What is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): “Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, and salt for salt, hand to hand, equal in measure. Whoever increases or demands an increase has committed riba, or as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said…”
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The questioner : Abu Sa'id from Hadramawt has this question. He says: O honorable Shaykh, what is the meaning of this hadith? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2809 or as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith. The question is: If I buy wheat or dates, am I required to pay the price immediately? Because in another hadith, he says: Sahih Muslim 1587c I ask for clarification of this issue with clear evidence so that we may understand the answer. Thank you.
The Shaykh : The matter is as the brother questioner stated.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sahih Muslim 1584e These are six things.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh :Sahih Muslim 1587c .
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : The detail of this is that if you sell wheat for wheat, two things are obligatory upon you. The first is equality in measure, so that their measures are equal.
And the second is the exchange of possession before parting, based on his saying:Sahih Muslim 1587c.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if you sell wheat for barley, one thing is obligatory upon you, which is the exchange of possession before parting. Equality is not obligatory due to the difference in type. This is the meaning of his saying: meaning with an increase or a decrease, if it is hand to hand.
And if you sell gold for gold, two things are obligatory upon you: equality in weight and the exchange of possession before parting.
And if you sell gold for silver, one thing is obligatory upon you, which is the exchange of possession before parting. As for equality, it is not obligatory upon you.
What remains is if you buy wheat with gold.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The apparent meaning of the hadith is that the exchange of possession before parting is necessary, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1587c Buying wheat with gold involves a difference in types, and therefore the exchange of possession before parting is obligatory. This is the apparent generality of the hadith. However, this apparent meaning is not intended, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that salam (forward sale) in fruits is permissible, which is that dates are bought from a farmer for coined dirhams with the possession of the dates delayed. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) arrived while they were making salam in fruits for one year or two years”. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 2240 In this hadith, there is explicit text regarding the permissibility of buying delayed dates with immediate cash. Therefore, this text takes precedence over the apparent generality of the hadith we mentioned, which is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1587c.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, and salt by salt, like for like, payment being made on the spot. If anyone gives more or asks more he has dealt in usury. The receiver and the giver are equally guilty.” Muslim transmitted it.
الذهب بالذهب والفضة بالفضة والبر بالبر والملح بالملح يدا بيد سواء بسواء فمن زاد أو استزاد فقد أربىIf these classes differ, then sell as you wish if payment is made hand to hand.
إذا اختلفت هذه الأنواع فبيعوا كيف شئتم إذا كان يدا بيدThe Shaykh : The matter is as the brother questioner stated.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Gold is to be paid for by gold, silver by silver, wheat by wheat, barley by barley, dates by dates, salt by salt
الذهب بالذهب والفضة بالفضة والبر بالبر والشعير بالشعير والتمر بالتمر والملح بالملحThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh :
like for like and equal for equal, payment being made hand to hand. If these classes differ, then sell as you wish if payment is made hand to hand.
مثلا بمثل سواء بسواء يدا بيد فإذا اختلفت هذه الأصناف فبيعوا كيف شئتم إذا كان يدا بيدThe questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : The detail of this is that if you sell wheat for wheat, two things are obligatory upon you. The first is equality in measure, so that their measures are equal.
And the second is the exchange of possession before parting, based on his saying:
like for like and equal for equal, payment being made hand to hand
مثلا بمثل سواء بسواء يدا بيدThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if you sell wheat for barley, one thing is obligatory upon you, which is the exchange of possession before parting. Equality is not obligatory due to the difference in type. This is the meaning of his saying:
If these types differ, sell as you wish.
فإذا اختلفت هذه الأجناس فبيعوا كيف شئتمAnd if you sell gold for gold, two things are obligatory upon you: equality in weight and the exchange of possession before parting.
And if you sell gold for silver, one thing is obligatory upon you, which is the exchange of possession before parting. As for equality, it is not obligatory upon you.
What remains is if you buy wheat with gold.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The apparent meaning of the hadith is that the exchange of possession before parting is necessary, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):