Mishkat al-Masabih

Ibn ‘Umar said the Prophet 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.

‘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.

‘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.

Anas said that a man of Kilab asked the Prophet 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.

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.”

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.

‘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 Sharh as-sunna.

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 sahih tradition.

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 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.

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 gharib tradition. * This might be bad character on the part of the slave or unlawful enslavement.

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 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.

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.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone buys palm-trees after they have been fecundated the fruit belongs to the seller unless the buyer makes a proviso; and if anyone buys a slave who possesses property his property belongs to the seller unless the buyer makes a proviso." Muslim transmitted it and Bukhari transmitted something to the same effect as the first part alone.

I was travelling on a camel of mine which had grown jaded when the Prophet passed by and struck it, with the result that it went as it had never done before. He then said, “Sell it to me for a wuqiya*”. I agreed, but made the stipulation that I should be allowed to ride it home. Then when I came to Medina I took the camel to him and he paid me its price in ready money. In a version he said, “He gave me its price and returned it to me." In a version by Bukhari he said to Bilal, “Pay him and give something extra," so he gave the money adding a qirat (A small coin, probably meaning here a sixteenth of a dirham). (Bukhari and Muslim.) *This and the more common form uqiya used below in the tradition from 'A'isha is an amount equivalent to forty dirhams.

What is the matter with people who make conditions which are not in God’s Book? Any condition which is not in God’s Book is worthless. Even if there are a hundred conditions, God’s decision is more valid and God's condition is more binding. The right of inheritance belongs only to the one who has set a person free.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar said that God’s Messenger forbade selling or giving away the right to inheritance from a manumitted slave. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I bought a slave and made him earn something for me, but afterwards I found a defect in him and so brought a case regarding him before ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, who decided in my favour that I should return him, but against me that I should return what he had earned. I therefore went to ‘Urwa and informed him, and he replied that he would go that evening to him and tell him he had been informed by ‘A'isha that God’s Messenger had given judgment in a similar case that any profit goes to the one who bears responsibility*. ‘Urwa went to him, and he gave judgment in my favour that I should receive the profit from the one for whom he had given the decision against me. * al-Kharaj bid daman. After a sale any profit which accrues belongs to the buyer. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When two people who are arranging a business transaction disagree the decision rests with the seller, but the buyer has the right to choose whether he will confirm this*.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. In the version of Ibn Majah and Darimi he said, “When two people who are arranging a business transaction disagree, the commodity being present and is neither being able to prove his case, the decision rests with the seller, or they may both reject the transaction.” * The seller swears an oath to the effect that he is right. The buyer may either agree or swear in an oath that he is right. In the latter instance the qadi cancels the deal.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone rescinds a sale with a Muslim, God will cancel his slip* on the day of resurrection.” * God will forgive his fault. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it; and it occurs in Sharh as-sunna with the wording in al-Masabih on the authority of Shuraih ash-Shami in mursal form.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man of those who were before your time bought some real estate from another, and the buyer found in what he had bought a jar containing gold. The buyer told the other to take his gold from him as he had bought from him only the property and had not bought the gold from him, but the man who had sold the land said he had sold him the land and its contents. They brought the matter before another for decision and he asked whether they had any children. When one said he had a boy and the other said he had a girl, he told them to marry the boy to the girl and spend* some of the gold on them and give sadaqa.” *While the dual has been used with reference to the two men, the plural is used for “marry" and “spend’’. (Bukhari and Muslim.)