Book of Livelihood
Chapter on Sales
وَ فِي رِوَايَةِ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي اَلرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي اَلثَّوْبَ مِنَ اَلرَّجُلِ أَوِ اَلْمَتَاعَ فَيَجِدُ بِهِ عَيْباً قَالَ "إِنْ كَانَ اَلثَّوْبُ قَائِماً بِعَيْنِهِ رَدَّهُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَ أَخَذَ اَلثَّمَنَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ خَاطَ اَلثَّوْبَ أَوْ صَبَغَهُ أَوْ قَطَعَهُ رَجَعَ بِنُقْصَانِ اَلْعَيْبِ".
In the narration of Jamil ibn Darraj, from some of our companions, from one of the Imams (peace be upon them): Regarding a man who buys a garment or merchandise from another man and then discovers a defect in it. Imam (a.s) said: "If the garment is still intact as it was, he can return it to its owner and take back the price. But if he has sewn the garment, dyed it, or cut it, then he shall return the value of the defect."
وَ رَوَى أَبَانٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِشْتَرَى بَيْعاً لَيْسَ فِيهِ كَيْلٌ وَ لاَ وَزْنٌ أَ لَهُ أَنْ يَبِيعَهُ مُرَابَحَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْبِضَهُ وَ يَأْخُذَ رِبْحَهُ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ كَيْلٌ وَ لاَ وَزْنٌ فَإِنْ هُوَ قَبَضَهُ فَهُوَ أَبْرَأُ لِنَفْسِهِ".
Aban narrated from Mansur who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a man who buys goods that do not require measurement by volume or weight. Is it permissible for him to sell them at a profit before taking possession of them and to collect his profit? The Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in that as long as the goods do not require measurement by volume or weight. However, if he takes possession of them, it is better and safer for him."
وَ رَوَى اِبْنُ مُسْكَانَ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ اِشْتَرَوْا بَزّاً فَاشْتَرَكُوا فِيهِ جَمِيعاً وَ لَمْ يَقْتَسِمُوهُ أَ يَصْلُحُ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ بَيْعَ بَزِّهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْبِضَهُ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ" وَ قَالَ "إِنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَلطَّعَامِ لِأَنَّ اَلطَّعَامَ يُكَالُ".
Ibn Muskan narrated from Al-Halabi who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a group of people who bought cloth and jointly owned it without dividing it among themselves. Is it permissible for any one of them to sell his share of the cloth before taking possession of it? The Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in that." Then Imam (a.s) added: "This is not like food because food is measured by volume."
وَ رَوَى حَمَّادٌ عَنِ اَلْحَلَبِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِشْتَرَى ثَوْباً ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَأَبَى أَنْ يُقِيلَهُ إِلاَّ بِوَضِيعَةٍ قَالَ "لاَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ بِوَضِيعَةٍ فَإِنْ جَهِلَ فَأَخَذَهُ فَبَاعَهُ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَمَنِهِ رَدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ اَلْأَوَّلِ مَا زَادَ".
Hammad narrated from Al-Halabi who said: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a man who bought a garment and then returned it to its seller, but the seller refused to cancel the sale except with a reduction in price. The Imam (a.s) said: "It is not permissible for him to take it back at a reduced price. If he was unaware and took it back, then sold it for more than its original price, he must return the extra amount to the first seller."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ بَيْعِ اَلْغَزْلِ بِالثِّيَابِ اَلْمَنْسُوجَةِ وَ اَلْغَزْلُ أَكْثَرُ وَزْناً مِنَ اَلثِّيَابِ قَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ".
Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Abdullah narrated: I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about selling yarn in exchange for woven clothes, where the yarn weighs more than the clothes. The Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in it."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَلاَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ غَيْرِهِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: "لاَ بَأْسَ بِأَجْرِ اَلسِّمْسَارِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ يَشْتَرِي لِلنَّاسِ يَوْماً بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ بِشَيْءٍ مُسَمًّى إِنَّمَا هُوَ مِثْلُ اَلْأَجِيرِ ".
Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Abi Walad, from Abu Abdullah (a.s), and others from Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (a.s): "There is no harm in paying a broker's fee. He only buys for people day after day for a specified amount. He is just like a hired worker."
قَالَ: وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ اَلسِّمْسَارِ يَشْتَرِي بِالْأَجْرِ فَيُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ اَلْوَرِقُ وَ يُشْتَرَطُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّكَ مَا تَشْتَرِي فَمَا شِئْتُ أَخَذْتُهُ وَ مَا شِئْتُ تَرَكْتُهُ فَيَذْهَبُ فَيَشْتَرِي ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِالْمَتَاعِ فَيَقُولُ خُذْ مَا رَضِيتَ وَ دَعْ مَا كَرِهْتَ فَقَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ".
He said: I asked Imam (a.s) about a broker who buys for a fee. Money is handed over to him, and it is stipulated that whatever he buys, the buyer has the option to take what he likes and leave what he dislikes. The broker then goes and makes the purchase, and upon returning with the goods, he says, "Take what you are satisfied with and leave what you dislike." Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in that."
وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: "أُتِيَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ بِسَبْيٍ مِنَ اَلْيَمَنِ فَلَمَّا بَلَغُوا اَلْجُحْفَةَ نَفِدَتْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ فَبَاعُوا جَارِيَةً كَانَتْ أُمُّهَا مَعَهُمْ فَلَمَّا قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ سَمِعَ بُكَاءَهَا فَقَالَ "مَا هَذِهِ" فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ اِحْتَجْنَا إِلَى نَفَقَةٍ فَبِعْنَا اِبْنَتَهَا فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فَأُتِيَ بِهَا وَ قَالَ "بِيعُوهُمَا جَمِيعاً أَوْ أَمْسِكُوهُمَا جَمِيعاً"".
It is narrated from Mu'awiyah ibn Ammar who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (a.s) say: A group of captives from Yemen were brought to the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family). When they reached Al-Juhfa, their provisions ran out, so they sold a young girl whose mother was with them. When they arrived before the Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family), He (saws) heard the girl crying and asked: "What is this?" They replied: "O Messenger of Allah (swt), we needed provisions, so we sold her daughter." The Messenger of Allah (swt) (peace be upon him and his family) then sent someone to bring her back and said: "Sell them both together or keep them both together."
وَ - سَأَلَ سَمَاعَةُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْأَخَوَيْنِ اَلْمَمْلُوكَيْنِ هَلْ يُفَرَّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا وَ بَيْنَ اَلْمَرْأَةِ وَ وَلَدِهَا فَقَالَ "لاَ هُوَ حَرَامٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُرِيدُوا ذَلِكَ".
Sama'ah asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about two slave brothers, whether they can be separated, and about a woman and her child, whether they can be separated. Imam (a.s) replied: "No, it is forbidden, except if they themselves desire it."
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَلَبِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِشْتَرَى جَارِيَةً بِثَمَنٍ مُسَمًّى ثُمَّ بَاعَهَا فَرَبِحَ فِيهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقُدَ صَاحِبَهَا اَلَّذِي كَانَتْ لَهُ فَأَتَى صَاحِبُهَا يَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ صَاحِبُ اَلْجَارِيَةِ لِلَّذِينَ بَاعَهُمْ اِكْفُونِي غَرِيمِي هَذَا وَ اَلَّذِي رَبِحْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ فَقَالَ "لاَ بَأْسَ".
Al-Halabi narrated from Abu Abdullah (a.s) that he was asked about a man who bought a bondwoman for a specified price, then sold her and made a profit before paying the original seller. The original seller came to demand his payment, so the man who sold the bondwoman said to those who bought her: "Take care of this creditor of mine, and the profit I made from you is yours." Imam (a.s) said: "There is no harm in this."
