Explanation of the Author's Statement: "The Chapter on the Option"

The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Chapter on the Option". Al-Khiyar is a noun of action (ism mafsul), a noun of action whose verb is ikhtara. We do not say it is a masdar (verbal noun) because the masdar of ikhtara is ikhtiyar. Any word that indicates the meaning of a masdar but does not contain the letters of the verb is called an ism mafsul, such as kalam, which is an ism mafsul for taklim; salam, which is an ism mafsul for taslim; subhan, which is an ism mafsul for tasbih; and so on. So what is al-khiyar? Al-khiyar is taking the better of the two matters, taking the better of the two matters. It is said, "He chose," meaning he took the better of the two matters in his view. Here, al-khiyar is taking the better of the two matters, whether it is ratification or rescission, and whether it belongs to the seller or the buyer.