14/41. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1268 — Market Deceit
What Has Been Related About Selling Al-Muhaffalat (Animals That Have Not Been Milked)
Market Deceit Hadith: Honest Buying and Selling
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1268
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1268
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَسْتَقْبِلُوا السُّوقَ وَلاَ تُحَفِّلُوا وَلاَ يُنَفِّقْ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . وَحَدِيثُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ كَرِهُوا بَيْعَ الْمُحَفَّلَةِ وَهِيَ الْمُصَرَّاةُ لاَ يَحْلُبُهَا صَاحِبُهَا أَيَّامًا أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ لِيَجْتَمِعَ اللَّبَنُ فِي ضَرْعِهَا فَيَغْتَرَّ بِهَا الْمُشْتَرِي . وَهَذَا ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الْخَدِيعَةِ وَالْغَرَرِ .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) Said: "Do Not Go Out To Meet The Market (Caravan), Do Not Leave Animals Un-Milked (To Deceive The Buyer), Nor Out-Spend One Another." [Abu 'Eisa Said:] There Are Narrations On This Topic From Ibn Mas'Ud And Abu Hurairah. The Hadith If Ibn 'Abbas Is A Hasan Sahih Hadith. This Is Acted Upon According To The People Of Knowledge, They Dislike Selling The Muhaffalah, And It Is The Musarrah That Has Not Been Milked By Its Owner In Days Or More Than That, So The Milk Accumulates In Its Udder To Impress The Purchaser. This Is A Type Of Deceit And Misrepresentation.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1268In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 70English translation : Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 1268
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1268
This market hadith warns against several unfair sales habits. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said not to go out to meet the market caravan, not to leave animals un-milked to deceive a buyer, and not to out-spend one another. The explanation in the text says that the muhaffalah, also called musarrah, is an animal left un-milked for days so the milk gathers in its udder and the buyer is impressed. It calls this a type of deceit and misrepresentation. The message is easy to apply: sellers should not create a false picture of the product, and buyers should not be pushed into a deal by tricks. Islamic business ethics are built on honest display and fair dealing.
What we learn from this hadith
- Do not make a product look better by hiding the truth.
- Market tricks can turn a sale into deceit.
- Buyers deserve a fair view of what they are buying.
- The report names misrepresentation as a problem in trade.
