Islam > Glossary > Khyar alwsf
Discover the meaning of the term Khyar alwsf (خيار الوصف) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readThe option of description (khiyar al-wasf). In the Mejelle (article 310): if one sells property with a desired description and the thing sold turns out to be devoid of that description, the buyer has the choice: if he wishes he may rescind the sale, and if he wishes he may take it for the full stated price. This option is called: khiyar al-wasf (option of description). Example: if one sells a cow as being a milch cow and she turns out not to be, the buyer has the choice; likewise if one sells a gemstone at night as being a red ruby and it turns out yellow, the buyer is given the option. Al-khayr: an elative noun outside the regular pattern; the opposite of evil (sharr); the possessor of good; the good in itself; abundant and good wealth, hence the word of Allah, the Most High, describing man: 'Man is very violent in his love of wealth (khayr)' (Al-'Adiyat, 8); the righteous deed, hence the word of the Noble Quran: 'Whoever does an atom's weight of good (khayr) shall see it' (Az-Zalzalah, 7). Al-khiyarah: the khiyar (option). Al-mukhtar: one who is not coerced.