The Book of Commerce
Excellence of Buying Wheat and Food
1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ شِرَاءُ الْحِنْطَةِ يَنْفِي الْفَقْرَ وَ شِرَاءُ الدَّقِيقِ يُنْشِئُ الْفَقْرَ وَشِرَاءُ الْخُبْزِ مَحْقٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَبْقَاكَ اللهُ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى شِرَاءِ الْحِنْطَةِ قَالَ ذَاكَ لِمَنْ يَقْدِرُ وَلا يَفْعَلُ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from Nasr ibn Ishaq al-Kufiy from ‘Abbad ibn Habib who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ’Buying wheat removes poverty but buying flour brings poverty and buying bread is destruction.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘I pray to Allah to grant you long life, what about one who is not able to buy wheat?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’That is for one who is capable but does not do so.’”
2- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ الزَّبَّالِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَكَ دِرْهَمٌ فَاشْتَرِ بِهِ الْحِنْطَةَ فَإِنَّ الْمَحْقَ فِي الدَّقِيقِ.
2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab from Ali ibn al-Mundhir al-Zabbal from Muhammad ibn Fudayl who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you have one dirham buy wheat with it; buying flour is destruction.’”
3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّبَّاحِ الْكِنَانِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا أَبَا الصَّبَّاحِ شِرَاءُ الدَّقِيقِ ذُلٌّ وَشِرَاءُ الْحِنْطَةِ عِزٌّ وَشِرَاءُ الْخُبْزِ فَقْرٌ فَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ.
3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from ‘Abd Allah ibn Jabalah from abu al-Sabbah al-Kinaniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘O abu al-Sabbah, buying flour is humiliation, buying wheat is honor and buying bread is poverty; we seek protection with Allah against poverty.’”
The Book of Commerce
Detestability of Estimating and Preferability of Using Measurements
1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ شَكَا قَوْمٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) سُرْعَةَ نَفَادِ طَعَامِهِمْ فَقَالَ تَكِيلُونَ أَوْ تَهِيلُونَ قَالُوا نَهِيلُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ يَعْنِي الْجِزَافَ قَالَ كِيلُوا وَلا تَهِيلُوا فَإِنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ لِلْبَرَكَةِ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Yunus ibn Ya’qub, who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A people complained before the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, against quick depletion of their food supplies. He (the Holy Prophet), asked, ’Do you measure or just dump?’ They replied, ’We just dump, O Messenger of Allah, that is, we do not measure.’ He (the Holy Prophet) said, ‘You must measure, you must not dump, measuring has greater blessings.’”
2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) كِيلُوا طَعَامَكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْبَرَكَةَ فِي الطَّعَامِ الْمَكِيلِ.
2. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bandar has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father Harun ibn al-Jahm from Hafs ibn ‘Umar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Measure your food; blessings come with measured food.’”
3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ شَمُّونٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ مِسْمَعٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا أَبَا سَيَّارٍ إِذَا أَرَادَتِ الْخَادِمَةُ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ الطَّعَامَ فَمُرْهَا فَلْتَكِلْهُ فَإِنَّ الْبَرَكَةَ فِيمَا كِيلَ.
3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan Shammun from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al- Rahman from Misma’ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once said to me, ‘O abu Sayyar, when the female servant prepares food, ask her to measure; blessings come with measurement.’”
The Book of Commerce
Continuing Profitable Businesses
1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُذَافِرٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ شَكَا رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) الْحُرْفَةَ فَقَالَ انْظُرْ بُيُوعاً فَاشْتَرِهَا ثُمَّ بِعْهَا فَمَا رَبِحْتَ فِيهِ فَالْزَمْهُ.
1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah, from ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman from Muhammad ibn’ Adhafir from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A man once complained before the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, against his deprivation. He (the Holy Prophet) said, ‘Consider selling. You must buy then sell. In whatever merchandise you find profit, hold to it.’”
2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّوْفَلِيِّ عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا نَظَرَ الرَّجُلُ فِي تِجَارَةٍ فَلَمْ يَرَ فِيهَا شَيْئاً فَلْيَتَحَوَّلْ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one starts a certain business, if he does not find any profit in it, he then must change it for another kind of business.’”
3- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ شَجَرَةَ عَنْ بَشِيرٍ النَّبَّالِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا رُزِقْتَ فِي شَيْءٍ فَالْزَمْهُ.
3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Ali ibn Shajarah from Bashir al-Nabbal who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When you (in a business) find sustenance in a certain item then you must continue with it.”
The Book of Commerce
Permissibility or Otherwise of Approaching Merchandise Long Before Other Merchants
1- أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شِمْرٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لا يَتَلَقَّى أَحَدُكُمْ تِجَارَةً خَارِجاً مِنَ الْمِصْرِ وَلا يَبِيعُ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ يَرْزُقُ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.
1. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Jabbar from Ahmad ibn al-Nadr from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from ’Urwah ibn ‘ Abd Allah who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must not travel to meet the caravan of suppliers out of the city before other buyers. One must not buy for the ones who are not present. Allah grants sustenance to the Muslims through one another.”’
