22/15. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1587a — Six Ribawi Items and Honest Reporting
Exchange and Selling Gold for Silver on the spot
Hadith About Six Ribawi Items: Gold, Silver, Wheat, Barley, Dates, and Salt
Sahih Muslim : 1587a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1587a
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، قَالَ كُنْتُ بِالشَّامِ فِي حَلْقَةٍ فِيهَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ فَجَاءَ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ قَالَ قَالُوا أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ . فَجَلَسَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ حَدِّثْ أَخَانَا حَدِيثَ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ . قَالَ نَعَمْ غَزَوْنَا غَزَاةً وَعَلَى النَّاسِ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَغَنِمْنَا غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً فَكَانَ فِيمَا غَنِمْنَا آنِيَةٌ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ فَأَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ رَجُلاً أَنْ يَبِيعَهَا فِي أَعْطِيَاتِ النَّاسِ فَتَسَارَعَ النَّاسُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَبَلَغَ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ فَقَامَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنْهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَالتَّمْرِ بِالتَّمْرِ وَالْمِلْحِ بِالْمِلْحِ إِلاَّ سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ فَمَنْ زَادَ أَوِ ازْدَادَ فَقَدْ أَرْبَى . فَرَدَّ النَّاسُ مَا أَخَذُوا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ أَلاَ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحَادِيثَ قَدْ كُنَّا نَشْهَدُهُ وَنَصْحَبُهُ فَلَمْ نَسْمَعْهَا مِنْهُ . فَقَامَ عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ فَأَعَادَ الْقِصَّةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَنُحَدِّثَنَّ بِمَا سَمِعْنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَإِنْ كَرِهَ مُعَاوِيَةُ - أَوْ قَالَ وَإِنْ رَغِمَ - مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَصْحَبَهُ فِي جُنْدِهِ لَيْلَةً سَوْدَاءَ . قَالَ حَمَّادٌ هَذَا أَوْ نَحْوَهُ.
Abi Qilabah Narrated from:
I was in Syria (having) a circle (of friends). in which was Muslim b. Yasir. There came Abu'l-Ash'ath. He (the narrator) said that they (the friends) called him: Abu'l-Ash'ath, Abu'l-Ash'ath, and he sat down. I said to him: Narrate to our brother the hadith of Ubada b. Samit.He said: Yes. We went out on an expedition, Mu'awiya being the leader of the people, and we gained a lot of spoils of war. And there was one silver utensil in what we took as spoils. Mu'awiya ordered a person to sell it for payment to the people (soldiers). The people made haste in getting that.The news of (this state of affairs) reached 'Ubada b. Samit, and he stood up and said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbidding the sale of gold by gold, and silver by silver, and wheat by wheat, and barley by barley, and dates by dates, and salt by salt, except like for like and equal for equal. So he who made an addition or who accepted an addition (committed the sin of taking) interest. So the people returned what they had got.This reached Mu'awiya. and he stood up to deliver an address. He said: What is the matter with people that they narrate from the Messenger (ﷺ) such tradition which we did not hear though we saw him (the Holy Prophet) and lived in his company? Thereupon, Ubida b. Samit stood up and repeated that narration, and then said: We will definitely narrate what we heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) though it may be unpleasant to Mu'awiya (or he said: Even if it is against his will). I do not mind if I do not remain in his troop in the dark night.Hammad said this or something like this.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1587aIn-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 100USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 10, Hadith 3852
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1587a
This Hadith about six ribawi items includes both a trade ruling and a lesson in speaking the truth. Ubada b. Samit heard that people were dealing with a silver utensil from spoils. He stood and reported that Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade selling gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt except like for like and equal for equal. He added that whoever made an addition or accepted an addition had dealt in riba. The people then returned what they had taken. When Mu'awiya questioned why people narrated reports he had not heard, Ubada repeated the narration and said he would narrate what he heard from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
What we learn from this hadith
- The Hadith names six items in the exchange ruling.
- Same-type exchange must be like for like and equal for equal in this report.
- Making or accepting an addition is described as riba here.
- Ubada showed firmness in reporting what he heard from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
