What is the ruling on selling goods that are in another country and have not yet arrived?
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The Shaykh : As for selling goods before they return or before they arrive, this is also not permissible. Bulugh al-Maram 7:27 One must first take possession of them, and then sell them. As for selling them while they are in another country, where it is unknown whether they will arrive intact or damaged, this is not permissible.
If someone were to say: "The buyer is bound by the condition of the goods, whether they are diminished or not," we would say: Even if he agrees to that, because he may agree to it at the time of the contract in hope of profit, but when the diminution occurs, he regrets and laments, and a dispute may arise between him and the seller. The Shari'ah, praise be to Allah, has blocked every door that leads to regret, dispute, and litigation.
Likewise, if they are destroyed, a dispute may arise between the two parties regarding the extent of the loss and the like. The important point is that this is not permissible, meaning the sale of goods until they reach their location with the seller, and then he disposes of them.
This is because Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade that commodities to be sold in the place where they were bought, till the traders take them to their dwellings.
لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى أن تباع السلع حيث تبتاع حتى يحوزها التجار إلى رحالهمIf someone were to say: "The buyer is bound by the condition of the goods, whether they are diminished or not," we would say: Even if he agrees to that, because he may agree to it at the time of the contract in hope of profit, but when the diminution occurs, he regrets and laments, and a dispute may arise between him and the seller. The Shari'ah, praise be to Allah, has blocked every door that leads to regret, dispute, and litigation.
Likewise, if they are destroyed, a dispute may arise between the two parties regarding the extent of the loss and the like. The important point is that this is not permissible, meaning the sale of goods until they reach their location with the seller, and then he disposes of them.