21/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1515d — Avoiding Deceptive Trade
The prohibition of urging a buyer to cancel a purchase in order to sell him one's own goods; And urging a seller to cancel a sale already agreed upon so that one can buy the goods oneself; And the prohibition of artificially inflating prices; And the prohibition of letting milk accumulate in the udder in order to deceive the purchaser
Hadith About Deceptive Trade and Social Harm
Sahih Muslim : 1515d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1515d
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَدِيٍّ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ ثَابِتٍ - عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ التَّلَقِّي لِلرُّكْبَانِ وَأَنْ يَبِيعَ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ وَأَنْ تَسْأَلَ الْمَرْأَةُ طَلاَقَ أُخْتِهَا وَعَنِ النَّجْشِ وَالتَّصْرِيَةِ وَأَنْ يَسْتَامَ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى سَوْمِ أَخِيهِ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the (people) meeting the caravan (for entering into business transaction with them), and the selling of goods by a townsman on behalf of a man of the desert, and seeking by a woman the divorce of her sister (from her husband), and outbidding (against one another), and tying up the udders (of animals), and buying of (things) in opposition to one's brother.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1515dIn-book reference : Book 21, Hadith 16USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 10, Hadith 3621
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1515d
This hadith gathers several warnings in one report. Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade meeting caravans for business before they reach the market, a townsman selling for a man of the desert, a woman asking for the divorce of her sister, outbidding, tying up the udders of animals, and buying in opposition to one’s brother. Most of the wording focuses on business conduct. The shared theme is avoiding harm, unfair pressure, and false advantage. The mention of a woman seeking her sister’s divorce also shows concern for social harm, not only market harm. For people searching for Islamic business ethics, outbidding hadith, and caravan trade hadith, this narration gives a compact list of actions to avoid.
What we learn from this hadith
- Do not meet caravans for trade before they reach the market.
- Do not outbid or buy in opposition to one’s brother.
- Do not use tricks such as tying udders to mislead a buyer.
- The hadith also warns against seeking harm in another woman’s marriage.
