The Book on Business

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Qutaybah ibn Sa'id narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd informed us, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are ambiguous matters that many people do not know whether they are lawful or unlawful. Whoever avoids them to safeguard his religion and honor is safe; whoever engages in any of them is likely to fall into the unlawful, like someone who grazes near a protected pasture and is likely to enter it. Every king has a protected pasture, and Allah's protected pasture is what He has forbidden.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Waki narrated to us, from Zakariyya ibn Abi Za'idah, from al-Sha'bi, from al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, from the Prophet, with a similar report in meaning. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. More than one narrator reported it from al-Sha'bi, from al-Nu'man ibn Bashir.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah ibn Masud, from Ibn Masud, who said: The Messenger of Allah cursed the one who consumes usury, the one who pays it, its two witnesses, and the one who records it. It is also reported in this chapter from Umar, Ali, Jabir, and Abu Juhaifah. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abd Allah is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-A'la al-San'ani narrated to us: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us, from Shu'bah, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Anas, from Anas, from the Prophet concerning the major sins. He said: Associating partners with Allah, disobedience to parents, taking a life, and false speech. It is also reported in this chapter from Abu Bakrah, Ayman ibn Khuraym, and Ibn Umar. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Anas is hasan sahih gharib.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash narrated to us, from Asim, from Abu Wa'il, from Qays ibn Abi Ghazrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah came out to us while we were known as brokers and said: O company of merchants, Satan and sin are present in a sale, so mix your trade with charity. It is also reported in this chapter from al-Bara ibn Azib and Rifa'ah. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Qays ibn Abi Ghazrah is hasan sahih. Mansur, al-A'mash, Habib ibn Abi Thabit, and more than one other narrator reported it from Abu Wa'il, from Qays ibn Abi Ghazrah. We know no other report of Qays from the Prophet.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Abu Muawiyah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Shaqiq ibn Salamah (Abu Wa'il), from Qays ibn Abi Ghazrah, from the Prophet, with a similar report in meaning. Abu Isa said: This hadith is sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Qabisah narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Abu Hamzah, from al-Hasan, from Abu Sa'id, from the Prophet, who said: The truthful, trustworthy merchant will be with the Prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan. We know it only through this route, from the report of al-Thawri, from Abu Hamzah. Abu Hamzah's name was Abd Allah ibn Jabir, and he was a Basran shaykh.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak informed us, from Sufyan al-Thawri, from Abu Hamzah, with this chain and a similar report.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Salamah (Yahya ibn Khalaf) narrated to us: Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal narrated to us, from Abd Allah ibn Uthman ibn Khuthaym, from Isma'il ibn Ubayd ibn Rifa'ah, from his father, from his grandfather: He went with the Prophet to the prayer ground and saw people buying and selling. The Prophet said: O company of merchants. They responded to the Messenger of Allah, raising their heads and eyes toward him. He said: Merchants will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as wicked people, except those who are mindful of Allah, act righteously, and speak truthfully. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Isma'il is also called Isma'il ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Rifa'ah.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Mahmud ibn Ghaylan narrated to us: Abu Dawud narrated to us: Shu'bah informed us; he said: Ali ibn Mudrik informed me: I heard Abu Zur'ah ibn Amr ibn Jarir narrate from Kharashah ibn al-Hurr, from Abu Dharr, from the Prophet, who said: There are three whom Allah will not look at on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify, and for whom there is a painful punishment. I asked: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah? They are ruined and lost! He said: The one who reminds others of his generosity, the one who lets his lower garment hang below his ankles, and the one who sells his goods by swearing a false oath. It is also reported in this chapter from Ibn Masud, Abu Hurairah, Abu Umamah ibn Tha'labah, Imran ibn Husayn, and Ma'qil ibn Yasar. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Abu Dharr is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Yaqub ibn Ibrahim al-Dawraqi narrated to us: Hushaym narrated to us: Ya'la ibn Ata narrated to us, from Umarah ibn Hadid, from Sakhr al-Ghamidi, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: O Allah, bless my community in its early mornings. Whenever he sent out a detachment or army, he sent them at the beginning of the day. Sakhr was a merchant, and whenever he sent out a trading party, he sent them early in the day; he prospered and his wealth increased. It is also reported in this chapter from Ali, Ibn Masud, Buraydah, Anas, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, and Jabir. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Sakhr al-Ghamidi is hasan. We know no other hadith of Sakhr from the Prophet. Sufyan al-Thawri also reported this hadith from Shu'bah, from Ya'la ibn Ata.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Hafs Umar ibn Ali narrated to us: Yazid ibn Zuray informed us: Umarah ibn Abi Hafsah informed us: Ikrimah narrated to us, from Aishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah had two coarse garments from Qatar. Whenever he sat and perspired, they became heavy on him. Some cloth from Syria arrived for a certain Jewish man, so I said: If you sent for him, you could buy two garments from him on credit until you had the means to pay. He sent for the man, who said: He knows what he wants; he only wants to take away my wealth or my dirhams. The Messenger of Allah said: He has lied. He knows that I am among the most mindful of Allah and the most faithful in discharging a trust. It is also reported in this chapter from Ibn Abbas, Anas, and Asma bint Yazid. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Aishah is hasan gharib sahih. Shu'bah also reported it from Umarah ibn Abi Hafsah. Muhammad ibn Firas al-Basri said: I heard Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi say that Shu'bah was once asked about this hadith. He said: I will not narrate it to you until you go to Harami ibn Umarah ibn Abi Hafsah and kiss his head. Harami was among the people present. Abu Isa said: He meant that he admired this hadith.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Ibn Abi Adi and Uthman ibn Umar narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Hassan, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Prophet died while his armor was pledged for twenty sa's of food that he had taken for his family. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Ibn Abi Adi narrated to us, from Hisham al-Dastawa'i, from Qatadah, from Anas. Muhammad said: Muadh ibn Hisham narrated to us: My father narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Anas, who said: I went to the Prophet with barley bread and rancid fat. His armor had been pledged to a Jewish man for twenty sa's of food that he had taken for his family. I heard him say one day: By evening, the family of Muhammad had not a sa of dates nor a sa of grain. At that time he had nine wives. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Abbad ibn Layth, the Basran cloth merchant, informed us: Abd al-Majid ibn Wahb narrated to us: al-Adda ibn Khalid ibn Hawdhah said to me: Shall I read you a document the Messenger of Allah wrote for me? I said: Yes. He brought out a document that read: This is what al-Adda ibn Khalid ibn Hawdhah purchased from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. He purchased from him a male or female slave, free of disease, treachery, and blameworthy defect. This is a Muslim's sale to another Muslim. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan gharib. We know it only through the narration of Abbad ibn Layth, and more than one hadith scholar reported this hadith from him.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sa'id ibn Ya'qub al-Talqani narrated to us: Khalid ibn Abd Allah al-Wasiti narrated to us, from Husayn ibn Qays, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah said to those who use measures and scales: You have been entrusted with two matters over which the nations before you perished. Abu Isa said: We know this report as traced back to the Prophet only through Husayn ibn Qays, who is considered weak in hadith. It has also been reported with a sound chain from Ibn Abbas as his own statement, not as a prophetic report.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Humayd ibn Mas'adah informed us: Ubayd Allah ibn Shumayt ibn Ajlan informed us: al-Akhdar ibn Ajlan narrated to us, from Abd Allah al-Hanafi, from Anas ibn Malik: The Messenger of Allah offered a saddle blanket and a cup for sale and said: Who will buy this saddle blanket and cup? A man said: I will take them for one dirham. The Prophet said: Who will offer more than one dirham? Who will offer more than one dirham? A man offered him two dirhams, and he sold them to him. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan. We know it only through the report of al-Akhdar ibn Ajlan. Abd Allah al-Hanafi, who narrated from Anas, is Abu Bakr al-Hanafi. Some scholars acted on this and saw no harm in selling by higher bids in the distribution of spoils and inheritances. Al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman and more than one hadith scholar reported this from al-Akhdar ibn Ajlan.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn Abi Umar narrated to us: Sufyan ibn Uyaynah narrated to us, from Amr ibn Dinar, from Jabir: A man from the Ansar had made a slave's emancipation take effect upon his death. The man died, leaving no property other than that slave. The Prophet sold him, and Nu'aym ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Nahham bought him. Jabir said: He was a Coptic slave, and he died in the first year of Ibn al-Zubayr's rule. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan sahih and has been reported through more than one route from Jabir ibn Abd Allah. Some scholars among the Companions of the Prophet and others acted on this and saw no harm in selling a mudabbar slave. This is the view of al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Other scholars among the Companions and others disliked selling a mudabbar slave. This is the view of Sufyan al-Thawri, Malik, and al-Awza'i.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Hannad narrated to us: Ibn al-Mubarak informed us: Sulayman al-Taymi informed us, from Abu Uthman, from Ibn Masud, from the Prophet, who forbade intercepting trade caravans before they reach the market. It is also reported in this chapter from Ali, Ibn Abbas, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'id, Ibn Umar, and a man among the Companions of the Prophet.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Salamah ibn Shabib narrated to us: Abd Allah ibn Ja'far al-Raqqi narrated to us: Ubayd Allah ibn Amr al-Raqqi narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, from Abu Hurairah: The Prophet forbade intercepting incoming goods before they reach the market. If someone intercepts them and buys them, the owner of the goods has the choice to cancel the sale when he reaches the market. Abu Isa said: This hadith is hasan gharib through the route of Ayyub, while the hadith of Ibn Masud is hasan sahih. Some scholars disliked intercepting trade caravans because it is a form of deception. This is the view of al-Shafi'i and others among our colleagues.