Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2186
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، بَاعَ مِنَ الأَشْعَثِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ رَقِيقًا مِنْ رَقِيقِ الإِمَارَةِ فَاخْتَلَفَا فِي الثَّمَنِ . فَقَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ بِعْتُكَ بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا . وَقَالَ الأَشْعَثُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ إِنَّمَا اشْتَرَيْتُ مِنْكَ بِعَشْرَةِ آلاَفٍ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ إِنْ شِئْتَ حَدَّثْتُكَ بِحَدِيثٍ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ . فَقَالَ هَاتِهِ . قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ الْبَيِّعَانِ وَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ وَالْبَيْعُ قَائِمٌ بِعَيْنِهِ فَالْقَوْلُ مَا قَالَ الْبَائِعُ أَوْ يَتَرَادَّانِ الْبَيْعَ " . قَالَ فَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ أَرُدَّ الْبَيْعَ . فَرَدَّهُ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah and Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us. They said: Hushaym narrated to us; Ibn Abi Layla informed us, from al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, that Abdullah ibn Masud sold Ashath ibn Qays an enslaved person from among the state’s slaves, and they disagreed over the price. Ibn Masud said, “I sold him to you for twenty thousand.” Ashath ibn Qays said, “I bought him from you for only ten thousand.” Abdullah said, “If you wish, I will tell you a hadith I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” He said, “Tell me.” Abdullah said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘If the two parties to a sale disagree, and neither has evidence, while the sold item remains as it was, then the seller’s statement is accepted, or they may rescind the sale between them.’” He [Ashath] said, “I think I will return the sale.” So he returned him.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ الْبَيِّعَانِ وَلَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَيِّنَةٌ وَالْبَيْعُ قَائِمٌ بِعَيْنِهِ فَالْقَوْلُ مَا قَالَ الْبَائِعُ أَوْ يَتَرَادَّانِ الْبَيْعَ " .
The phrase والبيع قائم بعينه means the sale item remains present in its original state; the report provides no further legal qualification.
Does “while the sold item remains as it was” capture the condition accurately?
بَاعَ مِنَ الأَشْعَثِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ رَقِيقًا مِنْ رَقِيقِ الإِمَارَةِ فَاخْتَلَفَا فِي الثَّمَنِ .
رقيق الإمارة is rendered as the state’s slaves; the phrase identifies the source or institutional grouping but gives no further detail.
Is “an enslaved person from among the state’s slaves” adequate for رقيقا من رقيق الإمارة?