Is taking a pledge (Rahn) obligatory?

Primary text

Taking a pledge (Rahn) is not obligatory. This position is held without known dissent, as the pledge serves as security for a debt, similar to a guarantee (Dhaman) or written acknowledgment (Kitabah), neither of which is obligatory. The verse stating, "Then [let there be] pledged things taken into possession" (Quran 2:283), is considered instructive guidance (Irshad) rather than an imposition of obligation. This is evidenced by the subsequent clause in the same verse, "But if some of you trust others in confidence, let him who is trusted discharge his trust" (Quran 2:283), indicating that trust, not mandatory pledging, is the primary directive. Furthermore, the instruction to take a pledge is only given when written documentation is unavailable; since written documentation is not obligatory, its substitute (the pledge) is likewise not obligatory.