Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2150
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do not go forward to meet the caravan (to buy from it on the way before it reaches the town). And do not urge buyers to cancel their purchases to sell them (your own goods) yourselves, and do not practice Najsh. A town dweller should not sell the goods for the desert dweller. Do not leave sheep unmilked for a long time, when they are on sale, and whoever buys such an animal has the option of returning it, after milking it, along with a Sa of dates or keeping it. it has been kept unmilked for a long period by the seller (to deceive others).

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ لاَ تَلَقَّوُا الرُّكْبَانَ، وَلاَ يَبِيعُ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا وَلاَ يَبِيعُ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ، وَلاَ تُصَرُّوا الْغَنَمَ، وَمَنِ ابْتَاعَهَا فَهْوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَيْنِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَحْتَلِبَهَا إِنْ رَضِيَهَا أَمْسَكَهَا، وَإِنْ سَخِطَهَا رَدَّهَا وَصَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ ‏

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References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 34, Hadith 102
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 360 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Laws of Islam regulates people’s dealings and interactions when conducting sales and business transactions. It has laid down rules and principles clarifying the essential matters to avoid disputes among people, and help them conduct lawful and smooth business transactions that are free of ambiguity, deceit, and Laws of Islam violations. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade some of the transactions that result in fraud and deception in sales, and lead to incurring harm on the seller or the buyer. He ﷺ said: “Do not go out to meet the trading caravan (to buy from the traders on the way before they have reached the town or marketplace),” meaning do not go out to meet the trading caravan before traders arrive at the marketplace to sell their goods in different towns and they come to know their prices, because it harms the interests of the buyers, who may buy the goods for lower prices, and may also harm the town people who may have to buy the goods for higher prices. The hadeeth goes on: “Do not override someone’s sale transaction by urging buyers to cancel their purchases to sell them (your own goods for lower prices),” meaning that someone should not urge a buyer to cancel his transaction during the period of Khiyaar Al-Shart (i.e., the right of one or both participants or a third party to confirm or cancel a contract within a specified period of time) to sell him a better commodity for the same price or a lower price instead. The same ruling applies to urging a seller to cancel the transaction to buy it instead for a higher price. Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade Najash, meaning bidding to raise the price without intending to buy it, but merely to deceive others into buying it for a higher price. The hadeeth goes on: “A town dweller may not sell the goods on behalf of a desert dweller,” meaning that a town dweller may not act as a broker or mediator and sell something on behalf of a desert dweller. The same goes for the case when a desert dweller appoints un urban dweller to sell his goods on his behalf. The Prophet ﷺ added: “Do not leave sheep unmilked for a long time, when they are on sale,” to deceive the buyers into believing that they produce large amounts of milk. The Prophet ﷺ then clarified that if a buyer bought such sheep, and realized after milking them that the seller had tricked and cheated him, he is given the option either to keep the sheep and retain the sale, or return them to the seller, who had deceived him, along with a Saa‘ of dates in return for the milk. The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺkeenness to preserve the best interests of Muslims and his kindness towards them, even with regard to their worldly affairs. It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler may guide people (to what is lawful and unlawful) with regard to their business and sales transactions. .
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