"Ubadah bin As-Samit and Muawiyah met at a stopping place on the road. 'Ubadah said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade us to sell gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates"' - one of them said: "salt for salt, " but the other did not say "unless it was equal amount for equal amount, like for like." One of them said: "Whoever gives more or takes more has engaged in Riba," but the other one did not say it. "And the commanded us to sell gold for silver and silver for gold, and wheat for barley and barley for wheat, hand to hand, however we wanted.' News of this hadith reached Muawiyah and he stood up and said: 'What is the matter with men who narrate Hadiths from the Messenger of Allah when we accompanied him and we never heard him say it? News of that reached 'Ubadah bin As-Samit and he stood up and repeated the Hadith, then he said: 'We will narrate what we heard from the Messenger of Allah, whether Muawiyah likes it or not."' Qatadah contradicted him, he reported it from Muslim bin Yasar, from Abu Al-=Ashath, from 'Ubadah.
The Prohibition of Riba in Exchange
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 4562 establishes the foundational Islamic prohibition against riba (usury/interest) in specific commodities known as "ribawi items." The Prophet ﷺ explicitly forbade the unequal exchange of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, and dates for dates - with salt being mentioned by one narrator.
The prohibition applies when exchanging the same commodity for itself (gold for gold) or commodities of the same category. The essential condition is that such exchanges must be equal in measure and hand-to-hand (spot transaction). Any excess in quantity or delay in payment constitutes riba.
Scholarly Analysis of the Discrepancy
The variation between narrators regarding the mention of salt and the explicit statement about "giving more or taking more" demonstrates the meticulous preservation of hadith. Classical scholars reconcile this by noting that salt shares the characteristic of being a staple food item measured by weight, thus falling under the same ruling.
Imam An-Nawawi explains that the six ribawi commodities are categorized by their underlying causes: gold and silver as monetary standards, while the four food items serve as basic nourishment measured by volume or weight.
The Permissible Exchange of Different Commodities
The hadith clarifies that while same-commodity exchanges require equality, different commodities (gold for silver, wheat for barley) may be traded in unequal amounts provided the exchange is hand-to-hand. This recognizes the natural difference in value between distinct commodities while preventing deferred payment that could lead to exploitation.
Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi emphasizes that the wisdom behind this ruling is to prevent the subtle introduction of interest through what appears to be legitimate trade, thus protecting the economic justice Islam seeks to establish.
The Integrity of Hadith Transmission
The confrontation between Ubadah and Muawiyah demonstrates the rigorous standards of hadith verification. Ubadah's firm stance in repeating the narration despite Muawiyah's denial shows the companions' commitment to preserving the Prophet's teachings accurately, establishing the principle that religious knowledge must be transmitted without compromise to political authority.
This incident, recorded in The Book of Financial Transactions of Sunan an-Nasa'i, serves as an important lesson in the methodology of Islamic scholarship and the preservation of sacred knowledge through multiple reliable chains of transmission.