The Ruling on Deception in Buying and Selling

Question:
May Allah reward you and bless you. This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on deception in buying and selling?

Answer:
Deception in buying and selling is not permissible, and deception is not permissible in any of the other matters between people, such as transactions and the like. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is a severe warning. The occasion of this hadith is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a seller of food who had put his hand into the food to inspect it, and his fingers found moisture at the bottom of the food. He said, “What is this, O owner of the food?” He said, “The sky has touched it, O Messenger of Allah,” meaning the rain. He said, “Why did you not put it on the top so that people could see it? Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” This is a serious matter, and deception is not permissible in transactions, buying, and selling. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes.