Chapter on Sales

"If you purchase goods that require measuring or weighing, do not sell them until you take possession of them - unless you appoint someone to take possession on your behalf. However, if the goods do not require measuring…

I asked him about a man who owed a kurr (a measure) of food and then purchased a kurr from another man. He said to the seller, "Go and take your right (measure) from the food I owe." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in…

"If, on the day he purchased it, they agreed on a fixed price, then that price applies. But if no price was fixed, then it is sold at the price of the day it is taken." Imam (as) also said about a man who had two types…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who purchases food, and its price changes before he takes possession of it. Imam (as) said: "I prefer that he honors the agreement (at the original price), just as he would have…

"It is not permissible for a man to sell using a measure other than the standard measure of the city."

"Do not take it from him until he sells it and gives you the payment." Muhammad said: "May Allah (swt) humble me! He initially gave me a concession, but when I questioned further, he imposed a stricter rule upon me."

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who buys food and finds it more suitable and marketable if he moistens it, without intending to increase its weight. Imam (as) said: "If it cannot be preserved or sold without doing…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a group of people who board a ship to purchase food. They negotiate the price, and one of them buys it. Then the others request portions of the food from him, and he provides it to them…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as): "I buy food on deferred payment until a specified time, and then merchants request to buy it from me before I take possession of it." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in selling it on deferred…

"This is not permissible unless it is measured." Imam (as) further said: "Any food for which a specific measurement has been stipulated cannot be sold without measuring it. Such sales, based on estimation, are…

Hadith.3782 - Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abi Abdillah asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who buys food and then sells it back to the same seller based on the original measurement, trusting him regarding the quantity. Imam (as)…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about the excess that may result from measuring or weighing. Imam (as) said: "If there is no deliberate excess (beyond fairness), then there is no harm."

Hadith.3784 - Jamil asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who buys straw from a threshing floor, each load (kurr) for a specified price, and takes possession of the straw but sells it before measuring the grain. Imam (as)…

I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a man who purchased food specifically from a village. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in that. If the food is delivered, it belongs to him. But if it is not…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as): "We buy food from ships, and then we measure it, sometimes finding an excess." Imam (as) said: "And perhaps it might sometimes be less for you?" I said: "Yes." Imam (as) said: "If it is less,…

I asked him about a man who buys fruits and then sells them before taking possession of them. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm if he finds profit in them; let him sell." Imam (as) was asked about purchasing palm trees,…

"There is no harm in it." It was mentioned that one of his servants was sitting with him, and the servant said: "He indeed sells and excludes certain measures (Awsaq)" - referring to Abu Abdillah (as). Imam (as) then…

I asked him about selling fruits-whether it is permissible to buy them before their buds appear. Imam (as) said: "No, except if he buys something along with it, like fresh greens or vegetables, and says: 'I am buying…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who bought an orchard that contained palm trees and other trees, some of which had already borne fruit and others had not yet borne fruit. Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it if…

I asked Abu Al-Hasan (as): Is it permissible to sell palm trees when they have borne fruit? Imam (as) said: "It is not permissible to sell them until they ripen." I said: What is meant by ripening, may I be your ransom?…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as): I give a man twenty dinars and say to him, "If your fruit reaches a certain value, it is mine for that price. If I agree, I will take it, and if I dislike it, I will leave it." Imam (as) said:…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who says to another man, "I will buy merchandise for you, and the profit will be shared between me and you." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

I said to Abu Abdullah (as): We purchase merchandise on credit, and a man comes and asks, "For how much was it valued for you?" I reply, "It was valued at such and such," and then I sell it to him at a profit. Imam (as)…

I asked Abu Al-Hasan (as) about a man who said to another man: "I will buy merchandise from you, provided that you give me such and such profit on each piece of cloth I purchase from you." The man, however, buys the…

Hadith.3796 - Bashshar ibn Yasar narrated: I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who sells merchandise for deferred payment (on credit). Can he buy it back from the one to whom he sold it? Imam (as) replied: "Yes, there…

"If he desires the profit, then he must make the garment binding upon himself (as a confirmed purchase) and should not intend in his heart to return the garment to its owner if it is returned to him."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a group of people who buy Herawi, Karawi, Marwazi, or Quhi bundles of clothes. A man among them purchases ten garments, stipulating a condition that each garment is worth five dirhams, or…

"There is no harm in that, but he should not sell it to them as a murabaha (profit-sharing agreement)."

"We will take it at dah dawazdah (a price of twelve)." Imam (as) asked: "And how much does that amount to?" They replied: "For every ten thousand, two thousand more." Imam (as) said: "Then I will sell you these goods for…

"No, not until he clarifies to the buyer that he merely appraised it."

I said to them, "I will give you its price that I sold it to you for." They replied: "No, rather we will take its value from you." I mentioned this matter to Abu Abdullah (as), and Imam (as) said: "They are obligated to…

"If the garment is still intact as it was, he can return it to its owner and take back the price. But if he has sewn the garment, dyed it, or cut it, then he shall return the value of the defect."

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who buys goods that do not require measurement by volume or weight. Is it permissible for him to sell them at a profit before taking possession of them and to collect his profit? The…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a group of people who bought cloth and jointly owned it without dividing it among themselves. Is it permissible for any one of them to sell his share of the cloth before taking possession…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who bought a garment and then returned it to its seller, but the seller refused to cancel the sale except with a reduction in price. The Imam (as) said: "It is not permissible for…

I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about selling yarn in exchange for woven clothes, where the yarn weighs more than the clothes. The Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

"There is no harm in paying a broker's fee. He only buys for people day after day for a specified amount. He is just like a hired worker."

Hadith.3809 - He said: I asked Imam (as) about a broker who buys for a fee. Money is handed over to him, and it is stipulated that whatever he buys, the buyer has the option to take what he likes and leave what he…

I heard Abu Abdullah (as) say: A group of captives from Yemen were brought to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family). When they reached Al-Juhfa, their provisions ran out, so they sold a young…

Hadith.3811 - Sama'ah asked Abu Abdullah (as) about two slave brothers, whether they can be separated, and about a woman and her child, whether they can be separated. Imam (as) replied: "No, it is forbidden, except if…

"There is no harm in this."

Hadith.3813 - Imam (as) said regarding a man who bought an animal but did not have its price, so he went to one of his companions and said: "O so-and-so, pay on my behalf, and the profit will be shared between me and…

Hadith.3814 - Imam (as) said regarding a man who sells a slave and stipulates upon the buyer to give him something: "It is permissible."

"Whoever sells a slave, and the slave has wealth, the wealth belongs to the seller unless the buyer stipulates otherwise. The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) commanded this."

"I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who buys a slave, who does the wealth of the slave belong to?" Imam (as) replied: "If the seller knew that the slave had wealth, then it belongs to the buyer. However, if the seller…

Hadith.3817 - Zurara narrated: "I said to Abu Abdullah (as): A man buys a slave along with his wealth. Imam (as) replied: 'There is no harm in it.' I asked: 'What if the wealth of the slave is greater than the price he…

"I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about purchasing a slave from the People of the Book (Ahl al-Dhimma)." Imam (as) replied: "If they acknowledge ownership of the slave, then buy and marry."

"I asked Imam (as) about a man who buys a bondwoman, then has relations with her, and later discovers that she is pregnant." Imam (as) replied: "He must return her and also return something along with her."

Hadith.3820 - In the narration of Abdul-Malik ibn Amr from Abu Abdillah (as): "He must return her and also return half a tenth of her price if she is pregnant."

Hadith.3821 - In the narration of Muhammad ibn Muslim from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as): "He must return her and provide her with clothing."

Hadith.3822 - Muhammad ibn Maythar narrates from Abu Abdullah (as): "Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) would not return a bondwoman due to a defect if she had been intimate, but he would claim compensation for the value of the…

Hadith.3823 - Ishaq ibn Ammar narrates: I said to Abu Ibrahim (Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as)): A man directs another man to a commodity and says, 'Buy it, and half of it will be mine.' The man buys it and pays from…

Hadith.3824 - Hamzah ibn Humran narrates: I said to Abu Abdullah (as): I enter the market intending to buy a bondwoman, but she claims that she is free. The Imam (as) replied: "Buy her unless she has evidence (to prove…

Hadith.3825 - Al-Is ibn al-Qasim asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a slave who claimed that he was free but did not provide any evidence for his claim. The Imam (as) replied: "Yes, you may buy him."

"Commander of the Faithful (as) ruled concerning a female slave who was sold by the son of her master while her master was absent. The buyer took her as a concubine, and she bore him a son. Later, her original master…

"Regarding a man who buys a male or female slave, and the slave has a brother, sister, father, or mother in one of the cities, he should not take the slave out of that city to another city if the slave is young, nor…

"There is no problem with that."

"Any food for which a specific measure has been stated cannot be sold by estimation. This is among the practices that are disliked in selling food."

I asked Imam (as) about a man who purchases a commodity with a dirham, and the dirham is deficient by a fraction, such as a grain or the like. Should he give it to the seller without informing him that it is deficient?"…

Hadith.3831 - Samaah asked him about purchasing milk while it is still in the udders. Imam (as) said: "No, unless he milks some of it into a small vessel (sukurjah) for you, and then you say, 'I purchase from you this…

I asked him about a man who accepts responsibility for the payment of poll tax (jizyah) for individuals, the land tax (kharaj) for palm trees, crops, forests, hunting grounds, fish, and birds, while he does not know…

"It is not permissible for him unless he purchases something else along with him and says, 'I purchase from you this item and your slave for such and such amount.' If he is unable to obtain the slave, then the payment he…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who owes me loads of goods measured by a specific scale, but he sends me loads that are less than the specified measurement I am owed. Can I take them without measuring precisely…

I asked Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) about a man who purchased straw from a threshing floor before it was threshed, each load of straw for a specified amount, and he took the straw and sold it before…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "I purchase one hundred containers of oil, and I inspect one or two containers and weigh them, then take the rest based on that measurement." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm."

I asked Imam (as) about a man who has a debt and holds collateral along with it, can he purchase it? Imam (as) said: "Yes."

"Any food for which a specific measure has been stipulated cannot be sold without measurement."

I had two sacks of musk-one was moist, and the other was dry. I started with the moist one and sold it. Then I took the dry one to sell, but I found that I was not offered the price it was worth, and they would not pay…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a child born out of wedlock, can he be sold, purchased, and employed as a servant? Imam (as) said: "Yes." I said: "Can he be married?" Imam (as) said: "Yes, but do not seek her offspring."

Hadith.3841 - Sama'ah asked him about purchasing stolen or embezzled goods. Imam (as) said: "If you know that it is so, then no, unless it is something you are buying from the authorities."

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a partnership in which a man is given wealth and instructed to take it to a specific land, but he disobeys and takes it to another land, and the wealth is lost. Imam (as) said: "He is…

"Whoever guarantees a trader is entitled only to the principal amount and has no share in the profit."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "A man gave another man one thousand dirhams in a partnership, and he unknowingly purchased his father with it." Imam (as) said: "He should be valued, and if his value exceeds by even one…

"It is not permissible until he first takes possession of it from him."

Hadith.3846 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Whatever the partner spends during his travel is taken from the joint capital. However, when he returns to his town, whatever he spends is from his own share."

Hadith.3847 - Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) used to say: "Whoever dies while holding partnership capital, if he specifies it before his death and says, 'This belongs to so-and-so,' then it is his. However, if he dies…

"There is no harm in it if they agree to this condition, but if the condition contradicts the Book of Allah (swt), it must be referred back to the Book of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Glorious."

I heard Abu Abdillah (as) say, "It is not proper for any of you to enter into a partnership with a Dhimmi, nor to entrust him with goods, nor to deposit a trust with him, nor to establish a close friendship with him."

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who owns sheep that produce a large quantity of milk every day. What do you say about purchasing five hundred ritls of milk for a specified amount of dirhams, taking a certain amount…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "I bargained with a man over a bondwoman, and he sold her to me based on my judgment. I took possession of her on that basis, then I sent him one thousand dirhams and said to him, 'Here are…

I purchased a bondwoman for Abu Abdillah (as). When I was about to pay them, I said: "I will try to get a discount from them." Imam (as) said: "No, indeed the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace and blessings be upon him and…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "What do you say about a man who buys the wool of one hundred sheep and what is in their wombs in terms of pregnancy for such-and-such amount of dirhams?" Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in…

I asked Abu Abdillah (as) about a man who purchases shares from butchers before the shares are distributed. Imam (as) said: "If he purchases a share, then he has the option to accept or reject it when it is distributed."

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "What do you say about a man who gifts his slave one thousand dirhams, or more or less, and says to him, 'Release me from my beating you, or from everything I have done to you, or from the…

I said to Abu Abdillah (as), "A man purchases goods from another man and then asks for them as a gift after the purchase, without compelling him." Imam (as) said: "There is no harm in it."

I brought a bondwoman to Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as) to offer her for sale. Imam (as) began to bargain with me, and I bargained with Him (as), and then I sold her to Him (as). He (as) finalized the…

"Nine-tenths of sustenance is in trade."

Samurah ibn Jundab had a date-palm tree in the garden of a man from the Ansar, and the house of the Ansari had the pathway leading to the garden. Samurah would come and enter without seeking permission. The Ansari said…

I asked Imam (as) about a man who gives grain to a miller and agrees with him to receive ten measures of flour for every ten measures of grain. Imam (as) said: "No." I then asked: "What about a man who gives sesame seeds…