Al-Shuf’ One’s Rights of Pre-emption

الشُّفْعَةُ لِكُلِّ شَرِيكٍ لَمْ يُقَاسِمْ.

The right of al- Shuf’ah (pre-emption) of an asset belongs to a business partner who has not yet departed partnership.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ دَارٍ فِيهَا دُورٌ وَ طَرِيقُهُمْ وَاحِدٌ فِي عَرْصَةِ الدَّارِ فَبَاعَ بَعْضُهُمْ مَنْزِلَهُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ هَلْ لِشُرَكَائِهِ فِي الطَّرِيقِ أَنْ يَأْخُذُوا بِالشُّفْعَةِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ بَاعَ الدَّارَ وَ حَوَّلَ بَابَهَا إِلَى طَرِيقٍ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَلَا شُفْعَةَ لَهُمْ وَ إِنْ بَاعَ الطَّرِيقَ مَعَ الدَّارِ فَلَهُمُ الشُّفْعَةُ.

“Regarding my question before ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a house which is among the houses that have one driveway through a courtyard and one of them sells to a man, if the people sharing the driveway can apply their al-Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption). He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has sold his house and has changed it

إِذَا وَقَعَتِ السِّهَامُ ارْتَفَعَتِ الشُّفْعَةُ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘When division takes place, al-Shuf ’ (one’s rights of pre- emption) ceases to apply.’”

قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص بِالشُّفْعَةِ بَيْنَ الشُّرَكَاءِ فِي الْأَرَضِينَ وَ الْمَسَاكِنِ وَ قَالَ لَا ضَرَرَ وَ لَا ضِرَارَ وَ قَالَ إِذَا رُفَّتِ الْأُرَفُ وَ حُدَّتِ الْحُدُودُ فَلَا شُفْعَةَ[2].

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, issued a judgment in favor of al- Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) in the case of partners in the ownership of land and houses, saying, “Harming and causing harm be

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الشُّفْعَةِ فِي الدُّورِ أَ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَاجِبٌ لِلشَّرِيكِ وَ يُعْرَضُ عَلَى الْجَارِ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهِ فَقَالَ الشُّفْعَةُ فِي الْبُيُوعِ إِذَا كَانَ شَرِيكاً فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا بِالثَّمَنِ‌[1].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) in the case of houses; if it is obligatory on the neighbor to offer to the neighbor because of his priority right to buy. He (the Imam) said, ‘Al-Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) is applicable in selling if one

لَيْسَ لِلْيَهُودِيِّ وَ النَّصْرَانِيِّ شُفْعَةٌ وَ قَالَ لَا شُفْعَةَ إِلَّا لِشَرِيكٍ غَيْرِ مُقَاسِمٍ وَ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَصِيُّ الْيَتِيمِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ أَبِيهِ يَأْخُذُ لَهُ الشُّفْعَةَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ رَغْبَةٌ فِيهِ وَ قَالَ لِلْغَائِبِ شُفْعَةٌ.

“Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), has said, ‘Al-Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) does not apply in the case of the Jew and the Christian.‘ And he said, ‘It only applies to a partner who has not concluded the partnership.’ He (the Imam) has said, that ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) has said, ‘The Executor of the will for an orphan is

لَا تَكُونُ الشُّفْعَةُ إِلَّا لِشَرِيكَيْنِ مَا لَمْ يُقَاسِمَا فَإِذَا صَارُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلَيْسَ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ شُفْعَةٌ.

‘Al-Shuf’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) is applicable only between two partners who have not concluded the partnership. If they become three then one of them does not have such right.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الشُّفْعَةِ لِمَنْ هِيَ وَ فِي أَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ هِيَ وَ لِمَنْ تَصْلُحُ وَ هَلْ يَكُونُ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ شُفْعَةٌ وَ كَيْفَ هِيَ فَقَالَ الشُّفْعَةُ جَائِزَةٌ فِي كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ- مِنْ حَيَوَانٍ أَوْ أَرْضٍ أَوْ مَتَاعٍ إِذَا كَانَ الشَّيْ‌ءُ بَيْنَ شَرِيكَيْنِ لَا غَيْرِهِمَا فَبَاعَ أَحَدُهُمَا نَصِيبَهُ فَشَرِيكُهُ أَحَقُّ بِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ وَ إِنْ زَادَ عَلَى الِاثْنَيْنِ فَلَا شُفْعَةَ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْه

Al-Shuf ’ is applicable to animals, land or assets if it is between two partners and not more than two. When one of them sells his share then his partner has such right more than others, but if they are more than two it does not apply to one of them.’ It is also narrated that it does not apply to anything other than la

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع دَارٌ بَيْنَ قَوْمٍ اقْتَسَمُوهَا فَأَخَذَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ قِطْعَةً وَ بَنَاهَا وَ تَرَكُوا بَيْنَهُمْ سَاحَةً فِيهَا مَمَرُّهُمْ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَاشْتَرَى نَصِيبَ بَعْضِهِمْ أَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنْ يَسُدُّ بَابَهُ وَ يَفْتَحُ بَاباً إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ أَوْ يَنْزِلُ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْبَيْتِ وَ يَسُدُّ بَابَهُ فَإِنْ أَرَادَ صَاحِبُ الطَّرِيقِ بَيْعَهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَحَقّ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a house which a certain people divided, each one took a piece, built and left in between a courtyard with the driveway on it. A man came and bought the share of someone among them; if he can do so. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so but

الشُّفْعَةُ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا لِشَرِيكٍ لَمْ يُقَاسِمْ.

“We heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘ Al-Shuf ’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) is applicable only between two partners who have not concluded their partnership.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا شُفْعَةَ فِي سَفِينَةٍ وَ لَا فِي نَهَرٍ وَ لَا فِي طَرِيقٍ.[1]

Al-Shuf ’ (one’s rights of pre-emption) does not apply to ship, canal or road.’”