Muwatta Imam Malik — Business Transactions

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Someone who buys food, must not sell it until he takes possession of it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن عبد الله بن دينار، عن عبد الله بن عمر، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " من ابتاع طعاما فلا يبعه حتى يقبضه

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "In the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we used to buy food. He sent orders for us to move our purchases from the place in which we purchased them to another place before we re-sold them

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، انه قال كنا في زمان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نبتاع الطعام فيبعث علينا من يامرنا بانتقاله من المكان الذي ابتعناه فيه الى مكان سواه قبل ان نبيعه

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Hakim ibn Hizam traded in food for people as Umar ibn al-Khattab had ordered him to do. Hakim re-sold the food before he had taken delivery of it. That reached Umar ibn al-Khattab and he revoked the sale and said, "Do not sell food which you have purchased until you take delivery of it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، . ان حكيم بن حزام، ابتاع طعاما امر به عمر بن الخطاب للناس فباع حكيم الطعام قبل ان يستوفيه فبلغ ذلك عمر بن الخطاب فرده عليه وقال لا تبع طعاما ابتعته حتى تستوفيه

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that receipts were given to people in the time of Marwan ibn al-Hakam for the produce of the market at al-Jar. People bought and sold the receipts among themselves before they took delivery of the goods. Zayd Thabit and one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to Marwan ibn al-Hakam and said, "Marwan! Do you make usury halal?" He said, "I seek refuge with Allah! What is that?" He said, "These receipts which people buy and sell before they take delivery of the goods." Marwan therefore sent a guard to follow them and to take them from people's hands and return them to their owners

وحدثني عن مالك، انه بلغه . ان صكوكا، خرجت للناس في زمان مروان بن الحكم من طعام الجار فتبايع الناس تلك الصكوك بينهم قبل ان يستوفوها فدخل زيد بن ثابت ورجل من اصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على مروان بن الحكم فقالا اتحل بيع الربا يا مروان . فقال اعوذ بالله وما ذاك فقالا هذه الصكوك تبايعها الناس ثم باعوها قبل ان يستوفوها فبعث مروان الحرس يتبعونها ينزعونها من ايدي الناس ويردونها الى اهلها

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that a man wanted to buy food from a man in advance. The man who wanted to sell the food to him went with him to the market, and he began to show him heaps, saying, "Which one would you like me to buy for you." The buyer said to him, "Are you selling me what you do not have?" So they came to Abdullah ibn Umarand mentioned that to him. Abdallah ibn Umar said to the buyer, "Do not buy from him what he does not have." He said to the seller, "Do not sell what you do not have

وحدثني عن مالك، انه بلغه ان رجلا، اراد ان يبتاع طعاما من رجل الى اجل فذهب به الرجل الذي يريد ان يبيعه الطعام الى السوق فجعل يريه الصبر ويقول له من ايها تحب ان ابتاع لك فقال المبتاع اتبيعني ما ليس عندك فاتيا عبد الله بن عمر فذكرا ذلك له فقال عبد الله بن عمر للمبتاع لا تبتع منه ما ليس عنده . وقال للبايع لا تبع ما ليس عندك

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said heard Jamil ibn Abd ar-Rahman the Muadhdhin say to Said ibn al-Musayyab, "I am a man who buys whatever Allah wills of the receipts for the provisions which people are offered at al-Jar. I want to take payment for goods that I guarantee to deliver at a future date." Said said to him, "Do you intend to settle these things with receipts for provisions you have bought?" He said, "Yes." So he forbade that. Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us in which there is no dispute, about buying food - wheat, barley, durra-sorghum, pearl millet, or any pulse or anything resembling pulses on which zakat is obliged, or condiments of any sort - oil, ghee, honey, vinegar, cheese, sesame oil, milk and so on, is that the buyer should not re- sell any of that until he has taken possession and complete delivery of it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن يحيى بن سعيد، انه سمع جميل بن عبد الرحمن الموذن، يقول لسعيد بن المسيب اني رجل ابتاع من الارزاق التي تعطى الناس بالجار ما شاء الله ثم اريد ان ابيع الطعام المضمون على الى اجل . فقال له سعيد اتريد ان توفيهم من تلك الارزاق التي ابتعت فقال نعم . فنهاه عن ذلك . قال مالك الامر المجتمع عليه عندنا الذي لا اختلاف فيه انه من اشترى طعاما برا او شعيرا او سلتا او ذرة او دخنا او شييا من الحبوب القطنية او شييا مما يشبه القطنية مما تجب فيه الزكاة او شييا من الادم كلها الزيت والسمن والعسل والخل والجبن والشبرق واللبن وما اشبه ذلك من الادم فان المبتاع لا يبيع شييا من ذلك حتى يقبضه ويستوفيه

Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu'z-Zinad heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab andSulayman ibn Yasar forbid a man to sell wheat for gold on delayed terms and then to buy dried dates with the gold before he had taken delivery of the gold

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابي الزناد، انه سمع سعيد بن المسيب، وسليمان بن يسار، ينهيان ان يبيع الرجل، حنطة بذهب الى اجل ثم يشتري بالذهب تمرا قبل ان يقبض الذهب

Yahya related to me from Malik that Kathir ibn Farqad asked Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm about a man who sold food to be delivered at a future date to a man for gold and then with the gold, he bought dates before he had taken delivery of the gold. He disapproved of that and forbade it. Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab the like of that. Malik said, ''Said ibn al-Musayyab, Sulayman ibn Yasar, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm, and Ibn Shihab forbade that a man sell wheat for gold and then buy dates with that gold before he had received the gold from the transaction in which he sold the wheat. There is no harm for someone to buy dates on delayed terms, on the strength of the gold for which he sold the wheat, from someone other than the person to whom he sold the wheat before taking possession of the gold, and to refer the one from whom he bought the dates to his debtor who bought the wheat, for the gold he is owed for the dates." Malik said, "I asked more than one of the people of knowledge about that and they did not see any harm in it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن كثير بن فرقد، . انه سال ابا بكر بن محمد بن عمرو بن حزم عن الرجل، يبيع الطعام من الرجل بذهب الى اجل ثم يشتري بالذهب تمرا قبل ان يقبض الذهب فكره ذلك ونهى عنه . وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، بمثل ذلك . قال مالك وانما نهى سعيد بن المسيب وسليمان بن يسار وابو بكر بن محمد بن عمرو بن حزم وابن شهاب عن ان لا يبيع الرجل حنطة بذهب ثم يشتري الرجل بالذهب تمرا قبل ان يقبض الذهب من بيعه الذي اشترى منه الحنطة فاما ان يشتري بالذهب التي باع بها الحنطة الى اجل تمرا من غير بايعه الذي باع منه الحنطة قبل ان يقبض الذهب ويحيل الذي اشترى منه التمر على غريمه الذي باع منه الحنطة بالذهب التي له عليه في ثمن التمر فلا باس بذلك . قال مالك وقد سالت عن ذلك غير واحد من اهل العلم فلم يروا به باسا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said that there was no harm in a man making an advance to another man for food, with a set description and price until a set date, as long as it was not in crops, or dates which had not begun to ripen. Malik said, "The way of doing things among us concerning someone who makes an advance for foodstuffs at a known rate until a stated date, and the date arrives and he finds that there is not enough of what he was sold with the seller to fulfill his order, and so he revokes the sale, is that he must only take back the silver, gold, or price which he paid exactly. He does not buy anything else from the man for the same price until he has got back what he paid. That is because if he took something else besides the price which he paid him or exchanged it for goods other than the goods which he bought from him, it would be selling food before getting delivery of it." Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling food before getting delivery of it." Malik said that it was not good if the buyer regretted his purchase and asked the seller to revoke the sale for him and he would not press him immediately for what he had paid. The people of knowledge forbade that. That was because when the food was made ready for the buyer by the seller, the buyer deferred his due from the seller in order that he might revoke the sale for him. That was the sale of food with delayed terms before taking delivery of the food. Malik said, "The explanation of that is that when the date of delivery comes and the buyer dislikes the food, the seller takes by it money to be paid later and so it is not revocation. Revocation is that in which neither the buyer nor the seller is increased. When increase occurs by deferment of payment for a time period, or by anything which increases one of them over the other or anything which gives one of them profit, it is not revocation. When either of them do that, revocation becomes a sale. There is an indulgence for revocation, partnership, and transfer, as long as i ncrease, decrease, or deferment does not come into them. If increase, decrease, or deferment comes into it, it becomes a sale. Whatever makes a sale halal makes it halal and whatever makes a sale haram makes it haram." Malik said, "If someone pays in advance for Syrian wheat, there is no harm if he takes a load after the term falls due." Malik said, "It is the same with whoever advances for any kind of thing. There is no harm in him taking better than whatever he has made an advance for or worse than it after the agreed delivery date. The explanation of that is that if, for instance, a man advances for a certain weight of wheat. There is no harm if he decides to take some barley or Syrian wheat. If he has made an advance for good dates, there is no harm if he decides to take poor quality dates. If he paid in advance for red raisins, there is no harm if he takes black ones, when it happens after the agreed delivery date, and when the measure of what he takes is like the measure of what he paid for in advance

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "The fodder of the donkeys of Saad ibn Abi Waqqas ran out and so he told his slave to take some of the family's wheat and buy barley with it, and to only take a like quantity

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، انه بلغه ان سليمان بن يسار، قال فني علف حمار سعد بن ابي وقاص فقال لغلامه خذ من حنطة اهلك فابتع بها شعيرا ولا تاخذ الا مثله

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Sulayman ibn Yasar told him that one time the fodder of the animals of Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Aswad ibn Abd Yaghuth was finished so he said to his slave, "Take some of your family's wheat as food and buy with it barley, and take only a like quantity

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، عن سليمان بن يسار، انه اخبره ان عبد الرحمن بن الاسود بن عبد يغوث فني علف دابته فقال لغلامه خذ من حنطة اهلك طعاما فابتع بها شعيرا ولا تاخذ الا مثله

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard the same as that from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ibn Muayqib ad-Dawsi. Malik said, "This is the way of doing things among us . " Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us is that wheat is not sold for wheat, dates for dates, wheat for dates, dates for raisins, wheat for raisins, nor any kind of food sold for food at all, except from hand to hand. If there is any sort of delayed terms in the transaction, it is not good. It is haram. Condiments are not bartered except from hand to hand." Malik said, "Food and condiments are not bartered when they are the same type, two of one kind for one of the other. A mudd of wheat is not sold for two mudds of wheat, nor a mudd of dates for two mudds of dates, nor a mudd of raisins for two mudds of raisins, nor is anything of that sort done with grains and condiments when they are of one kind, even if it is hand to hand. "This is the same position as silver for silver and gold for gold. No increase is halal in the transaction, and only like for like, from hand to hand is halal." Malik said, "If there is a clear difference in foodstuffs which are measured and weighed, there is no harm in taking two of one kind for one of another, hand to hand. There is no harm in taking a sa of dates for two sa of wheat, and a sa of dates for two sa of raisins, and a sa of wheat for two sa of ghee. If the two sorts in the transaction are different, there is no harm in two for one or more than that from hand to hand. If delayed terms enter into the sale, it is not halal ." Malik said, "It is not halal to trade a heap of wheat for a heap of wheat. There is no harm in a heap of wheat for a heap of dates, from hand to hand. That is because there is no harm in buying wheat with dates without precise measurement." Malik said, "With kinds of foods and condiments that differ from each other, and the difference is clear, there is no harm in bartering one kind for another, without precise measurement from hand to hand. If delayed terms enter into the sale, there is no good in it. Bartering such things without precise measurement is like buying it with gold and silver without measuring precisely." Malik said, "That is because you buy wheat with silver without measuring precisely, and dates with gold without measuring precisely, and it is halal. There is no harm in it." Malik said, "It is not good for someone to make a heap of food, knowing its measure and then to sell it as if it had not been measured precisely, concealing its measure from the buyer. If the buyer wants to return that food to the seller, he can, because he concealed its measure and so it is an uncertain transaction. This is done with any kind of food or other goods whose measure and number the seller knows, and which he then sells without measurement and the buyer does not know that. If the buyer wants to return that to the seller, he can return t. The people of knowledge still forbid such a transaction." Malik said, "There is no good in selling one round loaf of bread for two round loaves, nor large for small when some of them are bigger than others. When care is taken that they are like for like, there is no harm in the sale, even if they are not weighed." Malik said, "It is not good to sell a mudd of butter and a mudd of milk for two mudds of butter. This is like what we described of selling dates when two sa of kabis and a sa of poor quality dates were sold for three sa of ajwa dates after the buyer had said to the seller, 'Two sa of kabis dates for three sa of ajwa dates is not good,' and then he did that to make the transaction possible. The owner of the milk puts the milk with his butter so that he can use the superiority of his butter over the butter of the other party to put his milk in with it." Malik said, "Flour for wheat is like for like, and there is no harm in that. That is if he does not mix up anything with the flour and sell it for wheat, like for like. Had he put half a mudd of flour and half of wheat, and then sold that for a mudd of wheat, it would be like what we described, and it would not be good because he would want to use the superiority of his good wheat to put flour along with it. Such a transaction is not good

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Maryam asked Said ibn al-Musayyab's advice. "I am a man who buys food with receipts from al-Jar. Perhaps I will buy something for a dinar and half a dirham, and will be given food for a half." Said said, "No. You give a dirham, and take the rest in food." (A half dirham did not exist as a coin)

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن محمد بن عبد الله بن ابي مريم، انه سال سعيد بن المسيب فقال اني رجل ابتاع الطعام يكون من الصكوك بالجار فربما ابتعت منه بدينار ونصف درهم فاعطى بالنصف طعاما . فقال سعيد لا ولكن اعط انت درهما وخذ بقيته طعاما

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Muhammad Sirin used to say, "Do not sell grain on the ears until it is white." Malik said, "If someone buys food for a known price to be delivered at a stated date, and when the date comes, the one who owes the food says, 'I do not have any food, sell me the food which I owe you with delayed terms.' The owner of the food says, 'This is not good, because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling food until the deal was completed.' The one who owes the food says to his creditor, 'Sell me any kind of food on delayed terms until I discharge the debt to you.' This is not good because he gives him food and then he returns it to him. The gold which he gave him becomes the price of that which is his right against him and the food which he gave him becomes what clears what is between them. If they do that, it becomes the sale of food before the deal is complete." Malik spoke about a man who was owed food which he had purchased from a man and this man was owed the like of that food by another man. The one who owed the food said to his creditor, "I will refer you to my debtor who owes me the same amount of food as I owe you, so that you may obtain the food which I owe you ." Malik said, "If the man who had to deliver the food, had gone out, and bought the food to pay off his creditor, that is not good. That is selling food before taking possession of it. If the food is an advance which falls due at that particular time, there is no harm in paying off his creditor with it because that is nota sale. It is not halal to sell food before receiving it in full since the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade that. However, the people of knowledge agree that there is no harm in partnership, transfer of responsibility and revocation in sales of food and other goods." Malik said, "That is because the people of knowledge consider it as a favour rendered. They do not consider it as a sale. It is like a man lending light dirhams. He is then paid back in dirhams of full weight, and so gets back more than he lent. That is halal for him and permitted. Had a man bought defective dirhams from him as being the full weight, that would not be halal. Had it been stipulated to him that he lend full weight in dirhams, and then he gave faulty ones, that would not be halal for him

وحدثني عن مالك، انه بلغه ان محمد بن سيرين، كان يقول لا تبيعوا الحب في سنبله حتى يبيض . قال مالك من اشترى طعاما بسعر معلوم الى اجل مسمى فلما حل الاجل قال الذي عليه الطعام لصاحبه ليس عندي طعام فبعني الطعام الذي لك على الى اجل . فيقول صاحب الطعام هذا لا يصلح لانه قد نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن بيع الطعام حتى يستوفى . فيقول الذي عليه الطعام لغريمه فبعني طعاما الى اجل حتى اقضيكه . فهذا لا يصلح لانه انما يعطيه طعاما ثم يرده اليه . فيصير الذهب الذي اعطاه ثمن الذي كان له عليه ويصير الطعام الذي اعطاه محللا فيما بينهما ويكون ذلك اذا فعلاه بيع الطعام قبل ان يستوفى . قال مالك في رجل له على رجل طعام ابتاعه منه ولغريمه على رجل طعام مثل ذلك الطعام فقال الذي عليه الطعام لغريمه احيلك على غريم لي عليه مثل الطعام الذي لك على بطعامك الذي لك على . قال مالك ان كان الذي عليه الطعام انما هو طعام ابتاعه فاراد ان يحيل غريمه بطعام ابتاعه فان ذلك لا يصلح وذلك بيع الطعام قبل ان يستوفى فان كان الطعام سلفا حالا فلا باس ان يحيل به غريمه لان ذلك ليس ببيع ولا يحل بيع الطعام قبل ان يستوفى لنهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن ذلك غير ان اهل العلم قد اجتمعوا على انه لا باس بالشرك والتولية والاقالة في الطعام وغيره . قال مالك وذلك ان اهل العلم انزلوه على وجه المعروف ولم ينزلوه على وجه البيع وذلك مثل الرجل يسلف الدراهم النقص فيقضى دراهم وازنة فيها فضل فيحل له ذلك ويجوز ولو اشترى منه دراهم نقصا بوازنة لم يحل ذلك ولو اشترط عليه حين اسلفه وازنة وانما اعطاه نقصا لم يحل له ذلك . قال مالك ومما يشبه ذلك ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع المزابنة وارخص في بيع العرايا بخرصها من التمر وانما فرق بين ذلك ان بيع المزابنة بيع على وجه المكايسة والتجارة وان بيع العرايا على وجه المعروف لا مكايسة فيه . قال مالك ولا ينبغي ان يشتري رجل طعاما بربع او ثلث او كسر من درهم على ان يعطى بذلك طعاما الى اجل ولا باس ان يبتاع الرجل طعاما بكسر من درهم الى اجل ثم يعطى درهما وياخذ بما بقي له من درهمه سلعة من السلع لانه اعطى الكسر الذي عليه فضة واخذ ببقية درهمه سلعة فهذا لا باس به . قال مالك ولا باس ان يضع الرجل عند الرجل درهما ثم ياخذ منه بربع او بثلث او بكسر معلوم سلعة معلومة فاذا لم يكن في ذلك سعر معلوم وقال الرجل اخذ منك بسعر كل يوم فهذا لا يحل لانه غرر يقل مرة ويكثر مرة ولم يفترقا على بيع معلوم . قال مالك ومن باع طعاما جزافا ولم يستثن منه شييا ثم بدا له ان يشتري منه شييا فانه لا يصلح له ان يشتري منه شييا الا ما كان يجوز له ان يستثني منه وذلك الثلث فما دونه فان زاد على الثلث صار ذلك الى المزابنة والى ما يكره فلا ينبغي له ان يشتري منه شييا الا ما كان يجوز له ان يستثني منه ولا يجوز له ان يستثني منه الا الثلث فما دونه وهذا الامر الذي لا اختلاف فيه عندنا

Malik said, "Another example of that is that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade the sale called muzabana and granted an indulgence in the ariya for computing the equivalent in dates. It was distinguished between them that the muzabana-sale was based on shrewdness and trade, and the ariya sale was based on a favour rendered, and there was no shrewdness in it." Malik said, "A man must not buy food for a fourth, a third, or a fraction of a dirham on the basis that he be given that food on credit. There is no harm in a man buying food for a fraction of a dirham on credit and then he gives a dirham and takes goods with what remains of his dirham because he gave the fraction he owed as silver, and took goods to make up the rest of his dirham. There is no harm in that transaction." Malik said, "There is no harm in a man placing a dirham with another man and then taking from him known goods for a fourth, third, or a known fraction. If there was not a known price on the goods and the man said, 'I will take them from you for the price of each day,' this is not halal because there is uncertainty. It might be less one time, and more another time, and they would not part with a known sale." Malik said, "If someone sells some food without measuring precisely and does not exclude any of it from the sale and then it occurs to him to buy some of it, it is not good for him to buy any of it except what it would be permitted for him to exclude from it. That is a third or less. If it is more than a third, it becomes muzabana and is disapproved. He must only purchase from what he would be permitted to exclude, and he is only permitted to exclude a third or less than that. This is the way of doing things in which there is no dispute with us." Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "There is no hoarding in our market, and men who have excess gold in their hands should not buy up one of Allah's provisions which he has sent to our courtyard and then hoard it up against us. Someone who brings imported goods through great fatigue to himself in the summer and winter, that person is the guest of Umar. Let him sell what Allah wills and keep what Allah wills

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، انه بلغه ان عمر بن الخطاب، قال لا حكرة في سوقنا لا يعمد رجال بايديهم فضول من اذهاب الى رزق من رزق الله نزل بساحتنا فيحتكرونه علينا ولكن ايما جالب جلب على عمود كبده في الشتاء والصيف فذلك ضيف عمر فليبع كيف شاء الله وليمسك كيف شاء الله

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yunus ibn Yusuf from Said ibn al-Musayyab that Umar ibn al-Khattab passed by Hatab ibn Abi Baltaa who was underselling some of his raisins in the market. Umar ibn al- Khattab said to him, "Either increase the price or leave our market

وحدثني عن مالك، عن يونس بن يوسف، عن سعيد بن المسيب، ان عمر بن الخطاب، مر بحاطب بن ابي بلتعة وهو يبيع زبيبا له بالسوق فقال له عمر بن الخطاب اما ان تزيد في السعر واما ان ترفع من سوقنا

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Uthman ibn Affan forbade hoarding

وحدثني عن مالك، انه بلغه ان عثمان بن عفان، كان ينهى عن الحكرة،

Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan from Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib that Ali ibn Abi Talib sold one of his camels called Usayfir for 20 camels to be delivered later

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن صالح بن كيسان، عن حسن بن محمد بن علي بن ابي طالب، ان علي بن ابي طالب، باع جملا له يدعى عصيفيرا بعشرين بعيرا الى اجل

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar bought a female riding-camel for four camels and he guaranteed to give them in full to the buyer at ar-Rabadha

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، ان عبد الله بن عمر، اشترى راحلة باربعة ابعرة مضمونة عليه يوفيها صاحبها بالربذة

Yahya related to me that Malik asked Ibn Shihab about selling animals, two for one with delayed terms. He said, "There is no harm in it." Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us is that there is no harm in bartering a camel for a camel like it and adding some dirhams to the exchange, from hand to hand. There is no harm in bartering a camel for a camel like it with some dirhams on top of the exchange, the camels to be exchanged from hand to hand, and the dirhams to be paid within a period." He said, "There is no good however in bartering a camel for a camel like it with some dirhams on top of it, with the dirhams paid in cash and the camel to be delivered later. If both the camel and the dirhams are deferred there is no good in that either." Malik said, "There is no harm in buying a riding camel with two or more pack-camels, if they are from inferior stock. There is no harm in bartering two of them for one with delayed terms, if they are different and their difference is clear. If they resemble each other whether their species are different or not, two are not to be taken for one with delayed terms." Malik said, "The explanation of what is disapproved of in that, is that a camel should not be bought with two camels when there is no distinction between them in speed or hardiness. If this is according to what I have described to you, then one does not buy two of them for one with delayed terms. There is no harm in selling those of them you buy before you complete the deal to somebody other than the one from whom you bought them if you get the price in cash." Malik said, "It is permitted for someone to advance something on animals for a fixed term and describe the amount and pay its price in cash. Whatever the buyer and seller have described is obliged for them. That is still permitted behaviour between people and what the people of knowledge in our land do

وحدثني عن مالك، انه سال ابن شهاب عن بيع الحيوان، اثنين بواحد الى اجل فقال لا باس بذلك . قال مالك الامر المجتمع عليه عندنا انه لا باس بالجمل بالجمل مثله وزيادة دراهم يدا بيد ولا باس بالجمل بالجمل مثله وزيادة دراهم الجمل بالجمل يدا بيد والدراهم الى اجل . قال ولا خير في الجمل بالجمل مثله وزيادة دراهم الدراهم نقدا والجمل الى اجل وان اخرت الجمل والدراهم لا خير في ذلك ايضا . قال مالك ولا باس ان يبتاع البعير النجيب بالبعيرين او بالابعرة من الحمولة من ماشية الابل وان كانت من نعم واحدة فلا باس ان يشترى منها اثنان بواحد الى اجل اذا اختلفت فبان اختلافها وان اشبه بعضها بعضا واختلفت اجناسها او لم تختلف فلا يوخذ منها اثنان بواحد الى اجل . قال مالك وتفسير ما كره من ذلك ان يوخذ البعير بالبعيرين ليس بينهما تفاضل في نجابة ولا رحلة فاذا كان هذا على ما وصفت لك فلا يشترى منه اثنان بواحد الى اجل ولا باس ان تبيع ما اشتريت منها قبل ان تستوفيه من غير الذي اشتريته منه اذا انتقدت ثمنه . قال مالك ومن سلف في شىء من الحيوان الى اجل مسمى فوصفه وحلاه ونقد ثمنه فذلك جايز وهو لازم للبايع والمبتاع على ما وصفا وحليا ولم يزل ذلك من عمل الناس الجايز بينهم والذي لم يزل عليه اهل العلم ببلدنا