Muwatta Imam Malik — Business Transactions

Yahya related to me from Malik from a reliable source from Amr ibn Shuayb from his father from his father's father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade transactions in which nonrefundable deposits were paid. Malik said, "That is, in our opinion, but Allah knows best, that for instance, a man buys a slave or slave-girl or rents an animal and then says to the person from whom he bought the slave or leased the animal, 'I will give you a dinar or a dirham or whatever on the condition that if I actually take the goods or ride what I have rented from you, then what I have given you already goes towards payment of the goods or hire of the animal. If I do not purchase the goods or hire the animal, then what I have given you is yours without liability on your part.' " Malik said, "According to the way of doing things with us there is nothing wrong in bartering an

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن الثقة، عنده عن عمرو بن شعيب، عن ابيه، عن جده، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع العربان . قال مالك: وذلك فيما نرى - والله اعلم - ان يشتري الرجل العبد، او الوليدة. او يتكارى الدابة. ثم يقول للذي اشترى منه، او تكارى منه: اعطيك دينارا، او درهما، او اكثر من ذلك، او اقل. على اني ان اخذت السلعة، او ركبت ما تكاريت منك، فالذي اعطيتك هو من ثمن السلعة. او من كراء الدابة، وان تركت ابتياع السلعة، او كراء الدابة، فما اعطيتك لك باطل بغير شيء. قال مالك: والامر عندنا، انه لا باس بان يبتاع العبد التاجر الفصيح، بالاعبد من الحبشة، او من جنس من الاجناس، ليسوا مثله في الفصاحة، ولا في التجارة، والنفاذ، والمعرفة. لا باس بهذا، ان يشتري منه العبد بالعبدين، او بالاعبد الى اجل معلوم. اذا اختلف، فبان اختلافه .فان اشبه بعض ذلك بعضا، حتى يتقارب، فلا تاخذن منه اثنين بواحد، الى اجل. وان اختلفت اجناسهم. قال مالك: ولا باس بان تبيع ما اشتريت من ذلك، قبل ان تستوفيه. اذا انتقدت ثمنه من غير صاحبه الذي اشتريته منه. قال مالك: لا ينبغي ان يستثنى جنين في بطن امه، اذا بيعت. لان ذلك غرر. لا يدرى اذكر هو ام (1) انثى او حسن (2) او قبيح، او ناقص، او تام، او حي او ميت؟. وذلك يضع من ثمنها. قال مالك، في الرجل يبتاع العبد، او الوليدة، بماية دينار الى اجل. ثم يندم البايع. فيسال المبتاع ان يقيله بعشرة دنانير، يدفعها اليه نقدا. او الى اجل. ويمحو عنه الماية دينار التي له. قال مالك: لا باس بذلك. وان ندم المبتاع، فسال البايع ان يقيله في الجارية، او العبد، ويزيده عشرة دنانير نقدا، او الى اجل ابعد من الاجل الذي اشترى اليه العبد، او الوليدة. فان ذلك لا ينبغي. وانما كره ذلك؛ لان البايع كانه باع منه ماية دينار له، الى سنة قبل ان تحل، بجارية، وبعشرة دنانير نقدا. او الى اجل ابعد من السنة. فدخل في ذلك بيع الذهب بالذهب الى اجل. قال مالك، في الرجل يبيع من الرجل الجارية بماية دينار الى اجل، ثم يشتريها باكثر من ذلك الثمن الذي باعها به الى ابعد من ذلك الاجل، الذي باعها اليه: ان ذلك لا يصلح. وتفسير ما كره من ذلك، ان يبيع الرجل الجارية الى اجل. ثم يبتاعها الى اجل ابعد منه. يبيعها بثلاثين دينارا الى شهر، ثم يبتاعها بستين دينارا، الى سنة، او الى نصف سنة. فصار، ان رجعت اليه سلعته بعينها، واعطاه صاحبه ثلاثين دينارا، الى شهر؛ بستين دينارا، الى سنة، او الى نصف سنة. فهذا لا ينبغي

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "If a slave who has wealth is sold, that wealth belongs to the seller unless the buyer stipulates its inclusion." Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us is that if the buyer stipulates the inclusion of the slave's property whether it be cash, debts, or goods of known or unknown value, then they belong to the buyer, even if the slave possesses more than that for which he was purchased, whether he was bought for cash, as payment for a debt, or in exchange for goods. This is possible because a master is not asked to pay zakat on his slave's property. If a slave has a slave-girl, it is halal for him to have intercourse with her by his right of possession. If a slave is freed or put under contract (kitaba) to purchase his freedom, then his property goes with him. If he becomes bankrupt, his creditors take his property and his master is not liable for any of his debts

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، ان عمر بن الخطاب، قال من باع عبدا وله مال فماله للبايع الا ان يشترطه المبتاع

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm that Aban ibn Uthman and Hisham ibn Ismail used to mention in their khutbas built-in liability agreements in the sale of slaves, to cover both a three day period and a similar clause covering a year. Malik explained, "The defects a lave or slave-girl are found to have from the time they are bought until the end of the three days are the responsibility of the seller. The year agreement is to cover insanity, leprosy, and loss of limbs due to disease. After a year, the seller is free from any liability." Malik said,"An inheritor or someone else who sells a slave or slave-girl without any such built-in guarantee is not responsible for any fault in the slave and there is no liability agreement held against him unless he was aware of a fault and concealed it. If he was aware of a fault, the lack of guarantee does not protect him. The purchase is returned. In our view, built-in liability agreements only apply to the purchase of slaves

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن عبد الله بن ابي بكر بن محمد بن عمرو بن حزم، ان ابان بن عثمان، وهشام بن اسماعيل، كانا يذكران في خطبتهما عهدة الرقيق في الايام الثلاثة من حين يشترى العبد او الوليدة وعهدة السنة . قال مالك ما اصاب العبد او الوليدة في الايام الثلاثة من حين يشتريان حتى تنقضي الايام الثلاثة فهو من البايع وان عهدة السنة من الجنون والجذام والبرص فاذا مضت السنة فقد بري البايع من العهدة كلها . قال مالك ومن باع عبدا او وليدة من اهل الميراث او غيرهم بالبراءة فقد بري من كل عيب ولا عهدة عليه الا ان يكون علم عيبا فكتمه فان كان علم عيبا فكتمه لم تنفعه البراءة وكان ذلك البيع مردودا ولا عهدة عندنا الا في الرقيق

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar sold one of his slaves for eight hundred dirhams with the stipulation that he was not responsible for defects. The person who bought the slave complained to Abdullah ibn Umar that the slave had a disease which he had not told him about. They argued and went to Uthman ibn Affan for a decision . The man said, "He sold me a slave with a disease which he did not tell me about." Abdullah said, "I sold to him with the stipulation that I was not responsible." Uthman ibn Affan decided that Abdullah ibn Umar should take an oath that he had sold the slave without knowing that he had any disease. Abdullah ibn Umar refused to take the oath, so the slave was returned to him and recovered his health in his possession. Abdullah sold him afterwards for 1500 dirhams. Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us about a man who buys a female slave and she becomes pregnant, or who buys a slave and then frees him, or if there is any other such matter which has already happened so that he cannot return his purchase, and a clear proof is established that there was a fault in that purchase when it was in the hands of the seller or the fault is admitted by the seller or someone else, is that the slave or slave-girl is assessed for its value with the fault it is found to have had on the day of purchase and the buyer is refunded,from what he paid,the difference between the price of a slave who is sound and a slave with such a defect. Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us regarding a man who buys a slave and then finds out that the slave has a defect for which he can be returned and meanwhile another defect has happened to the slave whilst in his possession, is that if the defect which occurred to the slave in his possession has harmed him, like loss of a limb, loss of an eye, or something similar, then he has a choice. If he wants, he can have the price of the slave reduced commensurate with the defect (he bought him with ) according to the prices on the day he bought him, or if he likes, he can pay compensation for the defect which the slave has suffered in his possession and return him. The choice is up to him. If the slave dies in his possession, the slave is valued with the defect which he had on the day of his purchase. It is seen what his price would really have been. If the price of the slave on the day of purchase without fault was 100 dinars, and his price on the day of purchase with fault would have been 80 dinars, the price is reduced by the difference. These prices are assessed according to the market value on the day the slave was purchased . " Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us is that if a man returns a slave girl in whom he has found a defect and he has already had intercourse with her, he must pay what he has reduced of her price if she was a virgin. If she was not a virgin, there is nothing against his having had intercourse with her because he had charge of her." Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us regarding a person, whether he is an inheritor or not, who sells a slave, slave-girl, or animal without a liability agreement is that he is not responsible for any defect in what he sold unless he knew about the fault and concealed it. If he knew that there was a fault and concealed it, his declaration that he was free of responsibility does not absolve him, and what he sold is returned to him." Malik spoke about a situation where a slave-girl was bartered for two other slave-girls and then one of the slave-girls was found to have a defect for which she could be returned. He said, "The slave-girl worth two other slave- girls is valued for her price. Then the other two slave-girls are valued, ignoring the defect which the one of them has. Then the price of the slave-girl sold for two slave-girls is divided between them according to their prices so that the proportion of each of them in her price is arrived at - to the higher priced one according to her higher price, and to the other according to her value. Then one looks at the one with the defect, and the buyer is refunded according to the amount her share is affected by the defect, be it little or great. The price of the two slave-girls is based on their market value on the day that they were bought." Malik spoke about a man who bought a slave and hired him out on a long-term or short-term basis and then found out that the slave had a defect which necessitated his return. He said that if the man returned the slave because of the defect, he kept the hire and revenue. "This is the way in which things are done in our city. That is because, had the man bought a slave who then built a house for him, and the value of the house was many times the price of the slave, and he then found that the slave had a defect for which he could be returned, and he was returned, he would not have to make payment for the work the slave had done for him. Similarly, he would keep any revenue from hiring him out, because he had charge of him. This is the way of doing things among us." Malik said, "The way of doing things among us when someone buys several slaves in one lot and then finds that one of them has been stolen, or has a defect, is that he looks at the one he finds has been stolen or the one in which he finds a defect. If he is the pick of those slaves, or the most expensive, or it was for his sake that he bought them, or he is the one in whom people see the most excellence, then the whole sale is returned. If the one who is found to be stolen or to have a defect is not the pick of the slaves, and he did not buy them for his sake, and there is no special virtue which people see in him, the one who is found to have a defect or to have been stolen is returned as he is, and the buyer is refunded his portion of the total price

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud told him that Abdullah ibn Masud bought a slave-girl from his wife, Zaynab Ath Thaqafiyya. She made a condition to him, that if he bought her, she could always buy her back for the price that he paid. Abdullah ibn Masud asked Umar ibn al- Khattab about that and Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Do not go near her while anyone has a condition concerning her over you

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، ان عبيد الله بن عبد الله بن عتبة بن مسعود، اخبره ان عبد الله بن مسعود ابتاع جارية من امراته زينب الثقفية واشترطت عليه انك ان بعتها فهي لي بالثمن الذي تبيعها به فسال عبد الله بن مسعود عن ذلك عمر بن الخطاب فقال عمر بن الخطاب لا تقربها وفيها شرط لاحد

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar would say, "A man should not have intercourse with a slave girl except one whom, if he wished, he could sell, if he wished, he could give away, if he wished, he could keep, if he wished, he could do with her what he wanted ." Malik said that a man who bought a slave- girl on condition that he did not sell her, give her away, or do something of that nature, was not to have intercourse with her. That was because he was not permitted to sell her or to give her away, so if he did not own that from her, he did not have complete ownership of her because an exception had been made concerning her by the hand of someone else. If that sort of condition entered into it, it was a messy situation, and the sale was not recommended

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، انه كان يقول لا يطا الرجل وليدة الا وليدة ان شاء باعها وان شاء وهبها وان شاء امسكها وان شاء صنع بها ما شاء . قال مالك فيمن اشترى جارية على شرط ان لا يبيعها او لا يهبها او ما اشبه ذلك من الشروط فانه لا ينبغي للمشتري ان يطاها وذلك انه لا يجوز له ان يبيعها ولا يهبها فاذا كان لا يملك ذلك منها فلم يملكها ملكا تاما لانه قد استثني عليه فيها ما ملكه بيد غيره فاذا دخل هذا الشرط لم يصلح وكان بيعا مكروها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abdullah ibn Amir gave Uthman ibn Affan a slave-girl who had a husband whom he had purchased at Basra. Uthman said, "I will not go near her until her husband separates from her." Ibn Amir compensated the husband and he separated from her

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، ان عبد الله بن عامر، اهدى لعثمان بن عفان جارية ولها زوج ابتاعها بالبصرة فقال عثمان لا اقربها حتى يفارقها زوجها . فارضى ابن عامر زوجها ففارقها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf bought a slave- girl and found that she had a husband, so he returned her

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن ابي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن بن عوف، ان عبد الرحمن بن عوف، ابتاع وليدة فوجدها ذات زوج فردها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If palm trees are sold after they have been pollinated, the fruit belongs to the seller unless the buyer makes a stipulation about its inclusion

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " من باع نخلا قد ابرت فثمرها للبايع الا ان يشترط المبتاع

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling fruit until it had started to ripen. He forbade the transaction to both buyer and seller

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن نافع، عن ابن عمر، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع الثمار حتى يبدو صلاحها نهى البايع والمشتري

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd at-Tawil from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling fruit until it had become mellow. He was asked, "Messenger ofAllah! What do you mean by become mellow?" He said, "When it becomes rosy." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, added, "Allah may prevent the fruit from maturing, so how can you take payment from your brother for it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن حميد الطويل، عن انس بن مالك، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع الثمار حتى تزهي . فقيل له يا رسول الله وما تزهي فقال " حين تحمر " . وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " ارايت اذا منع الله الثمرة فبم ياخذ احدكم مال اخيه

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Haritha from his mother, Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling fruit until it was clear of blight. Malik said, "Selling fruit before it has begun to ripen is an uncertain transaction (gharar)

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابي الرجال، محمد بن عبد الرحمن بن حارثة عن امه، عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع الثمار حتى تنجو من العاهة . قال مالك وبيع الثمار قبل ان يبدو صلاحها من بيع الغرر

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from Kharija ibn Zayd ibn Thabit that Zayd ibn Thabit did not sell fruit until the Pleiades were visible, at the end of May. Malik said, "The way of doing things among us about selling melons, cucumbers, water- melons, and carrots is that it is halal to sell them when it is clear that they have begun to ripen. Then the buyer has what grows until the season is over. There is no specific timing laid down for that because the time is well known with people, and it may happen that the crop will be affected by blight and put a premature end to the season. If blight strikes and a third or more of the crop is damaged, an allowance for that is deducted from the price of purchase

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابي الزناد، عن خارجة بن زيد بن ثابت، عن زيد بن ثابت، انه كان لا يبيع ثماره حتى تطلع الثريا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar from Zayd ibn Thabit that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, allowed the holder of an ariya to barter the dates on the palm for the amount of dried dates it was estimated that the palms would produce

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، عن زيد بن ثابت، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ارخص لصاحب العرية ان يبيعها بخرصها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn from Abu Sufyan, the mawla of Ibn Abi Ahmad, from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, allowed the produce of an ariya to be bartered for an estimation of what the produce would be when the crop was less than five awsuq or equal to five awsuq. Da'ud wasn't sure whether he said five awsuq or less than five. Malik said, ''Ariyas can be sold for an estimation of what amount of dried dates will be produced. The crop is examined and estimated while still on the palm. This is allowed because it comes into the category of delegation of responsibility, handing over rights, and involving a partner. Had it been like a form of sale, no one would have made someone else a partner in the produce until it was ready nor would he have renounced his right to any of it or put someone in charge of it until the buyer had taken possession

وحدثني عن مالك، عن داود بن الحصين، عن ابي سفيان، مولى ابن ابي احمد عن ابي هريرة، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ارخص في بيع العرايا بخرصها فيما دون خمسة اوسق او في خمسة اوسق . يشك داود قال خمسة اوسق او دون خمسة اوسق

Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman heard his mother, Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman say, "A man bought the fruit of an enclosed orchard in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he tended it while staying on the land. It became clear to him that there was going to be some loss. He asked the owner of the orchard to reduce the price for him or to revoke the sale, but the owner made an oath not to do so. The mother of the buyer went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him about it. The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'By this oath, he has sworn not to do good.' The owner of the orchard heard about it and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger of Allah, the choice is his

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابي الرجال، محمد بن عبد الرحمن عن امه، عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن انه سمعها تقول، ابتاع رجل ثمر حايط في زمان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فعالجه وقام فيه حتى تبين له النقصان فسال رب الحايط ان يضع له او ان يقيله فحلف ان لا يفعل فذهبت ام المشتري الى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكرت ذلك له فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " تالى ان لا يفعل خيرا " . فسمع بذلك رب الحايط فاتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال يا رسول الله هو له

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz decided in a case to make a reduction for crop damage. Malik said, "That is what we do in the situation." Malik added, "Crop damage is whatever causes loss of a third or more for the purchaser. Anything less is not counted as crop damage

وحدثني عن مالك، انه بلغه ان عمر بن عبد العزيز، قضى بوضع الجايحة . قال مالك وعلى ذلك الامر عندنا . قال مالك والجايحة التي توضع عن المشتري الثلث فصاعدا ولا يكون ما دون ذلك جايحة

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abd ar-Rahman that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad would sell produce from his orchard and keep some of it aside

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ربيعة بن ابي عبد الرحمن، ان القاسم بن محمد، كان يبيع ثمر حايطه ويستثني منه

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr that his grandfather, Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm sold the fruit of an orchard of his called al-Afraq, for 4,000 dirhams, and he kept aside 800 dirhams' worth of dry dates

وحدثني عن مالك، عن عبد الله بن ابي بكر، ان جده، محمد بن عمرو بن حزم باع ثمر حايط له يقال له الافراق باربعة الاف درهم واستثنى منه بثمانماية درهم تمرا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'r-Rijal, Muhammad ibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Haritha that his mother, Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman used to sell her fruit and keep some of it aside. Malik said, "The generally agreed upon way of doing things among us is that when a man sells the fruit of his orchard, he can keep aside up to a third of the fruit, but that is not to be exceeded. There is no harm in what is less than a third." Malik added that he thought there was no harm for a man to sell the fruit of his orchard and keep aside only the fruit of a certain palm-tree or palm-trees which he had chosen and whose number he had specified, because the owner was only keeping aside certain fruit of his own orchard and everything else he sold

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابي الرجال، محمد بن عبد الرحمن بن حارثة ان امه، عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن كانت تبيع ثمارها وتستثني منها . قال مالك الامر المجتمع عليه عندنا ان الرجل اذا باع ثمر حايطه ان له ان يستثني من ثمر حايطه ما بينه وبين ثلث الثمر لا يجاوز ذلك وما كان دون الثلث فلا باس بذلك . قال مالك فاما الرجل يبيع ثمر حايطه ويستثني من ثمر حايطه ثمر نخلة او نخلات يختارها ويسمي عددها فلا ارى بذلك باسا لان رب الحايط انما استثنى شييا من ثمر حايط نفسه وانما ذلك شىء احتبسه من حايطه وامسكه لم يبعه وباع من حايطه ما سوى ذلك