02/02/2023
Today is 11th Rajab 1444AH (2 February 2023)
Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent the brother of the tribe of Bani Adi Al-Ansari as governor of Khaibar. Then the man returned, bringing Janib (a good kind of date). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked him, " *Are all the dates of Khaibar like that?*" He replied, " *_No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We take one Sa' of these (good) dates for two Sas of mixed dates._*" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, " *Do not do so. You should either take one Sa of this (kind) for one Sa' of the other; or sell one kind and then buy with its price the other kind (of dates), and you should do the same in weighing.*"
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ بْنِ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ، وَأَبَا، هُرَيْرَةَ حَدَّثَاهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَ أَخَا بَنِي عَدِيٍّ الأَنْصَارِيَّ وَاسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى خَيْبَرَ، فَقَدِمَ بِتَمْرٍ جَنِيبٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَكُلُّ تَمْرِ خَيْبَرَ هَكَذَا ". قَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَشْتَرِي الصَّاعَ بِالصَّاعَيْنِ مِنَ الْجَمْعِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تَفْعَلُوا، وَلَكِنْ مِثْلاً بِمِثْلٍ، أَوْ بِيعُوا هَذَا وَاشْتَرُوا بِثَمَنِهِ مِنْ هَذَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْمِيزَانُ
Sahih al-Bukhari 7350, 7351
NOTES 📝
1. In a similar hadith, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reported: Once Bilal brought some Barni dates to the Prophet ﷺ who asked him, "Where did you get these dates?" Bilāl replied: "I had some inferior type of dates, and I exchanged two Sā‘s of it for one Sā‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat." Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Beware! Beware! This is definitely Riba (usury)! This is definitely Riba! Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money." - Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
2. This hadith is one of those that show the influence of the sunnah on sales activity of Muslims. That is why we know that the sunnah is a way of life prescribed as part of the Shari'ah. In the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ proscribed Riba Fadl, a type of riba entailing exchanging the same type of commodities in different quantities and favoring one of them , as a way of transacting business for Muslims. Riba (Usury) is one of the greatest sins, and the Shari’a forbade every sale in which there is a suspicion of usury, and permitted lawful sales that do not contain usury, as the pre-Islamic era was full of usurious sales, so Islam disciplined and refined those sales. So the ruling in the case of exchange of commodities or when one wants to exchange something of bad quality, it should be sold first and its money is used to buy something of better quality. This is the permissible way to do this kind of transaction in order to stay away from impermissible ways
3. There are a number of benefits from this hadith. Firstly, the prohibition of Riba (usury) is known from this hadith and especially Riba al-Fadl. We also observed the Imam's or leader's interest in the matter of the religion and its teaching to those who do not know it, and its guidance to reach permissible way. Lastly, we learn from the hadith that any transaction that has riba in it is not valid in the Shari'ah. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen also stated that this hadith breaks the backs of those who say that usury is permissible if there's no visible injustice in it. - Fataawa of the Great Mosque of Makkah
O Allah, we ask you for steadfastness in this matter, and we ask You for the resolve to adhere to the path of guidance, and we ask You for gratitude for Your blessings and to worship You well, and we ask You for a truthful tongue and a sound heart, and we seek refuge with You from the evil of what You know, and we ask You for the good of what You know, and we ask You for forgiveness for what You know; You are the knower of the Unseen ... Ãmeen * Allah, we ask you for steadfastness in this matter, and we ask You for the resolve to adhere to the path of guidance, and we ask You for gratitude for Your blessings and to worship You well, and we ask You for a truthful tongue and a sound heart, and we seek refuge with You from the evil of what You know, and we ask You for the good of what You know, and we ask You for forgiveness for what You know; You are the knower of the Unseen ... Ãmeen
