22/16. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1589a — Spot Payment and Riba
The Prohibition of selling silver for gold to be paid at a later date
Hadith About Spot Payment and Deferred Riba
Sahih Muslim : 1589a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1589a
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي، الْمِنْهَالِ قَالَ بَاعَ شَرِيكٌ لِي وَرِقًا بِنَسِيئَةٍ إِلَى الْمَوْسِمِ أَوْ إِلَى الْحَجِّ فَجَاءَ إِلَىَّ فَأَخْبَرَنِي فَقُلْتُ هَذَا أَمْرٌ لاَ يَصْلُحُ . قَالَ قَدْ بِعْتُهُ فِي السُّوقِ فَلَمْ يُنْكِرْ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ أَحَدٌ . فَأَتَيْتُ الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ وَنَحْنُ نَبِيعُ هَذَا الْبَيْعَ فَقَالَ " مَا كَانَ يَدًا بِيَدٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ وَمَا كَانَ نَسِيئَةً فَهُوَ رِبًا " . وَائْتِ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ تِجَارَةً مِنِّي . فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ .
Abu Al-Minhal Narrated from:
My partner sold silver to be paid in the (Hajj) season or (in the days of) Hajj. He (my partner) came to me and informed me, and I said to him: Such transaction is not desirable. He said: I sold it in the market (on loan) but nobody objected to this.I went to al-Bara' b. 'Azib and asked him, and he said: Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) came to Medina and we made such transaction, whereupon he said: In case the payment is made on the spot, there is no harm in it, and in case (it is 'sold) on loan, it is usury. You better go to Zaid b. Arqam, for he is a greater trader than I; so I went to him and asked him, and he said like it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1589aIn-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 110USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 10, Hadith 3859
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1589a
This Hadith tells of a sale of silver with payment delayed until the Hajj season. Abu Minhal questioned it and then asked al-Bara' b. 'Azib. The answer he received was clear: if the payment is made on the spot, there is no harm in it, but if it is sold on loan, it is riba. Zaid b. Arqam gave the same answer. This makes the Hadith important for searches about spot payment, deferred payment, silver exchange, and riba in trade. The text also teaches that common market practice is not enough by itself when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم gave a clear rule.
What we learn from this hadith
- Spot payment is described as having no harm in the exchange mentioned.
- A deferred sale in this case is described as riba.
- A common market practice still needed to be checked against the Prophetic teaching.
- Knowledgeable people were asked when the transaction was uncertain.
