Business Transactions which are Forbidden - Section 1

He said that God's Messenger once came upon a heap of grain, and when he put his hand into it his fingers felt some dampness, so he asked the owner of the grain how that came about. On being told that rain had fallen on it he said, "Why did you not put the damp part on the top of the grain so that people might see it? He who deceives has nothing to do with me." Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةِ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلًا فَقَالَ: «مَا هَذَا يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ؟» قَالَ: أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ: «أَفَلَا جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ حَتَّى يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ؟ مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مني» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Jabir said that God’s Messenger forbade making an exception unless it was explicit. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنِ الثُّنْيَا إِلَّا أنْ يُعلمَ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Anas said that God's Messenger forbade the sale of grapes till they became black and the sale of grain till it had become hard. Thus Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it from Anas. The addition which is in <i>al-Masabih</i>, viz., his saying that he forbade the sale of dates till they became ripe, occurs only in their version from Ibn ‘Umar who said that he forbade the sale of palm-trees till the fruit was ripe. Tirmidhi said this is a <i>hasan gharib</i> tradition.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ بَيْعِ الْعِنَبِ حَتَّى يَسْوَدَّ وَعَنْ بَيْعِ الْحَبِّ حَتَّى يَشْتَدَّ هَكَذَا. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ. وَالزِّيَادَة الَّتِي فِي المصابيح وَهُوَ قولُه: نهى عَن بيْعِ التَمْرِ حَتَّى تزهوَ إِنَّما ثبتَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِمَا: عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ النَّخْلِ حَتَّى تَزْهُوَ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيث حسن غَرِيب

Ibn ‘Umar said the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade selling a debt to be paid at a future date for another (This is allowing a man who cannot pay a debt when it is due to have an extension of the period in return for an additional sum payable; or when a man agrees to sell an article which someone owes him for money which someone else owes to the buyer. Daraqutni transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم نهى عَن بيع الكالئ بالكالئ. رَوَاهُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that God’s Messenger forbade the type of transaction in which earnest money was paid (An arrangement by which the earnest-money was treated as part of the price if the deal was completed but was retained if it was not completed). Malik, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ بَيْعِ الْعُرْبَانِ. رَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَابْن مَاجَه

‘Ali said God’s Messenger forbade a forced contract, one which involves some uncertainty, and the sale of fruit before it is ripe. Abu I Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَن بيْعِ المضطرِّ وعنْ بيْعِ الغَرَرِ وَعَنْ بَيْعِ الثَّمَرَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُدْرِكَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Anas said that a man of Kilab asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about hiring a stallion to cover a female and he forbade him; but when he said, "Messenger of God, we lend a stallion to cover a female and are given a present," he gave him licence to accept a present. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ: أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ كِلَابٍ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ عَسْبِ الْفَحْلِ فَنَهَاهُ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نُطْرِقُ الْفَحْلَ فَنُكْرَمُ فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ فِي الْكَرَامَةِ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Hakim b. Hizam said God's Messenger forbade him to sell anything which was not in his possession. Tirmidhi transmitted it. In a version by Abu Dawud and Nasa’i, he had said, “Messenger of God, a man comes to me and wants me to sell him something, but I do not have it and so I buy it for him from the market.” He replied, “Do not sell what you do not possess.”

وَعَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ قَالَ: نَهَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ أَبِيعَ مَا ليسَ عندِي. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ فِي رِوَايَةٍ لَهُ وَلِأَبِي دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ: قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَأْتِينِي الرَّجُلُ فَيُرِيدُ مِنِّي الْبَيْعَ وَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي فَأَبْتَاعُ لَهُ مِنَ السُّوقِ قَالَ: «لَا تبِعْ مَا ليسَ عندَكَ»

Abu Huraira said God’s Messenger forbade two transactions combined in one (Making part-payment with the promise of the remainder later:

or selling an article for a stated price on condition that the buyer sells article for a stated price. Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa‘i transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ بَيْعَتَيْنِ فِي بيعةٍ. رَوَاهُ مَالك وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَالنَّسَائِيّ

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that God’s Messenger forbade two transactions in one bargain. It is transmitted in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ بَيْعَتَيْنِ فِي صَفْقَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. رَوَاهُ فِي شرح السّنة

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The proviso of a loan combined with a sale is not allowable, nor two conditions relating to one transaction, nor the profit arising from something which is not in one’s charge (An article belongs to the seller till the transaction is complete, and so long as it is still in his possession he is the one who gains any profit on it or bears any loss. The buyer cannot claim profit till he is in possession of the article nor selling what is not in your possession. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>sahih</i> tradition.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يَحِلُّ سَلَفٌ وَبَيْعٌ وَلَا شَرْطَانِ فِي بَيْعٍ وَلَا رِبْحُ مَا لَمْ يضمن وَلَا بيع مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا صَحِيح

Ibn ‘Umar said he used to sell camels at an-Naqi‘for dinars and take dirhams for them, and sell for dirhams and take dinars for them. He went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned that to him, and he replied, “There is no harm in taking them at the current rate so long as you do not separate leaving something still to be settled.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَبِيعُ الْإِبِلَ بالنقيع بِالدَّنَانِيرِ فآخذ مَكَانهَا الدارهم وأبيع بِالدَّرَاهِمِ فَآخُذُ مَكَانَهَا الدَّنَانِيرَ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ: «لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَهَا بِسِعْرِ يَوْمِهَا مَا لَمْ تَفْتَرِقَا وَبَيْنَكُمَا شَيْءٌ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ والدارمي

Al-‘Adda’ b. Khalid b. Haudha brought out a document to this effect:

This is what al-‘Adda’ b. Khalid b. Haudha brought from Muhammad, God’s Messenger. He bought from him a slave, or a slave woman, with no disease or wickedness, or anything unlawful*, a transaction between two Muslims. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition. * This might be bad character on the part of the slave or unlawful enslavement.

وَعَنِ الْعَدَّاءِ بْنِ خَالِدِ بْنِ هَوْذَةَ أَخْرَجَ كِتَابًا: هَذَا مَا اشْتَرَى الْعَدَّاءُ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ هَوْذَةَ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اشْترى مِنْهُ عبدا أَو أمة لَا دَاءَ وَلَا غَائِلَةَ وَلَا خِبْثَةَ بَيْعَ الْمُسْلِمِ الْمُسْلِمَ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ

Anas said that God’s Messenger offered for sale a saddle-cloth (woolen cloth placed on a camel under the pack-saddle), and a drinking-vessel, saying, “Who will buy this saddle-cloth and drinking- vessel?” A man offered to take them for a dirham and the Prophet (ﷺ) asked whether anyone would give more. A man offered him two dirhams and he sold them to him. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَاعَ حِلْسًا وَقَدَحًا فَقَالَ: «مَنْ يَشْتَرِي هَذَا الحلس والقدح؟» فَقَالَ رجل: آخذهما بِدِرْهَمٍ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ يَزِيدُ عَلَى دِرْهَمٍ؟» فَأَعْطَاهُ رَجُلٌ دِرْهَمَيْنِ فَبَاعَهُمَا مِنْهُ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

Wathila b. al-Asqa' told that he heard God's Messenger say, "If anyone sells a defective article without drawing attention to it, he will remain under God’s anger," or, “the angels will continue to curse him.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

عَنْ وَاثِلَةَ بْنِ الْأَسْقَعِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم يَقُول: «من بَاعَ عَيْبا لَمْ يُنَبِّهْ لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي مَقْتِ اللَّهِ أَوْ لَمْ تَزَلِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تَلْعَنُهُ» . رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَه