Under what circumstances is an agency contract, made without a specified time limit, terminated?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Agency
Primary text
An agency contract that is granted absolutely, without temporal limitation, grants the agent authority to act indefinitely until the agency is legally dissolved. Dissolution occurs through explicit revocation using phrases such as 'I have terminated the agency,' 'I have nullified it,' 'I have discharged you,' or by forbidding the agent from performing the act they were commissioned for, or by the agent resigning, or by an event that legally terminates the agency. Termination also occurs if the principal loses ownership over the subject matter of the agency, or by any indication showing a retraction of the mandate.
Supporting text
If an agent is authorized to divorce the principal's wife and the principal subsequently engages in sexual intercourse with her, the agency is immediately voided, as this action demonstrates the principal's desire to retain her. The same effect follows if the intercourse occurs after a revocable divorce, implying retraction. If the principal engages in foreplay or kissing, the agency's termination is subject to dispute based on whether these actions themselves constitute a retraction.