Sunan an-Nasai 4473 — Using the Right of Choice

Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4473

This hadith first states that the two parties to a transaction have a choice while they have not separated, unless the sale has been concluded by choice. It then reports a practice of Abdullah ibn Umar: when he bought something he liked, he would leave the seller straightaway. The narration therefore includes both the Prophet’s statement and a recorded action from Ibn Umar. A careful explanation should not add motives beyond the text. What the text shows is that separation mattered in relation to the sale’s status, and Ibn Umar acted by leaving after a purchase he liked. For people searching for the right of choice in a sale, the hadith makes the timing easy to see. The open choice continues before separation unless the parties have chosen to conclude.