Business Transactions

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man of those who were before your time bought some real estate from another, and the buyer found in what he had bought a jar containing gold. The buyer told the other to take his gold from him as he had bought from him only the property and had not bought the gold from him, but the man who had sold the land said he had sold him the land and its contents. They brought the matter before another for decision and he asked whether they had any children. When one said he had a boy and the other said he had a girl, he told them to marry the boy to the girl and spend* some of the gold on them and give sadaqa.” *While the dual has been used with reference to the two men, the plural is used for “marry" and “spend’’.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn 'Abbas said that when God’s Messenger came to Medina they were paying one, two and three years in advance for fruits, so he said, “Those who pay in advance for anything must do so for a specified measure and weight with a specified time fixed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

'A’isha said that God’s Messenger bought some grain from a Jew to be paid at a specified time, and gave him a coat of mail of his as a pledge. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She said that when God’s Messenger died his coat of mail was in pledge with a Jew for thirty sa's of barley. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “An animal may be ridden for payment when it is in pledge and the milk of milch-camels may be drunk of payment when in pledge, payment being made by the one who rides and the one who drinks.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A pledge does not become lost to its owner when he does not redeem it in time. Any increase in its value goes to him and any loss must be borne by him.” Shafi'i transmitted it in mursal form, and something similar or something with a similar meaning with no discrepancy is transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira with a fully connected isnad.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “The measure of capacity is that used by the people of Medina and the measure of weight is that used by the people of Mecca.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying to those who measured commodities by capacity and those who measured by weight, “You have been put in charge of two matters because of which peoples of the past before your time perished.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone pays in advance for an article he may not transfer, it to someone else before he receives it.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ma'mar reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone keeps goods till the price rises he is a sinner.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “He who brings goods for sale is blessed with good fortune, but he who keeps them till the price rises is accursed.” Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Anas said that when prices were high in the Prophet’s time the people asked him to fix prices for them, but he replied, “God is the One who fixes prices, who withholds, gives lavishly and provides, and I hope that when I meet my Lord none of you will have any claim on me for an injustice regarding blood or property.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Umar b. al-Khattab told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “If anyone keeps grain from the Muslims waiting for the price to rise, God will smite him with tubercular leprosy* and insolvency.” Ibn Majah, Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, and Razin in his book transmitted it.* Judham.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone with-holds grain for forty days thereby desiring a high price, he has renounced God and God has renounced him.” Razin transmitted it.

Mu‘adh told of hearing God’s Messenger say, “The man who withholds goods is evil. If God lowers prices he is grieved, and if He raises them he is happy.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-lman and Razin in his book.

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone hoards grain for forty days and then gives it in sadaqa, that will not act as an atonement for him.” Razin transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone becomes insolvent and a creditor finds his very property with him, he is more entitled to it than anyone else.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id said that in the time of the Prophet a man suffered loss affecting fruits he had bought and owed a large debt, so God’s messenger told the people to give him sadaqa and they did so, but as that was not enough to pay the debt in full God’s Messenger said to his creditors, “Take what you can find, but that is all you may have.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet told of a man who used to make loans and say to his servant, “When you come to one who is in straitened circumstances forgive him, for perhaps God may forgive us.” He said that when he met God He forgave him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Qatada reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone would like God to save him from the anxieties of the day of resurrection, he should grant a respite to one who is in straitened circumstances, or remit his debt.” Muslim transmitted it.