Buying and Selling Food

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ شِرَاءِ الطَّعَامِ مِمَّا يُكَالُ أَوْ يُوزَنُ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ شِرَاهُ بِغَيْرِ كَيْلٍ وَ لَا وَزْنٍ فَقَالَ أَمَّا أَنْ تَأْتِيَ رَجُلًا فِي طَعَامٍ قَدِ اكْتِيلَ أَوْ وُزِنَ فَيَشْتَرِيَ مِنْهُ مُرَابَحَةً فَلَا بَأْسَ إِنْ أَنْتَ اشْتَرَيْتَهُ وَ لَمْ تَكِلْهُ أَوْ تَزِنْهُ إِذَا كَانَ الْمُشْتَرِي الْأَوَّلُ قَدْ أَخَذَهُ بِكَيْلٍ أَوْ وَزْنٍ فَقُلْتَ عِنْدَ الْبَيْعِ إِنِّي أُرْبِحُكَ فِيهِ كَذَا و

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about buying food which is exchanged by means of weighing or measuring, if such items can be bought without weighing or measuring. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you find a man with food which he has weighed or measured and it is bought from him with profit for him, it is not harmful if yo

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَبْتَاعُ الطَّعَامَ ثُمَّ يَبِيعُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَالَ قَالَ لَا يَصْلُحُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ.[3]

“About the case of a man who buys a certain amount of food then sells it without weighing or measurement, he (the Imam) said, ‘It is not a valid deal.’”

لَا بَأْسَ وَ يُوَكِّلُ الرَّجُلُ الْمُشْتَرِيَ مِنْهُ بِقَبْضِهِ وَ كَيْلِهِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ [بِذَلِكَ‌].

“About the case of a man who buys food then sells it before receiving delivery, he (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’ ‘Can he appoint the second buyer as his agent to receive delivery?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

لِلْمُشْتَرِي ابْتَعْ مِنِّي هَذَا الْعِدْلَ الْآخَرَ بِغَيْرِ كَيْلٍ فَإِنَّ فِيهِ مِثْلَ مَا فِي الْآخَرِ الَّذِي ابْتَعْتَهُ قَالَ لَا يَصْلُحُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكِيلَ وَ قَالَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ طَعَامٍ سَمَّيْتَ فِيهِ كَيْلًا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَصْلُحُ مُجَازَفَةً هَذَا مَا يُكْرَهُ مِنْ بَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ.

“About the case of a man who buys food from another man, a package by means of known measurement then the party asks the buyer to buy from him another similar package without measurement, because it is similar to the other package already bought. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not valid without measurement.’ He (the Imam)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ كُرٌّ مِنْ طَعَامٍ فَاشْتَرَى كُرّاً مِنْ رَجُلٍ آخَرَ فَقَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ انْطَلِقْ فَاسْتَوْفِ كُرَّكَ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who owes one kur (a certain amount) of food. He then buys one kur of food from another man and asks his creditor to come to receive the Kur of food owed to him. He (the Imam) said, ‘Such a transaction is not harmful.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَشْتَرِي الطَّعَامَ فَأَضَعُ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَ أَرْبَحُ فِي آخِرِهِ فَأَسْأَلُ صَاحِبِي أَنْ يَحُطَّ عَنِّي فِي كُلِّ كُرٍّ كَذَا وَ كَذَا فَقَالَ هَذَا لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ وَ لَكِنْ يَحُطُّ عَنْكَ جُمْلَةً قُلْتُ فَإِنْ حَطَّ عَنِّي أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا وَضِعْتُ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ قُلْتُ فَأُخْرِجُ الْكُرَّ وَ الْكُرَّيْنِ فَيَقُولُ الرَّجُلُ أَعْطِنِيهِ بِكَيْلِكَ فَقَالَ إِذَا ائْتَمَنَك

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that I buy food in a deal in the beginning of which I lose and in the end I gain profit. I then ask my friend to reduce a certain amount on each kur. He (the Imam) said, ‘There is nothing good in it, however, he can reduce a certain sum.’ I then asked, ‘Can he reduce more than I h

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَشْتَرِي الطَّعَامَ فَأَكْتَالُهُ وَ مَعِي مَنْ قَدْ شَهِدَ الْكَيْلَ وَ إِنَّمَا اكْتَلْتُهُ لِنَفْسِي فَيَقُولُ بِعْنِيهِ فَأَبِيعُهُ إِيَّاهُ بِذَلِكَ الْكَيْلِ الَّذِي كِلْتُهُ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about food that I buy and I measure it when someone witnesses my measuring but I measure it for myself. He then says, ‘Sell it to me.’ I then sell it to him by means of the same measurement that I made for myself. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اشْتَرَى رَجُلٌ تِبْنَ بَيْدَرٍ[1] كُلَّ كُرٍّ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَيَقْبِضُ التِّبْنَ وَ يَبِيعُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَالَ الطَّعَامُ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ‌[2].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys hay which is on the threshing floor, each kur for a certain amount. He receives delivery of hay and sells it before measuring the hay. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْقَوْمِ يَدْخُلُونَ السَّفِينَةَ يَشْتَرُونَ الطَّعَامَ فَيَتَسَاوَمُونَ بِهَا ثُمَّ يَشْتَرِي رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَيَتَسَاءَلُونَهُ فَيُعْطِيهِمْ مَا يُرِيدُونَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ فَيَكُونُ صَاحِبُ الطَّعَامِ هُوَ الَّذِي يَدْفَعُهُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ يَقْبِضُ الثَّمَنَ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ مَا أَرَاهُمْ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ شَرِكُوهُ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ يَدْعُو كَيَّالًا فَيَكِيلُهُ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a people who embark in a ship and buy food and bargain about it. Then one man buys from them. They ask him and he gives them what they ask for of food. So he who collects payment and gives them food becomes the owner of food. He (the Imam)