Is it necessary to itemize the rent payment for each year when a lease is contracted for multiple years?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Leasing
Primary text
When a lease is contracted for several years, it is not required to itemize the rent for each specific year in the apparent view of Ahmad. This is analogous to a one-year lease, where itemizing the rent for each month is unnecessary by consensus. The rationale is that usufruct (Manfa'ah) is treated like assets in a sale; if a transaction includes multiple assets, the price for each individual asset is not required to be quantified. Since the benefit is a single contract item, a breakdown of periodic payments is not obligatory.
Supporting text
Al-Shafi'i, in one of his two opinions, concurs with the main view. However, in his other opinion, he holds that itemizing the rent per year is necessary because usufructs vary with the years, and there is a concern that the contract might be terminated prematurely, leaving uncertainty regarding the refundable amount. This latter argument is refuted by considering monthly leases, which do not require itemization despite the same possibility of early termination.