Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari 2208
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ ثَمَرِ التَّمْرِ حَتَّى تَزْهُوَ. فَقُلْنَا لأَنَسٍ مَا زَهْوُهَا قَالَ تَحْمَرُّ وَتَصْفَرُّ، أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ مَنَعَ اللَّهُ الثَّمَرَةَ بِمَ تَسْتَحِلُّ مَالَ أَخِيكَ
Qutayba narrated to us: Ismail ibn Jafar narrated to us, from Humayd, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet forbade selling date fruit until it began to ripen. We asked Anas, “What does its ripening mean?” He replied, “It turns red and yellow. Consider: if Allah were to withhold the fruit, on what basis would you deem your brother wealth lawful?”
Translation notes
Anas explains the ripening sign as turning red and yellow. The rhetorical question warns against taking payment when the crop may fail.