44/44. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4562 — Speaking Truth in Trade
Selling Barley For Barley
Hadith About Riba and Speaking the Truth in Trade
Sunan an-Nasai : 4562
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4562
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُسْلِمُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالاَ جَمَعَ الْمَنْزِلُ بَيْنَ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ وَبَيْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَالَ عُبَادَةُ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ نَبِيعَ الذَّهَبَ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقَ بِالْوَرِقِ وَالْبُرَّ بِالْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرَ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَالتَّمْرَ بِالتَّمْرِ - قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَالْمِلْحَ بِالْمِلْحِ وَلَمْ يَقُلِ الآخَرُ - إِلاَّ سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ مِثْلاً بِمِثْلٍ - قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مَنْ زَادَ أَوِ ازْدَادَ فَقَدْ أَرْبَى وَلَمْ يَقُلِ الآخَرُ - وَأَمَرَنَا أَنْ نَبِيعَ الذَّهَبَ بِالْوَرِقِ وَالْوَرِقَ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْبُرَّ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَالشَّعِيرَ بِالْبُرِّ يَدًا بِيَدٍ كَيْفَ شِئْنَا فَبَلَغَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَامَ فَقَالَ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يُحَدِّثُونَ أَحَادِيثَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ صَحِبْنَاهُ وَلَمْ نَسْمَعْهُ مِنْهُ . فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ فَقَامَ فَأَعَادَ الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ لَنُحَدِّثَنَّ بِمَا سَمِعْنَاهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَإِنْ رُغِمَ مُعَاوِيَةُ . خَالَفَهُ قَتَادَةُ رَوَاهُ عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي الأَشْعَثِ عَنْ عُبَادَةَ .
Muslim bin Yasar and 'Abdullah bin 'Ubaid Narrated from:
Ubadah bin As-Samit and Muawiyah met at a stopping place on the road. 'Ubadah said: 'The Messenger of Allah forbade us to sell gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates"' - one of them said: "salt for salt, " but the other did not say "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 the other one did not say it. "And the 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.'News of this hadith reached Muawiyah and he stood up and said: 'What is the matter with men who narrate Hadiths from the Messenger of Allah when we accompanied him and we never heard him say it? News of that reached 'Ubadah bin As-Samit and he stood up and repeated the Hadith, then he said: 'We will narrate what we heard from the Messenger of Allah, whether Muawiyah likes it or not."'Qatadah contradicted him, he reported it from Muslim bin Yasar, from Abu Al-=Ashath, from 'Ubadah.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4562In-book reference : Book 44, Hadith 114English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 4566
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4562
This hadith about riba includes two clear points from the text. First, it gives the rule for selling gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and, in one wording, salt for salt. These same items must be equal amount for equal amount and like for like. Extra on one side is described as riba. Second, the report mentions that when Muawiyah questioned the narration, Ubadah repeated the hadith and said that he would narrate what he heard from the Messenger of Allah. The explanation should stay close to this wording: the hadith is about fair exchange and about standing by a heard prophetic report.
What we learn from this hadith
- Same-type sales must be equal and like for like.
- The narration links extra gain in same-type exchange with riba.
- Gold for silver and wheat for barley may differ when exchanged hand to hand.
- Ubadah repeated what he heard when the report was questioned.
