Chapter: Selling Food Like for Like - خوردنی اجناس کی مثال بمثل فروخت - The book of musaqah - Sahih Muslim with Urdu and English Translation

Ma'mar b. Abdullah reported that he sent his slave with a sa' of wheat and said to him: Sell it, and then buy with it barley. The slave went away and he got a sa' (of barley) and a part of sa' over and above that. When he came to Ma'mar he informed him about that, whereupon Ma'mar said to him: Why did you do that? Go back and return that, and do not accept but weight, for weight, for I used to hear from Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) as saying: Wheat for wheat and like for like. He (one of the narrators) said: Our food in those days consisted of barley. It was said to him (Ma'mar) that (wheat) is not like that (barley). He replied: I am afraid these may not be similar

Abu Huraira and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) deputed a person from Banu 'Adi al-Ansari to collect revenue from Khaibar. He came with a fine quality of dates, whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said to him: Are all the dates of Khaibar like this? He said: Allah's Messenger, it is not so. We buy one sa' of (fine quality of dates) for two sa's out of total output (including even the inferior quality of dates), whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: Don't do that, but like for like, or sell this (the inferior quality and receive the price) and then buy with the price of that, and that would make up the measure.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) deputed a person to collect revenue from Khaibar. He brought fine quality of dates, whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: Are all the dates of Khaibar like this)? He said: No. We got one sa' (of fine dates) for two sa's (of inferior dates), and (similarly) two sa's for three sa's. Thereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: Don't do that rather sell the inferior quality of dates for dirhams (money), and then buy the superior quality with the help of dirhams.

Abd Sa'id reported: Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) came with fine quality of dates. Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said to him: From where (you have brought them)? Bilal said: We had inferior quality of dates and I exchanged two sa's (of inferior quality) with one sa (of fine quality) as food for Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: Woe! it is in fact usury; therefore, don't do that. But when you intend to buy dates (of superior quality), sell (the inferior quality) in a separate bargain and then buy (the superior quality). And in the hadith transmitted by Ibn Sahl there is no mention of whereupon .

Abu Sa'id (Allah be pleased with him) reported: Dates were brought to Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), and he said: These dates are not like our dates, whereupon a man said: We sold two sa's of our dates (in order to get) one sa', of these (fine dates), whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: That is interest; so return (these dates of fine quality), and get your (inferior dates) ; then sell our dates (for money) and buy for us (with the help of money) such (fine dates).

Abu Sa'id (Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were given to eat, during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), dates of different qualities mixed together, and we used to sell two sa's of these for one sa, (of fine quality of dates). This reached Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), whereupon he said: There should be no exchange of two sa's of (inferior) dates for one sa (of fine dates) and two sa's of (inferior) wheat for one sa' of (fine) wheat. and one dirham for two dirharms.

Abu Nadra reported: I asked Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) about the conversion (of gold and silver for silver and gold). We said: Is it hand to hand exchange? I said: Yes. whereupon he said: There is no harm in it. I informed Abu Sa'id about it, telling him that I had asked Ibn 'Abbas about it and he said: Is it hand to hand exchange? I said: Yes, whereupon he said: There is no harm in it. He (the narrator) said, or he said like it: We will soon write to him, and he will not give you this fatwa (religious verdict). He said: By Allah, someone of the boy-servants of Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) brought dates, but he refused to accept them (on the plea) that those did not seem to be of the dates of our land. He said: Something had happened to the dates of our land, or our dates. So I got these dates (in exchange by giving) excess (of the dates of our land), whereupon he said: You made an addition for getting the fine dates (in exchange) which tantamounts, to interest; don't do that (in future). Whenever you find some doubt (as regards the deteriorating quality of) your dates, sell them, and then buy the dates that you like.

Abu Nadra reported: I asked Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) about the conversion of gold with gold but they did not find any harm in that. I was sitting in the company of Abd Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about this exchange, and he said: Whatever is addition is an' interest. I refused to accept it on account of their statement (statement of Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar). He said: I am not narrating to you except what I heard from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ). There came to him the owner of a date-palm with one sa' of fine dates, and the dates of Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) were of that colour. Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said to him: Where did you get these dates? I went with two sa's of (inferior dates) and bought one sa' of (these fine dates), for that is the prevailing price (of inferior dates) in the market and that is the price (of the fine quality of dates in the market), whereupon Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: Woe be upon you! You have dealt in interest, when you decide to do it (i. e. exchange superior quality of dates for inferior quality) ; so you should sell your dates for another commodity (or currency) and then with the help of that commodity buy the dates you like. Abu Sa'ad said: When dates are exchanged for dates (with different qualities) there is the possibility (of the element of) interest (creeping into that) or when gold is exchanged for gold having different qualities. I subsequently came to Ibn 'Umar and he forbade me (to do it), but I did not come to Ibn 'Abbas; (Allah be pleased with them). He (the narrator) said: Abu as-Sahba' narrated to me: He asked Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) in Mecca, and he too disapproved of it.

Abu Salih reported: I heard Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) said: Dinar (gold) for gold and dirham for dirham can be (exchanged) with equal for equal; but he who gives more or demands more in fact deals in interest. I sald to him: Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) says otherwise, whereupon he said: I met Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) and said: Do you see what you say; have you heard it from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), or found it in the Book of Allah, the Glorious and Majestic? He said: I did not hear it from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ). and I did not find it in the Book of Allah (Glorious and Majestic), but Usama b. Zaid narrated it to me that Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) said: There can be an element of interest in credit.

Ubaidullah b. Abu Yazid heard Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) as saying: Usama b. Zaid reported Allah's Apostle ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) as saying: There can be an element of interest in credit (when the payment is not equal).

Ibn 'Abbas; (Allah be pleased with them) reported on the authority of Usama b. Zaid Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) as having said this: There is no element of interest when the money or commodity is exchanged hand to hand.

Ata' b. Abu Rabah reported: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with them) met Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) and said to him: What do you say in regard to the conversion (of commodities or money) did you hear it from Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ), or is it something which you found In Allah's Book, Majestic and Glorious? Thereupon Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleated with them) said: I don't say that. So far at Allah's Massenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) is concerned, you know him better, and to far as the Book of Allah to concerned, I do not know it (more than you do), but 'Usama b. Zaid (Allah be pleased with him) narrated to me Allah's Messenger ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) as having said this: Beware, there can be an element of interest in credit.