What is the ruling on selling at two prices, one for cash and one for installments?

The questioner : It is higher than the cash price and has no relation to regions.

The Shaykh : By Allah, there is no context.

The questioner : I mean, for example, let us assume the cash price is one hundred dinars.

The Shaykh : To you.

The questioner : And another sells only on installments for one hundred and five, only on installments, with no relation to any other sale and no relation to a deferred or immediate payment as a seller. I mean, this one sells for cash at one hundred, and this one sells for cash at one hundred and ten, and this one sells for cash at one hundred and fifteen. He sells on installments for one hundred and ten only, with no relation to any other sale.

The Shaykh : I understand you, Professor. Now you have to understand me. Yes, it is not permissible, because the operative cause is exploiting the need of the needy person and increasing upon him in what? In the price. And I have said more than once that there is a merchant in Kuwait, specifically, who, when he heard the hadith , twisted it. It was about riba. He used to sell cars at two prices: the cash price, for example, five thousand, and the installment price, six thousand. Then he started selling always on installments. What? For six thousand. Yes. So he was oppressing half the customers; now he is oppressing all of them. So this is worse than the first. So if we consider the point in the prohibition by the wise Shari'ah of riba, we know that the issue is not about unifying the price for the cash and installment sales. No, rather, the operative cause is increasing the price for installments over the cash price. Yes.