A few days before the fig season, they put oil on the figs so they ripen before their time. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah on this?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Mersa Matruh in the Arab Republic of Egypt. A listener from there sent a message. His name is Khalid Khalil Abu Bakr Yunis. He has a number of questions. In one of them, he says: We have a group of people who, a few days before the fig season, put oil on the figs so they ripen before their time. This oil is corn oil, and it is known that there is some lack of ripeness in them. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah on this?
Answer:
This action is invalid and forbidden because it is deception. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 5241Da'if (Al-Albani) Therefore, deception is forbidden, and this action is not permissible. He intends by this to deceive people, selling these figs as if they are ripe and as if they are sweet, when they are not. Rather, this trick was done to them, so they appear other than their true appearance. This is not specific to figs, but it is general for all goods that are put up for sale. It is not permissible to deceive in them, nor is it permissible to commit fraud in them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a seller of food, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) put his hand in the food and found moisture at the bottom, meaning some water. He said: "What is this, O seller of food?" He said: "The sky has touched it, O Messenger of Allah," meaning it was rained on. 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."
So if what was rained on was not the work of man, the seller is required to show it to people. How much more so for the one who does this thing to the goods and changes their features so that they appear in a way that attracts customers, when it is not the truth, but rather it is fraud and deception? This is a forbidden action, and it is obligatory for these people to repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) from this action. And what they earned from this action is forbidden, because it is in exchange for fraud and deception and taking the money of people without right. Yes.
Mersa Matruh in the Arab Republic of Egypt. A listener from there sent a message. His name is Khalid Khalil Abu Bakr Yunis. He has a number of questions. In one of them, he says: We have a group of people who, a few days before the fig season, put oil on the figs so they ripen before their time. This oil is corn oil, and it is known that there is some lack of ripeness in them. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah on this?
Answer:
This action is invalid and forbidden because it is deception. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Narrated Hassan ibn Ibrahim: I asked Hisham ibn Urwah about the cutting of a lote-tree when he was leaning against the house of Urwah. He said: Do you not see these doors and leaves? These were made of the lote-tree of Urwah which Urwah used to cut from his hand? He said: There is no harm in it. Humayd's version adds: You have brought an innovation, O Iraqi! He said: The innovation is from you. I heard someone say at Mecca: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed him who cuts a lote-tree. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect.
صلى الله عليه وسلم من غشنا فليس منا،So if what was rained on was not the work of man, the seller is required to show it to people. How much more so for the one who does this thing to the goods and changes their features so that they appear in a way that attracts customers, when it is not the truth, but rather it is fraud and deception? This is a forbidden action, and it is obligatory for these people to repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) from this action. And what they earned from this action is forbidden, because it is in exchange for fraud and deception and taking the money of people without right. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، عندنا قبل موسم التين بأيام قليلة يضعون زيتا على التين حتى يستوي قبل أوانه، ما حكم الشرع في ذلك؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.