Both parties in a business transaction have the right to annul it so long as they have not separated; and if they speak the truth and make everything clear they will be blessed in their transaction; but if they tell a lie and conceal anything the blessing on their transaction will be blotted out.
Hadith Text & Reference
"Both parties in a business transaction have the right to annul it so long as they have not separated; and if they speak the truth and make everything clear they will be blessed in their transaction; but if they tell a lie and conceal anything the blessing on their transaction will be blotted out."
Source: The Book of Transactions, Sahih Muslim 1532 a
Commentary on the Right of Rescission (Khiyar al-Majlis)
The phrase "so long as they have not separated" establishes the legal principle of Khiyar al-Majlis (option of session). This grants both buyer and seller the inherent right to rescind the contract while they remain together at the place of transaction, before physical separation. This provision protects parties from hasty decisions and allows for reconsideration.
Scholars interpret "separation" as physical departure from the place of dealing. The Hanafi school holds this option persists until the parties separate. The Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools maintain it lasts until the conclusion of the contract meeting itself.
The Imperative of Truthfulness & Full Disclosure
The condition "if they speak the truth and make everything clear" imposes a religious and ethical obligation beyond mere legal compliance. It forbids gharar (excessive uncertainty) and ghish (fraud/deception). A merchant must disclose all material defects and relevant information, even if not explicitly asked.
Concealment (kitman) here refers to hiding defects in the merchandise, misleading descriptions, or omitting crucial terms. Such acts violate the trust essential to Islamic commercial law and nullify the divine blessing (barakah) in the wealth earned.
The Spiritual Consequence: Barakah and Its Loss
The core teaching is that lawful business is not merely a worldly exchange but an act of worship rewarded with barakah—a divine blessing that increases benefit, contentment, and spiritual value in the wealth and its use.
Conversely, deceit "blots out" this blessing. The transaction may appear profitable in worldly terms, but it becomes spiritually bankrupt, potentially leading to loss, dissatisfaction, and accountability in the Hereafter. Thus, honesty is the foundation of both temporal success and eternal reward.