Buying Stolen Goods and Cheating

سَأَلْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا ع- عَنْ شِرَاءِ الْخِيَانَةِ وَ السَّرِقَةِ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ اخْتَلَطَ مَعَهُ غَيْرُهُ فَأَمَّا السَّرِقَةُ بِعَيْنِهَا فَلَا إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنْ مَتَاعِ السُّلْطَانِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ‌[1].

“I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about buying goods from cheating and stealing. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not lawful unless it is mixed with other goods. The very substance of stolen goods cannot be purchased unless it is of the properties of the sultan in which

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ مِنَّا يَشْتَرِي مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ مِنْ إِبِلِ الصَّدَقَةِ وَ غَنَمِ الصَّدَقَةِ وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا الْإِبِلُ وَ الْغَنَمُ إِلَّا مِثْلَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَ الشَّعِيرِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفَ الْحَرَامَ بِعَيْنِهِ قِيلَ لَهُ فَمَا تَرَى فِي مُصَدِّقٍ يَجِيئُنَا فَيَأْخُذُ صَدَق

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of one of our men who bought from the sultan of the camels of charity and sheep of charity and he knew that they took more than what is rightly due on them. He (the Imam) said, ‘Camels and sheep are just like wheat and barley and other goods. It is not unlawful unless he

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي مِنَ الْعَامِلِ وَ هُوَ يَظْلِمُ قَالَ يَشْتَرِي مِنْهُ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ ظَلَمَ فِيهِ أَحَداً.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who bought from a charity collector who committed injustice. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can buy from him unless he learns that he has done injustice in collecting those goods.’”

لَا يَصْلُحُ شِرَاءُ السَّرِقَةِ وَ الْخِيَانَةِ إِذَا عُرِفَتْ.

‘Buying and selling of goods obtained by cheating and stealing are not valid and not lawful.’”

أَرَادُوا بَيْعَ تَمْرِ عَيْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ[1] فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَهُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ حَتَّى أَسْتَأْمِرَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَأَمَرْتُ مُعَاذاً فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ قُلْ لَهُ يَشْتَرِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ لَمْ يَشْتَرِهِ اشْتَرَاهُ غَيْرُهُ.

“They wanted to sell the dates of ‘ Ayn of abu Ziyad (name of a place with farms that belonged to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.)), and I wanted to buy it but then I decided to ask permission from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), so I asked Mu‘adh and he asked him (the Imam) about it and he (the Imam) said, ‘He can buy it because if he do

مَنِ اشْتَرَى سَرِقَةً وَ هُوَ يَعْلَمُ فَقَدْ شَرِكَ فِي عَارِهَا وَ إِثْمِهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever buys stolen goods when he knows it, he shares its shame and sin.’”

هُوَ غَارِمٌ إِذَا لَمْ يَأْتِ عَلَى بَائِعِهَا بِشُهُودٍ[2].

“About the case of a man with whom stolen goods were found, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘He is held responsible unless he presents testimony against the seller such as witnesses.”’