Sunan Ibn Majah
The Chapters on Business Transactions
كتاب التجارات
Chapter 32
النَّهْىِ عَنْ بَيْعِ الثِّمَارِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْدُوَ، صَلاَحُهَا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us; Hajjaj narrated to us; Hammad narrated to us, from Humayd, from Anas ibn Malik, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling fruit until it begins to ripen, grapes until they turn black, and grain until it hardens.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الثَّمَرَةِ حَتَّى تَزْهُوَ وَعَنْ بَيْعِ الْعِنَبِ حَتَّى يَسْوَدَّ وَعَنْ بَيْعِ الْحَبِّ حَتَّى يَشْتَدَّ .
Tazhū refers to fruit reaching visible ripeness or color; the report then specifies blackening for grapes and hardening for grain.
Does “begins to ripen” convey tazhū without implying a narrower color stage?
Chapter 33
بَيْعِ الثِّمَارِ سِنِينَ وَالْجَائِحَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hisham ibn Ammar and Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah narrated to us. They said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Humayd al-Araj, from Sulayman ibn Atiq, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade bay al-sinin (selling fruit for multiple years in advance).
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ السِّنِينَ .
Bay al-sinin refers to selling produce for future years; the report provides no details of the contract’s structure.
Does the gloss “selling fruit for multiple years in advance” represent the named sale form adequately?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us; Yahya ibn Hamzah narrated to us; Thawr ibn Yazid narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever sells fruit and a calamity strikes it, let him take nothing from his brother’s wealth. Why should any of you take the wealth of his Muslim brother?”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " مَنْ بَاعَ ثَمَرًا فَأَصَابَتْهُ جَائِحَةٌ فَلاَ يَأْخُذْ مِنْ مَالِ أَخِيهِ شَيْئًا عَلاَمَ يَأْخُذُ أَحَدُكُمْ مَالَ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ " .
Jāʾiḥah refers to a calamity that destroys or damages the crop; the report does not specify its cause.
Does “a calamity strikes it” convey the crop loss without assuming a particular cause?
Chapter 34
الرُّجْحَانِ فِي الْوَزْنِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Ali ibn Muhammad, and Muhammad ibn Ismail narrated to us. They said: Waki narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Suwayd ibn Qays, who said: Makhramah al-Abdi and I brought garments from Hajar. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and bargained with us for a pair of trousers. We had a paid weigher with us, weighing the goods. The Prophet said to him: “Weigher, weigh generously and give a little extra.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
بَزًّا مِنْ هَجَرَ فَجَاءَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَسَاوَمَنَا سَرَاوِيلَ وَعِنْدَنَا وَزَّانٌ يَزِنُ بِالأَجْرِ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " يَا وَزَّانُ زِنْ وَأَرْجِحْ " .
Arjih is a request to add a little extra in weighing; the context does not specify the exact amount.
Does “give a little extra” convey arjih without suggesting a fixed quantity?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar and Muhammad ibn al-Walid narrated to us. They said: Muhammad ibn Jafar narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, who said: I heard Malik, Abu Safwan ibn Umayrah, say: “I sold a pair of trousers to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) before the Hijrah. He weighed out the payment for me and gave me a little extra.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ بِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ رِجْلَ سَرَاوِيلَ قَبْلَ الْهِجْرَةِ فَوَزَنَ لِي فَأَرْجَحَ لِي .
Rijl sarawil is rendered as a pair of trousers; the idiom describes the garment sold before the Hijrah.
Does “a pair of trousers” accurately convey rijl sarawil in this report?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us; Abd al-Samad narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Muharib ibn Dithar, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you weigh, give a little extra.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " إِذَا وَزَنْتُمْ فَأَرْجِحُوا " .
Arjih means to give a slight surplus when weighing; no fixed amount is specified.
Does “give a little extra” preserve the instruction without implying a set quantity?
Chapter 35
التَّوَقِّي فِي الْكَيْلِ وَالْوَزْنِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Bishr ibn al-Hakam and Muhammad ibn Aqil ibn Khuwaylid narrated to us. They said: Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Waqid narrated to us; my father narrated to me; Yazid al-Nahwi narrated to me, saying that Ikrimah related to him from Ibn Abbas, who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Medina, its people were among the worst in measuring. Then Allah, Glorified is He, revealed: “Woe to those who give short measure!” After that, they measured properly.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ الْمَدِينَةَ كَانُوا مِنْ أَخْبَثِ النَّاسِ كَيْلاً فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ {وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ} فَأَحْسَنُوا الْكَيْلَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ .
The phrase akhbath al-nas kaylan describes the people as especially poor or corrupt in their measuring; “among the worst in measuring” preserves that emphasis.
Does this wording convey their former short measure clearly without overstating who was included?
Chapter 36
النَّهْىِ عَنِ الْغِشِّ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Ala ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a man selling food and put his hand into it. He found it adulterated, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever cheats is not one of us.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ مَرَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ بِرَجُلٍ يَبِيِعُ طَعَامًا فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ مَغْشُوشٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّ " .
Maghshush describes the food as adulterated or mixed with something deceptive; the report does not specify how it was altered.
Does “adulterated” convey maghshush without supplying a particular form of fraud?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us; Abu Nuaym narrated to us; Yunus ibn Abi Ishaq narrated to us, from Abu Dawud, from Abu al-Hamra, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) pass by a man who had food in a container. He put his hand into it and said, “Perhaps you have cheated him. Whoever cheats us is not one of us.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مَرَّ بِجَنَبَاتِ رَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ طَعَامٌ فِي وِعَاءٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ " لَعَلَّكَ غَشَشْتَهُ مَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا " .
The direct address “perhaps you have cheated him” has an implicit object, likely the person buying the food; the source does not identify that person explicitly.
Does “him” preserve the implied object of غششته without adding a named buyer?
Chapter 37
النَّهْىِ عَنْ بَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْبَضَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Suwayd ibn Said narrated to us; Malik ibn Anas narrated to us, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever buys food must not resell it until he has taken full possession of it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " مَنِ ابْتَاعَ طَعَامًا فَلاَ يَبِعْهُ حَتَّى يَسْتَوْفِيَهُ " .
Yastawfiyahu means to take full delivery or possession of the purchased food.
Does “taken full possession” convey the completion expressed by yastawfiyahu?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Imran ibn Musa al-Laythi narrated to us; Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us. (A second chain:) Bishr ibn Muadh al-Darir narrated to us; Abu Awanah and Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us. Both said: Amr ibn Dinar narrated to us, from Tawus, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever buys food must not resell it until he has taken full possession of it.” In Abu Awanah’s version, Ibn Abbas added: “I think everything is like food.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَحْسِبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ مِثْلَ الطَّعَامِ .
The note explicitly attributes Ibn Abbas’s extension to Abu Awanah’s version, not necessarily to every route.
Does “In Abu Awanah’s version” preserve this source-specific attribution?
قَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَحْسِبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ مِثْلَ الطَّعَامِ .
Ibn Abbas’s phrase wa-ahsabu expresses his own view or inference that all things are like food.
Does “I think everything is like food” retain the uncertainty in ahsabu?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ali ibn Muhammad narrated to us; Waki narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Layla, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling food until it had been measured twice: once by the seller and once by the buyer.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَنْ بَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ حَتَّى يَجْرِيَ فِيهِ الصَّاعَانِ صَاعُ الْبَائِعِ وَصَاعُ الْمُشْتَرِي .
The wording literally says two sāʿ measures pass over the food, one for the seller and one for the buyer; it is rendered as measurement by each party.
Does “measured twice” convey the two sāʿ measurements and their assignment to seller and buyer?
Chapter 38
بَيْعِ الْمُجَازَفَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Sahl ibn Abi Sahl narrated to us; Abdullah ibn Numayr narrated to us, from Ubayd Allah, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar, who said: We used to buy food from caravans by estimation, without measuring it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from reselling it until we had moved it from its place.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ كُنَّا نَشْتَرِي الطَّعَامَ مِنَ الرُّكْبَانِ جِزَافًا فَنَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنْ نَبِيعَهُ حَتَّى نَنْقُلَهُ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ .
Jizāfan means buying or selling a bulk quantity by estimation rather than measuring it individually.
Does “by estimation, without measuring it” convey jizāfan clearly?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ali ibn Maymun al-Raqqi narrated to us; Abdullah ibn Yazid narrated to us, from Ibn Lahiʿah, from Musa ibn Wardan, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from Uthman ibn Affan, who said: I used to sell dates in the market and say, “I have measured such-and-such in this wasq.” I would then deliver wasqs of dates according to their measure and take my profit. I became uneasy about this and asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: “If you specify a measure, then measure it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَأَدْفَعُ أَوْسَاقَ التَّمْرِ بِكَيْلِهِ وَآخُذُ شِفِّي فَدَخَلَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَىْءٌ فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ " إِذَا سَمَّيْتَ الْكَيْلَ فَكِلْهُ " .
Wasq is a measure of volume for dates or grain; shiff here is rendered as profit or surplus.
Does “take my profit” convey shiffi in the described measuring transaction?
قَالَ كُنْتُ أَبِيعُ التَّمْرَ فِي السُّوقِ فَأَقُولُ كِلْتُ فِي وَسْقِي هَذَا كَذَا .
The wording describes Uthman naming an amount measured in a wasq before delivering date quantities by measure; the precise arrangement is not further explained.
Does “such-and-such in this wasq” retain the account without adding a specific amount?
Chapter 39
مَا يُرْجَى فِي كَيْلِ الطَّعَامِ مِنَ الْبَرَكَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us; Ismail ibn Ayyash narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Yahsubi narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Busru al-Mazini, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Measure your food; blessing will be granted to you in it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " كِيلُوا طَعَامَكُمْ يُبَارَكْ لَكُمْ فِيهِ " .
The report recommends measuring food and states that blessing will follow; it does not specify a particular method of measurement.
Does “measure your food” preserve the imperative without narrowing the practice?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Amr ibn Uthman ibn Said ibn Kathir ibn Dinar al-Himsi narrated to us; Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid narrated to us, from Buhayr ibn Sad, from Khalid ibn Madan, from al-Miqdam ibn Madi Karib, from Abu Ayyub, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Measure your food; blessing will be granted to you in it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " كِيلُوا طَعَامَكُمْ يُبَارَكْ لَكُمْ فِيهِ " .
This report repeats the recommendation to measure food, with blessing promised in it.
Does “Measure your food” preserve the concise imperative?
Chapter 40
الأَسْوَاقِ وَدُخُولِهَا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami narrated to us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Said narrated to us; Safwan ibn Sulaym narrated to me; Muhammad and Ali, the sons of al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Barrad, narrated to me that al-Zubayr ibn al-Mundhir ibn Abi Usayd al-Saidi related to them that his father, al-Mundhir, related to him from Abu Usayd—and that Abu Usayd related to him—that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the market of the Nabīt, looked at it, and said: “This is not a market for you.” Then he went to another market, looked at it, and said: “This is not a market for you.” Then he returned to this market, walked around in it, and said: “This is your market. It must not be reduced, and no levy must be imposed upon it.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى هَذَا السُّوقِ فَطَافَ فِيهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " هَذَا سُوقُكُمْ فَلاَ يُنْتَقَصَنَّ وَلاَ يُضْرَبَنَّ عَلَيْهِ خَرَاجٌ " .
The final instruction says the market should not be diminished and no kharaj levied upon it; kharaj is rendered broadly as a levy or tax.
Does “no levy must be imposed upon it” adequately convey the market-specific kharaj?
ابْنَا الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْبَرَّادِ أَنَّ الزُّبَيْرَ بْنَ الْمُنْذِرِ بْنِ أَبِي أُسَيْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ،
The transmission names Muhammad and Ali as sons of al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Barrad, then gives al-Zubayr’s route through his father al-Mundhir to Abu Usayd.
Does the translation preserve the successive family links in this chain?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibrahim ibn al-Mustamir al-Urqi narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Ubayas ibn Maymun narrated to us; Awn al-Uqayli narrated to us, from Abu Uthman al-Nahdi, from Salman, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever sets out early for the dawn prayer sets out under the banner of faith, and whoever sets out early for the marketplace sets out under the banner of Iblis.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " مَنْ غَدَا إِلَى صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ غَدَا بِرَايَةِ الإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ غَدَا إِلَى السُّوقِ غَدَا بِرَايَةِ إِبْلِيسَ " .
The repeated banner image is a rhetorical contrast between those heading to dawn prayer and those going to the marketplace.
Does “under the banner” preserve the image and parallel structure naturally?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr ibn Muadh al-Darir narrated to us; Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Amr ibn Dinar, the client of the family of al-Zubayr, from Salim ibn Abdullah ibn Umar, from his father Abdullah, from his grandfather Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever says upon entering the marketplace, ‘There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. To Him belong sovereignty and praise. He gives life and causes death, and He is Living and never dies. All good is in His hand, and He has power over all things,’ Allah will record for him one million good deeds, erase one million bad deeds from him, and build for him a house in Paradise.”
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَدْخُلُ السُّوقَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حَسَنَةٍ وَمَحَا عَنْهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ سَيِّئَةٍ وَبَنَى لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ " .
The reward is phrased as alf alf, literally one thousand thousand, rendered idiomatically as one million for both good and bad deeds.
Does “one million” preserve the repeated quantity accurately?
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَدْخُلُ السُّوقَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حَسَنَةٍ وَمَحَا عَنْهُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ سَيِّئَةٍ وَبَنَى لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ " .
The invocation includes divine attributes and statements about sovereignty, praise, life, death, and power; all clauses are retained in order.
Does the translation preserve each clause of the market supplication?
Chapter 41
مَا يُرْجَى مِنَ الْبَرَكَةِ فِي الْبُكُورِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us; Hushaym narrated to us, from Yala ibn Ata, from Umarah ibn Hadid, from Sakhr al-Ghamidi, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Allah, bless my community in its early mornings.” He would send out a detachment or an army at the beginning of the day. Sakhr was a merchant, and he would send out his trade at the beginning of the day; he grew wealthy and his property became abundant.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا " .
Bukūr refers to early morning or setting out early; the report connects the prayer to early activity and provision.
Does “in its early mornings” convey bukūr naturally while retaining the time reference?