Advice to the buyer who is overcharged in the price
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, if the seller sees a defrauder.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
If the seller sees a buyer who has purchased an item for a very high price because he is unaware of its value, and the seller knows its value, is it permissible for him to tell the buyer that its true value is such and such? And how does he reconcile this with the duty of advising every Muslim?
The Shaykh:
Advice is the same as the poem [implies: the principle of advice]. If he consults you, it is obligatory for you to advise him and inform him of what is in his interest. However, as long as he has not consulted you and the sale has become binding—whether he has already purchased it or the sale is finalized—there is no benefit in speaking to him, so we do not mention it to him unless we seek his permission, as was mentioned in the previous answer. If he has the option to cancel the sale, there is no harm in telling him that he has been overcharged, because the option was given precisely so that he can inspect and see. If he has the option, there is no harm in clarifying it to him and saying, “You see, the price is high, and it is cheaper than this. I am doing this out of advice to my brother.” But as long as the sale is binding and he has no option, there is no benefit in your speaking to him except that he might use it [to his detriment or for a dispute].
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, if the seller sees a defrauder.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
If the seller sees a buyer who has purchased an item for a very high price because he is unaware of its value, and the seller knows its value, is it permissible for him to tell the buyer that its true value is such and such? And how does he reconcile this with the duty of advising every Muslim?
The Shaykh:
Advice is the same as the poem [implies: the principle of advice]. If he consults you, it is obligatory for you to advise him and inform him of what is in his interest. However, as long as he has not consulted you and the sale has become binding—whether he has already purchased it or the sale is finalized—there is no benefit in speaking to him, so we do not mention it to him unless we seek his permission, as was mentioned in the previous answer. If he has the option to cancel the sale, there is no harm in telling him that he has been overcharged, because the option was given precisely so that he can inspect and see. If he has the option, there is no harm in clarifying it to him and saying, “You see, the price is high, and it is cheaper than this. I am doing this out of advice to my brother.” But as long as the sale is binding and he has no option, there is no benefit in your speaking to him except that he might use it [to his detriment or for a dispute].
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 141/69 شرح زاد المستقنع/ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (5:37)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.