Fatwa No : 90167
If the owner himself sells the item given to the broker, will the broker be entitled to a commission or not?

If the owner himself sells the item given to the broker, will the broker be entitled to a commission or not?

What do the esteemed Muftis say regarding this issue:

Zaid had a plot on which he did plotting, creating a total of 25 shops. These shops were to be sold without construction, at a price of 2.5 million (25 lakh) per shop. Zaid spoke to Amr, who was a broker, saying that he wanted to sell the shops in two-year installments. Amr said he would take 5% commission. The deal was agreed on the condition that 5% would be given to Amr for the shops Zaid himself sells, and 5% for the shops that Amr sells — in other words, all shops would be subject to a 5% commission.
After about two and a half months of effort, no shop was sold. Then a party came to Zaid, saying they wanted to buy the entire plot. Zaid went to Amr and said:
"It’s been two and a half months, and none of the shops have sold. I am in urgent need of money. If the shops sell through you, fine; otherwise, I have a party ready to buy the entire plot, and I will sell it."
Amr replied:
"At present, nobody is buying any shop. If someone is willing to buy from you, then sell it; we are not insisting on this."
Zaid then contacted the buyer and sold the entire plot to a single party, giving the buyer the broker’s commission. Now Amr says:
"Give me my 5% as well, because we had agreed that whoever sells, gets 5%."
Zaid’s response is that the 5% was for plotting, and Amr did not sell a single shop. The plot was sold through a broker, and the broker was given his commission, and besides that, Zaid had also taken Amr’s permission.
Question: In this scenario, does Amr become entitled to brokerage?
Note: The plot could have sold for 55,000,000, but it was sold for 33,000,000.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the given scenario, the agreement between Zaid and Amr was for brokerage on the sale of shops after plotting, and not for the lump-sum sale of the entire plot. It should also be noted that despite about two and a half months of effort, Amr could not sell a single shop. After this, due to Zaid’s urgent need, he sought Amr’s consultation and permission and sold the entire plot through another broker (Bakar) to a single party, giving the brokerage to that broker.
Since, according to Shariah, brokerage (Dallali) is only due to the person who makes an effort and acts as a mediator in the sale, in this case, because Amr neither sold any shop nor played any practical role in selling the entire plot, and Zaid conducted the sale through another broker with Amr’s permission, Zaid is not obligated to pay Amr the 5% brokerage promised.
As for the agreement between Zaid and Amr regarding paying 5% if Zaid himself sold the property, Shariah considers such a promise as merely a gift (hibah) and its payment is not obligatory. However, if Zaid wishes to give it out of generosity and good ethics, it is at his discretion. Nevertheless, Amr should refrain from claiming this 5% from Zaid as a Shariah-mandated right.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی فقہ البیوع: وقد اختلف الفقھاء فی حکم الوفاء بالوعد علی أقوال: المشھور مما نقل عن جمھور الفقھاء أن الوفاء بالوعد مستحب مندوب، وھو من مکارم الأخلاق، ولکنہ لیس بواجب دیانۃ ولاقضاءً، والواعد إذا ترک الوفاء، فقد فاتہ الفضل وارتکب المکروہ کراھۃ تنزیھیۃ شدیدۃ، ولکنہ لم یأثم، وھذا القول منسوب إلی أبی حنیفۃ والشافعی وأحمد وبعض المالکیۃ،اھ(حکم الوعد أو المواعدۃ فی البیع، ج:1، ص:77، ناشر: مکتبۃ معارف القرآن)-
وفی شرح المجلۃ: لأن الدلال عادۃ لا یستحق الأجرۃ بعرض المبیع للبیع بل بوقوع البیع حقیقۃ اھ (الباب السادس فی انواع المأجور وأحکامہ،الفصل الرابع فی إجارۃ الآدمی، ج:1، ص: 244، ناشر: دار الکتب العلمیۃ)-
وفی الدر المختار: (‌ولا ‌يستحق ‌المشترك ‌الأجر حتى يعمل كالقصار ونحوه) كفتال وحمال ودلال وملاح اھ
وفی رد المحتار تحت: (قوله حتى يعمل)؛ لأن الإجارة عقد معاوضة فتقتضي المساواة بينهما، فما لم يسلم المعقود عليه للمستأجر لا يسلم له العوض والمعقود عليه هو العمل أو أثره على ما بينا فلا بد من العمل زيلعي والمراد لا يستحق الأجر مع قطع النظر عن أمور خارجية؛ كما إذا عجل له الأجر أو شرط اھ(باب ضمان الأجیر، ج:6، ص: 64، ناشر: سعید)-
وفی حاشية ابن عابدين:قال في البزازية: ‌إجارة ‌السمسار والمنادي والحمامي والصكاك وما لا يقدر فيه الوقت ولا العمل تجوز لما كان للناس به حاجة ويطيب الأجر المأخوذ لو قدر أجر المثل اھ(باب الاجارۃ الفاسدۃ، ج:6، ص:47، ناشر: سعید)-