا فإن اعترفت فارجمها»
“O Anīs! Go to this man’s wife; if she confesses (to adultery), then stone her.”
[Bukhārī: 2696, Muslim: 1697, Abū Dāwūd: 4445, Nasā’ī: 8/240, Tirmidhī: 1433, Ibn Mājah: 2549, Dārimī: 2/177, Aḥmad: 4/115]
➌ The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed ‘Alī (رضي الله عنه) over his camels and instructed him to distribute their skins and coverings.
[Bukhārī: 1707, Muslim: 1317, Abū Dāwūd: 1769, Ibn Mājah: 3099, Nasā’ī al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 2/456]
➍ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:
«وكّلني النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى حفظ زكاة رمضان…»
“The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed me over the protection of Zakat al-Fitr.”
[Bukhārī: 2311, Muslim: 1965, Tirmidhī: 1500, Nasā’ī: 7/218, Ibn Mājah: 3138, Aḥmad: 2/149]
➎ The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Abū Rāfi‘ (رضي الله عنه) and another Anṣārī Companion as his agents in contracting marriage with Maymūnah (رضي الله عنها).
[Muwaṭṭa’: 1/348, Musnad al-Shāfi‘ī: 1/317]
➏ Imām al-Bukhārī (رحمه الله) mentioned 26 Hadiths in Kitāb al-Wakālah, six of which are suspended (mu‘allaq) and the rest connected (mawṣūl).
[Bukhārī: Kitāb al-Wakālah, Nayl al-Awṭār: 3/658]
➐ There is ijmā‘ (consensus) of the Ummah on the permissibility of Wakālah due to necessity and benefit.
[al-Mughnī: 5/79, Takmilah Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 6/3, Mughni al-Muḥtāj: 2/217, al-Mabsūṭ: 2/19]
✔ If the agent sells at a higher rate: The excess profit belongs to the principal (muwakkil).
✔ If the agent acts contrary to instructions but the principal approves: The transaction is valid.
✔ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) once gave away food (Zakat al-Fitr) without permission, and the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed its validity despite describing the visitor as a liar.
[Bukhārī: 2311, Kitāb al-Wakālah]
Nawwāb Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (رحمه الله) wrote:
“This matter is valid because, in contracts, what truly matters is mutual consent.”
[al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah: 2/501]
It is permissible for one who has the right to dispose of his wealth to appoint someone as his representative in all matters, as long as there is no Shar‘i prohibition.
◈ Lexical Explanation
The word Wakālah is a verbal noun from وَكَّلَ يُوَكِّلُ (tafhīl), meaning “to appoint as an agent.” From وَكَلَ يَكِلُ (ḍarb), it means “to entrust, to hand over, or to make someone a deputy with reliance.” From تَوَكَّلَ يَتَوَكَّلُ (tafa‘‘ul), it means “to become an agent or trustee.”
[al-Munjid: p. 984]
This word also appears in the Qur’an at various places:
➊ ﴿حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ﴾ [Āl ‘Imrān: 173]
“Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.”
➋ ﴿لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا﴾ [al-Muzzammil: 9]
“There is no deity except Him, so take Him as disposer of your affairs.”
➌ ﴿وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ﴾ [Ibrāhīm: 12]
“Upon Allah should the believers rely.”
➍ ﴿إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم﴾ [Hūd: 56]
“Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord.”
◈ Shar‘i Definition
To appoint a person as one’s deputy, either absolutely or in a restricted capacity.
[Nayl al-Awṭār: 3/658, Mughni al-Muḥtāj: 2/217]
◈ Evidences of Wakālah
➊ ﴿فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُم بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَٰذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ﴾ [al-Kahf: 19]
“Send one of you with this silver to the city.”
➋ ﴿فَابْعَثُوا حَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَمًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا﴾ [al-Nisā’: 35]
“Appoint an arbiter from his family and an arbiter from her family.”
➌ ﴿اذْهَبُوا بِقَمِيصِي هَٰذَا﴾ [Yūsuf: 93]
“Take this shirt of mine.”
➍ ﴿اجْعَلْنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ﴾ [Yūsuf: 55]
“Appoint me over the storehouses of the land.”
➎ ﴿إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا﴾ [al-Tawbah: 60]
“Charity is only for the poor, the needy, and those appointed over it.”
◈ Prophetic Hadiths on Wakālah
➊ Ibn Abī Awfā (رضي الله عنه) reported: I brought the charity of my father’s wealth to the Prophet (ﷺ), and he said:
«اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى آلِ أَبِي أَوْفَى»
[Aḥmad: 4/353, Sharḥ al-Sunnah: 3/314, Bayhaqī: 4/157, Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr: 11, Mushkil al-Āthār: 4/162, Ibn Mājah: 1796]
➋ The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Anīs (رضي الله عنه):
«واغد يا أنيس إلى امرأة هذا فإن اعترفت فارجمها»
“O Anīs! Go to this man’s wife; if she confesses (to adultery), then stone her.”
[Bukhārī: 2696, Muslim: 1697, Abū Dāwūd: 4445, Nasā’ī: 8/240, Tirmidhī: 1433, Ibn Mājah: 2549, Dārimī: 2/177, Aḥmad: 4/115]
➌ The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed ‘Alī (رضي الله عنه) over his camels and instructed him to distribute their skins and coverings.
[Bukhārī: 1707, Muslim: 1317, Abū Dāwūd: 1769, Ibn Mājah: 3099, Nasā’ī al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 2/456]
➍ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:
«وكّلني النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى حفظ زكاة رمضان…»
“The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed me over the protection of Zakat al-Fitr.”
[Bukhārī: 2311, Muslim: 1965, Tirmidhī: 1500, Nasā’ī: 7/218, Ibn Mājah: 3138, Aḥmad: 2/149]
➎ The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Abū Rāfi‘ (رضي الله عنه) and another Anṣārī Companion as his agents in contracting marriage with Maymūnah (رضي الله عنها).
[Muwaṭṭa’: 1/348, Musnad al-Shāfi‘ī: 1/317]
➏ Imām al-Bukhārī (رحمه الله) mentioned 26 Hadiths in Kitāb al-Wakālah, six of which are suspended (mu‘allaq) and the rest connected (mawṣūl).
[Bukhārī: Kitāb al-Wakālah, Nayl al-Awṭār: 3/658]
➐ There is ijmā‘ (consensus) of the Ummah on the permissibility of Wakālah due to necessity and benefit.
[al-Mughnī: 5/79, Takmilah Fatḥ al-Qadīr: 6/3, Mughni al-Muḥtāj: 2/217, al-Mabsūṭ: 2/19]
◈ Rulings of Wakālah
✔ If the agent sells at a higher rate: The excess profit belongs to the principal (muwakkil).
- Example: The Prophet (ﷺ) gave a dīnār to a Companion to buy a sheep. He bought two, sold one for a dīnār, and brought both a sheep and a dīnār to the Prophet (ﷺ), who prayed for blessing in his trade.
[Bukhārī: 3642, Aḥmad: 4/375, Abū Dāwūd: 3384, Tirmidhī: 1258, Ibn Mājah: 2402]
✔ If the agent acts contrary to instructions but the principal approves: The transaction is valid.
- Example: Yazīd gave ṣadaqah, but his son Ma‘n took it. The Prophet (ﷺ) ruled:
«لك ما نويت يا يزيد ولك يا معن ما أخذت»
“O Yazīd! You get what you intended, and O Ma‘n! You get what you took.”
[Bukhārī: 1422, Aḥmad: 3/470]
✔ Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) once gave away food (Zakat al-Fitr) without permission, and the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed its validity despite describing the visitor as a liar.
[Bukhārī: 2311, Kitāb al-Wakālah]
◈ Scholarly Note
Nawwāb Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān (رحمه الله) wrote:
“This matter is valid because, in contracts, what truly matters is mutual consent.”
[al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah: 2/501]
