Sales and Trade
كتاب البيوع
Chapter 1: What has come in the Statement of Allah Ta'ala: "Then when the Salat is ended, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allah ..."
`Ukaz, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz were marketplaces in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When Islam came, Muslims felt that marketing there might be a sin. So, the Divine Inspiration came: "There is no harm for you to seek the bounty of your Lord (in the seasons of Hajj)." (2.198) Ibn `Abbas recited the Verse in this way.
Chapter 8: Trade of cloth and other things
I used to practice money exchange, and I asked Zaid bin 'Arqam about it, and he narrated what the Prophet said in the following: Abu Al-Minhal said, "I asked Al-Bara' bin `Azib and Zaid bin Arqam about practicing money exchange. They replied, 'We were traders in the time of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about money exchange. He replied, 'If it is from hand to hand, there is no harm in it; otherwise it is not permissible."
Chapter 9: Going out for Trading
Abu Musa asked `Umar to admit him but he was not admitted as `Umar was busy, so Abu Musa went back. When `Umar finished his job he said, "Didn't I hear the voice of `Abdullah bin Qais? Let him come in." `Umar was told that he had left. So, he sent for him and on his arrival, he (Abu Musa) said, "We were ordered to do so (i.e. to leave if not admitted after asking permission thrice). `Umar told him, "Bring witness in proof of your statement." Abu Musa went to the Ansar's meeting places and asked them. They said, "None amongst us will give this witness except the youngest of us, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri. Abu Musa then took Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (to `Umar) and `Umar said, surprisingly, "Has this order of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) been hidden from me?" (Then he added), "I used to be busy trading in markets."
Chapter 15: The earnings of a person and his manual labour
The companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice manual labor, so their sweat used to smell, and they were advised to take a bath.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) David used not to eat except from the earnings of his manual labor."
Chapter 20: Selling of mixed dates
We used to be given mixed dates (from the booty) and used to sell (barter) two Sas of those dates) for one Sa (of good dates). The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to us), "No (bartering of) two Sas for one Sa nor two Dirhams for one Dirham is permissible", (as that is a kind of usury). (See Hadith No. 405).
Chapter 24: The sin of Riba, its witness and its writer
When the last Verses of Surat al- Baqara were revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of alcohol as illegal.
Chapter 26: "Allah will destroy Riba and will give increase for Sadaqat"
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The swearing (by the seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but that will be deprived of Allah's blessing."
Chapter 28: What is said about the goldsmiths
I got an old she-camel as my share from the booty, and the Prophet (ﷺ) had given me another from Al- Khumus. And when I intended to marry Fatima (daughter of the Prophet), I arranged that a goldsmith from the tribe of Bani Qainuqa' would accompany me in order to bring Idhkhir and then sell it to the goldsmiths and use its price for my marriage banquet.
Chapter 29: The mentioning of blacksmiths
I was a blacksmith in the Pre-Islamic period, and 'Asi bin Wail owed me some money, so I went to him to demand it. He said (to me), "I will not pay you unless you disbelieve Muhammad." I said, "I will not disbelieve till Allah kills you and then you get resurrected." He said, "Leave me till I die and get resurrected, then I will be given wealth and children and I will pay you your debt." On that occasion it was revealed to the Prophet: 'Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and says: Surely I will be given wealth and children? Has he known the unseen, or has he taken a covenant from the Beneficent (Allah)? (19.77- 78)
Chapter 31: The weaver
I heard Sahl bin Sa`d saying, "A woman brought a Burda (i.e. a square piece of cloth having edging). I asked, 'Do you know what a Burda is?' They replied in the affirmative and said, "It is a cloth sheet with woven margins." Sahl went on, "She addressed the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'I have woven it with my hands for you to wear.' The Prophet (ﷺ) took it as he was in need of it, and came to us wearing it as a waist sheet. One of us said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Give it to me to wear.' The Prophet (ﷺ) agreed to give it to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) sat with the people for a while and then returned (home), wrapped that waist sheet and sent it to him. The people said to that man, 'You haven't done well by asking him for it when you know that he never turns down anybody's request.' The man replied, 'By Allah, I have not asked him for it except to use it as my shroud when I die." Sahl added; "Later it (i.e. that sheet) was his shroud."
Chapter 32: The carpenter
Some men came to Sahl bin Sa`d to ask him about the pulpit. He replied, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for a woman (Sahl named her) (this message): 'Order your slave carpenter to make pieces of wood (i.e. a pulpit) for me so that I may sit on it while addressing the people.' So, she ordered him to make it from the tamarisk of the forest. He brought it to her and she sent it to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered it to be placed in the mosque: so, it was put and he sat on it.
Chapter 34: The purchase of animals and donkeys
I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) in a Ghazwa (Military Expedition) and my camel was slow and exhausted. The Prophet came up to me and said, "O Jabir." I replied, "Yes?" He said, "What is the matter with you?" I replied, "My camel is slow and tired, so I am left behind." So, he got down and poked the camel with his stick and then ordered me to ride. I rode the camel and it became so fast that I had to hold it from going ahead of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . He then asked me, have you got married?" I replied in the affirmative. He asked, "A virgin or a matron?" I replied, "I married a matron." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why have you not married a virgin, so that you may play with her and she may play with you?" Jabir replied, "I have sisters (young in age) so I liked to marry a matron who could collect them all and comb their hair and look after them." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will reach, so when you have arrived (at home), I advise you to associate with your wife (that you may have an intelligent son)." Then he asked me, "Would you like to sell your camel?" I replied in the affirmative and the Prophet (ﷺ) purchased it for one Uqiya of gold. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reached before me and I reached in the morning, and when I went to the mosque, I found him at the door of the mosque. He asked me, "Have you arrived just now?" I replied in the affirmative. He said, "Leave your camel and come into (the mosque) and pray two rak`at." I entered and offered the prayer. He told Bilal to weigh and give me one Uqiya of gold. So Bilal weighed for me fairly and I went away. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent for me and I thought that he would return to me my camel which I hated more than anything else. But the Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Take your camel as well as its price."
Chapter 37: Selling of arms during the period of Al-Fitnah
We set out with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the year of Hunain, (the Prophet (ﷺ) gave me an armor). I sold that armor and bought a garden in the region of the tribe of Bani Salama and that was the first property I got after embracing Islam.
Chapter 39: Al-Hajjam (i.e. the one who practises cupping)
Abu Taiba cupped Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so he ordered that he be paid one Sa of dates and ordered his masters to reduce his tax (as he was a slave and had to pay a tax to them).
Chapter 46: If the seller has the option of cancelling the bargain
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Both the buyer and the seller have the option of canceling or confirming the bargain unless they separate." The sub-narrator, Hammam said, "I found this in my book: 'Both the buyer and the seller give the option of either confirming or canceling the bargain three times, and if they speak the truth and mention the defects, then their bargain will be blessed, and if they tell lies and conceal the defects, they might gain some financial gain but they will deprive their sale of (Allah's) blessings."
Chapter 55: The selling of the foodstuff before receiving it
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The buyer of foodstuff should not sell it before it has been measured for him." Isma`il narrated instead, "He should not sell it before receiving it."
Chapter 56: Whoever bought foodstuff without measuring or weighing should not sell before bringing into house
I saw the people buy foodstuff randomly (i.e. blindly without measuring it) in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and they were punished (by beating), if they tried to sell it before carrying it to their own houses.
Chapter 61: Al-Gharar and Habal-il-Habala
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the sale called 'Habal-al-Habala which was a kind of sale practiced in the Pre- Islamic Period of ignorance. One would pay the price of a she-camel which was not born yet would be born by the immediate offspring of an extant she-camel.
Chapter 65: Returning an animal after milking it
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever buys a sheep which has been kept unmilked for a long period, and milks it, can keep it if he is satisfied, and if he is not satisfied, he can return it, but he should pay one Sa of dates for the milk."