Buying and Selling Real Estate

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى جَعْفَراً ص شَبِيهاً بِالْمُسْتَنْصِحِ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ صِرْتَ اتَّخَذْتَ الْأَمْوَالَ قِطَعاً مُتَفَرِّقَةً وَ لَوْ كَانَتْ فِي مَوْضِعٍ [وَاحِدٍ] كَانَتْ أَيْسَرَ لِمَئُونَتِهَا وَ أَعْظَمَ لِمَنْفَعَتِهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اتَّخَذْتُهَا مُتَفَرِّقَةً فَإِنْ أَصَابَ هَذَا الْمَالَ شَيْ‌ءٌ سَلِمَ هَذَا الْمَالُ وَ ا

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘Once a man came to Ja‘far (a.s.), as if giving him good advice; he said, ‘O abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, why have you made the properties in scattered pieces? Had they been in one piece, more profit with fewer expenses could have been made? Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, re

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا يُخَلِّفُ الرَّجُلُ شَيْئاً أَشَدَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَالِ الصَّامِتِ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ بِهِ قَالَ يَجْعَلُهُ فِي الْحَائِطِ يَعْنِي فِي الْبُسْتَانِ أَوِ الدَّارِ.

"The most difficult property to protect is of the silent kind (gold and silver).’ I then asked, ‘What should one do about it?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘One should keep them inside walls, a garden or a house.’"

دَعَانِي جَعْفَرٌ ع فَقَالَ بَاعَ فُلَانٌ أَرْضَهُ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ أَنَّهُ مَنْ بَاعَ أَرْضاً أَوْ مَاءً وَ لَمْ يَضَعْهُ فِي أَرْضٍ أَوْ مَاءٍ ذَهَبَ ثَمَنُهُ مَحْقاً[3].

“Once Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, called me and asked, ‘Has so and so sold his land?’ I replied, ‘Yes, he has done so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is written in the Torah that whoever sells a piece of land or water and does not replace it by another piece of land or water, its price (money received) loses its blessings.”

مُشْتَرِي الْعُقْدَةِ مَرْزُوقٌ وَ بَائِعُهَا مَمْحُوقٌ.

The buyer of real property receives sustenance and the seller thereof suffers a serious loss.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- لِمُصَادِفٍ مَوْلَاهُ اتَّخِذْ عُقْدَةً أَوْ ضَيْعَةً فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا نَزَلَتْ بِهِ النَّازِلَةُ أَوِ الْمُصِيبَةُ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ مَا يُقِيمُ عِيَالَهُ كَانَ أَسْخَى لِنَفْسِهِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, once said to his Mawla’, Musadif, ‘Find some real property or goods; when man faces hardship or misfortune, and then finds out that behind him there is something for support of his family, he feels more generous to allow his soul to depart (his body).”’

ثَمَنُ الْعَقَارِ مَمْحُوقٌ إِلَّا أَنْ يُجْعَلَ فِي عَقَارٍ مِثْلِهِ.

“Abu Ibrahim, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the price (money) received in exchange for real estate is a loss unless another piece of real estate is purchased therewith.”

لَمَّا دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ ص الْمَدِينَةَ خَطَّ دُورَهَا بِرِجْلِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ بَاعَ رِبَاعَهُ فَلَا تُبَارِكْ لَهُ‌[2].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam has said, that when the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, arrived in al-Madinah he drew a line around its houses and said, ‘O Allah, do not make it a blessing for those who sell its houses.”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ لِي أَرْضاً تُطْلَبُ مِنِّي وَ يُرَغِّبُونِّي فَقَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا سَيَّارٍ أَ مَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مَنْ بَاعَ الْمَاءَ وَ الطِّينَ ذَهَبَ مَالُهُ هَبَاءً قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي أَبِيعُ بِالثَّمَنِ الْكَثِيرِ وَ أَشْتَرِي مَا هُوَ أَوْسَعُ رُقْعَةً مِمَّا بِعْتُ قَالَ فَلَا بَأْسَ‌[3].

“Once I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I have a piece of land in which buyers are much interested to purchase.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O abu Sayyar, do you know that whoever sells land or water (like a fountain for irrigation and so on), his wealth goes away as a bad loss.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul