44/43. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4561 — Equal Amounts in Trade
Selling Wheat For Wheat.
Hadith About Riba: Equal Amount for Equal Amount
Sunan an-Nasai : 4561
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4561
أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ - عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُسْلِمُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، - وَقَدْ كَانَ يُدْعَى ابْنَ هُرْمُزَ - قَالَ جَمَعَ الْمَنْزِلُ بَيْنَ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ وَبَيْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَهُمْ عُبَادَةُ، قَالَ نَهَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ وَالتَّمْرِ بِالتَّمْرِ وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ - قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَالْمِلْحِ بِالْمِلْحِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْهُ الآخَرُ - إِلاَّ سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ مِثْلاً بِمِثْلٍ - قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مَنْ زَادَ أَوِ ازْدَادَ فَقَدْ أَرْبَى وَلَمْ يَقُلْهُ الآخَرُ - وَأَمَرَنَا أَنْ نَبِيعَ الذَّهَبَ بِالْفِضَّةِ وَالْفِضَّةَ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْبُرَّ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَالشَّعِيرَ بِالْبُرِّ يَدًا بِيَدٍ كَيْفَ شِئْنَا .
Muslim bin Yasar and 'Abdullah bin 'Ubaid Narrated from:
'Ubadah bin As-Samit and Muawiyah met at a stopping place on the road. 'Ubadah told them: "The Messenger of Allah forbade selling gold for gold, silver for silver, dates for dates, wheat for wheat, barley for barley"- one of them said: "salt for salt," but the other did not say it-"unless it was equal amount for equal amount, like for like." One of them said: "Whoever gives more or takes more has engaged in Riba," but he other one did not say it. "And he commanded us to sell gold for silver and silver for gold, and wheat for barley and barley for wheat, hand to hand, however we wanted."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4561In-book reference : Book 44, Hadith 113English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 4565
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4561
This hadith about riba repeats the rule of equal exchange in a simple way. Gold for gold, silver for silver, dates for dates, wheat for wheat, and barley for barley must be equal amount for equal amount and like for like. One narrator also mentioned salt. The narration adds that whoever gives more or takes more has engaged in riba. It then mentions that gold may be sold for silver and silver for gold, and wheat may be sold for barley and barley for wheat, as long as the exchange is hand to hand. For people searching for gold for gold hadith or silver for silver hadith, this text gives a direct rule about same-item trade and mixed-item trade.
What we learn from this hadith
- Same items in exchange should be equal in amount.
- Extra on one side in the same-item exchange is described as riba.
- Different listed items may be exchanged in different amounts when done hand to hand.
- The hadith gives a clear guide for careful buying and selling.
