What is the meaning of your statement that equality in the measure of dates is required with respect to the types of dates and the best of them?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, you mentioned that equality in the measure of dates is required with respect to the types of dates and the best of them. What is the meaning of that?

Answer:
Dates are not sold for dates except with equality, even if one of them is better than the other. This occurred in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when Bilal brought him good dates; he brought him good dates of the good variety. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Are the dates of Khaybar like this?" He said: "No, O Messenger of Allah. We buy one sa' of this with two or three [sa' of] the bad dates."
He said: "That is the very riba (usury or interest). Sell the bad ones; sell them for dirhams. Then buy the good ones with the dirhams. So if you have bad dates and you want good dates, sell the bad dates for dirhams, and then when you receive the dirhams, buy with them the good ones you want. As for dates for dates with an increase, this is not permissible. Yes.