What is the obligation when someone states, 'He has a dirham on me above a dirham' according to Abu Hanifa and his school?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Acknowledgment of Rights
Primary text
Abu Hanifa and his school rule that if the statement is 'above a dirham,' two dirhams are obligatory because 'above' ostensibly implies an increase. If the statement is 'below a dirham,' only one dirham is obligatory because 'below' implies a reduction.
Supporting text
The opposing view maintains that if the speech is interpreted as conjunction, there is no difference between 'above' and 'below.' If it is interpreted as a description of the confessed dirham, then only one dirham should be obligatory, whether the modifier implies higher quality or lesser quality.