Ruling on Hiding Defective Goods and Displaying the Good Ones
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Question:
From the Arab Republic of Egypt, Alexandria Governorate, the listener: Naji Faisal, asks and says: We are farmers, and when we want to sell vegetables and fruits, we put the good variety at the top of the baskets and the defective one at the bottom, or the small fruit at the bottom of the baskets. What is the ruling on our practice?
Direct us, may Allah reward you with good. We have discussed these issues, and some say that this is part of supplying the goods, while others say that it is part of falsifying the goods. What is the correct view?
May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for the Muslim not to deceive his brothers in anything. If he displays goods, some of which are defective and some are good, he must clarify everything. He must not put the defective at the bottom and the good on top. Rather, he should put it in a container where everything is clear, or the agent should clarify, saying: "Look, the bottom is like this, its quality is like this, and its quality is like this." He clarifies and does not deceive people. It is not permissible for you or for anyone else to deceive people, not in fruits, not in dates, and not in anything else. It is obligatory that the bottom of the goods be like their appearance. Everything must be clarified; because the Muslim is the brother of the Muslim. He does not mislead him, does not betray him, and does not deceive him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2225Da'if (Darussalam) And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Anfal: 27] Thus He says : [Al-Anfal: 27] And He says, the Exalted: [An-Nisa: 58] And He says, (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Mu'minun: 8] This is the description of the believer.
It is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he passed by a heap of food in the market. He passed in the market by a man selling food, so he put his hand in the heap, and his fingers touched moisture. He said: He said: "It was hit by the sky, O Messenger of Allah" — meaning: it was hit by rain. He said: Riyad as-Salihin 1579 This is clear in the issue. Your question, O questioner, is one of these. So if you display grains or fruits or anything else, it is obligatory for you, my brother, to clarify everything, and your agent must do so as well. Otherwise, he becomes a traitor and a deceiver. So it is upon you and the agent to clarify the truth, the hidden and the apparent, of the dates, fruits, and anything else, so that the buyer is on clear knowledge, and so that you are safe from the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 2225Da'if (Darussalam) May Allah guide everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
From the Arab Republic of Egypt, Alexandria Governorate, the listener: Naji Faisal, asks and says: We are farmers, and when we want to sell vegetables and fruits, we put the good variety at the top of the baskets and the defective one at the bottom, or the small fruit at the bottom of the baskets. What is the ruling on our practice?
Direct us, may Allah reward you with good. We have discussed these issues, and some say that this is part of supplying the goods, while others say that it is part of falsifying the goods. What is the correct view?
May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for the Muslim not to deceive his brothers in anything. If he displays goods, some of which are defective and some are good, he must clarify everything. He must not put the defective at the bottom and the good on top. Rather, he should put it in a container where everything is clear, or the agent should clarify, saying: "Look, the bottom is like this, its quality is like this, and its quality is like this." He clarifies and does not deceive people. It is not permissible for you or for anyone else to deceive people, not in fruits, not in dates, and not in anything else. It is obligatory that the bottom of the goods be like their appearance. Everything must be clarified; because the Muslim is the brother of the Muslim. He does not mislead him, does not betray him, and does not deceive him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever cheats us is not one of us.
من غشنا فليس مناO you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَخُونُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوا أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَO you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَخُونُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوا أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَIndeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَاAnd they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَIt is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he passed by a heap of food in the market. He passed in the market by a man selling food, so he put his hand in the heap, and his fingers touched moisture. He said:
O owner of the food, what is this?
يا صاحب الطعام ما هذا؟Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over the corn so that people might see it? He who deceives is not of us.
أفلا جعلته فوق الطعام، كي يراه الناس، من غشنا فليس مناWhoever cheats us is not one of us.
من غشنا فليس مناThe presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.