Handing over (munawala): a mode of transmission in hadith and of taking possession in sale

المُنَاوَلَة

Munawala in the lexicon is anything given by hand. In the science of hadith it is the teacher handing a pupil his own text or a collated copy, a way of receiving reports. It is of two kinds: one with a licence to narrate, which is the highest, and one without it, on which narration is not allowed by the majority. In sale, the handing over of a movable good counts as taking possession of it.

Summary

In the lexicon munawala is anything given by hand. In hadith it is a teacher giving his pupil his own book or a copy checked against it, with words such as 'this is my hearing, narrate it on my authority' or 'take it, copy it and return it to me'. ¹

Related terms

Sama' is hearing, which the handing over may include; ijaza is a licence to narrate, which it may also include. ¹

Basis

Some Hijazis cited the Prophet ﷺ's writing a letter to a commander of a raiding party to be opened at a given place; al-Bayhaqi held the case proves nothing. ²

Kinds

The first is handing over with a licence to narrate, the highest kind of licence. The second is handing over without a licence, on which narration is not allowed according to the sounder view of the usulis and the jurists, as Ibn al-Salah and al-Nawawi said. ² ³

In sale

In sale, handing over a movable good such as clothes counts as taking possession: one party hands it to the other who takes it, or sets it within reach. The Hanafis hold all movables are taken into possession this way. ³