Al-Kharaj bil-Daman: Profit Follows Liability

7 hadith in the six books

الْخَرَاجُ بِالضَّمَانِ

Al-kharaju bil-daman.

Profit follows responsibility.

“Al-kharaj bil-daman” means that the yield or income of a thing belongs to the one who bears the liability for it. It is narrated from Aisha in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah, and became a general legal maxim.

The narrations give the original case: a man bought a slave, used his labour, then found a defect and returned him. The seller objected that the buyer had profited from the slave's work, and the Prophet said, “Al-kharaj bil-daman.” Tirmidhi adds an explanation: the earnings belong to the buyer because, had the slave perished, the loss would have fallen on the buyer.

The saying

Abu Dawud · 3508حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ ، عَنْ مَخْلَدِ بْنِ خُفَافٍ ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا ، قَالَتْ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَNarrated Aishah, Ummul Muminin: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Profit follows responsibility.5 narrators Nasa'i · 4495أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاق بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ , وَوَكِيعٌ , قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ , عَنْ مَخْلَدِ بْنِ خُفَافٍ , عَنْ عُرْوَةَ , عَنْ عَائِشَةَ , قَالَتْ :It was narrated that 'Aishsh said:" The Messenger of Allah ruled that what a slave earns belongs to his guarantor7 narrators Tirmidhi · 1285أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى أَنَّ الْخَرَاجَ بِالضَّمَانِNarrated 'Aishah: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) judged: "The produce is for the responsible one." [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. This Hadith has been reported through routes other than this, and this act7 narrators

The case of the returned slave

A buyer returned a slave for a defect after using his labour; the ruling assigned the earnings to the buyer.

Ibn Majah · 2243حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الزَّنْجِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا اشْتَرَى عَبْدًا فَاسْتَغَلَّهُ ثُمّIt was narrated from 'Aishah that:a man bought a slave and put him to work, then he found some defect in him, so he returned him. He (the seller) said: "O Messenger of Allah he put my slave to work." The Messenger of All5 narrators Abu Dawud · 3510أَنَّ رَجُلًا ابْتَاعَ غُلَامًا ، فَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُقِيمَ ، ثُمَّ وَجَدَ بِهِ عَيْبًا فَخَاصَمَهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَرَدَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ : يَNarrated Aishah, Ummul Muminin: A man bought a slave, and he remained with him as long as Allah wished him to remain. He then found defect in him. He brought his dispute with him to the Prophet ﷺ and he returned him to h6 narrators Tirmidhi · 1286أَنّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَضَى أَنَّ الْخَرَاجَ بِالضَّمَانِNarrated 'Aishah: "The Prophet (ﷺ) judged that the produce is produce is for the responsible one." [He said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, Gharib as a Hadith of Hisham bin 'Urwah (a narrator). [Abu 'Eisa said:] Muslim bin9 narrators·parallel chain

A later dispute settled by the hadith

Makhlad ibn Khufaf relates how Urwa conveyed this hadith to a judge in a dispute over a jointly owned slave's earnings.

Abu Dawud · 3509كَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أُنَاسٍ شَرِكَةٌ فِي عَبْدٍ فَاقْتَوَيْتُهُ ، وَبَعْضُنَا غَائِبٌ فَأَغَلَّ عَلَيَّ غَلَّةً فَخَاصَمَنِي فِي نَصِيبِهِ إِلَى بَعْضِ الْقُضَاةِ ، فَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَرُدَّ الْغَلَّةَ ، فَأَتَيْتُ عُNarrated Makhlad ibn Khufaf al-Ghifari: I and some people were partners in a slave. I employed him on some work in the absence of one of the partners. He got earnings for me. He disputed me and the case of his claim to h6 narrators