Wakalah

Wakalah is one person authorizing another to act on their behalf in a lawful matter, such as a sale or a marriage.

What it means for me: You do not have to be present for everything done in your name. Someone you trust can sign a lease, receive a payment, or complete a purchase for you. Either side can normally end the arrangement, and it also ends if either party dies.

Example: A man traveling abroad gives his brother wakalah to sell his car while he is away. The brother signs the paperwork and hands over the keys; the sale is valid as if the traveler made it himself.

Do not confuse with: Kafalah, standing surety for someone else's debt or duty. Wakalah lets someone act in your place; a guarantee makes someone else answerable alongside you, not instead of you. This financial sense of the word differs from its child-fostering sense.

If scholars differ: Jurists generally treat wakalah as an arrangement either party may cancel at will. They differ on whether a paid agency binds more tightly than an unpaid one. They also differ on whether an agent may appoint someone else to the task without permission.