Buying and Selling Goods

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ اشْتَرَى ثَوْباً وَ لَمْ يَشْتَرِطْ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ شَيْئاً فَكَرِهَهُ ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَقْبَلَهُ إِلَّا بِوَضِيعَةٍ قَالَ لَا يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُ بِوَضِيعَةٍ فَإِنْ جَهِلَ فَأَخَذَهُ وَ بَاعَهُ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَمَنِهِ رَدَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ الْأَوَّلِ مَا زَادَ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys clothes without condition; then dislikes them and returns to the seller who does not accept the return without a certain amount of penalty. He (the Imam) said, ‘He cannot charge any penalty but if he did it because of ignora

فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ بِعْ ثَوْبِي بِعَشَرَةِ دَرَاهِمَ فَمَا فَضَلَ فَهُوَ لَكَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ.

“About the case of a man who says to another man, ‘Sell my cloth for ten dirham, if you sold for more, then the extra is for you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ وَ لَكِنْ لَا يَبِيعُهُمْ مُرَابَحَةً.

“About the case of a man who carries goods for the people of a market who set a price on the goods and say, ‘If you sold for more, the extra is for you’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful but he cannot sell it for them on the basis of profit sharing.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِأَجْرِ السِّمْسَارِ إِنَّمَا يَشْتَرِي لِلنَّاسِ‌[1] يَوْماً بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مُسَمًّى إِنَّمَا هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُجَرَاءِ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Brokerage fee is not unlawful; he only buys for people every now and then for a known amount. He in fact works on hire.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ السِّمْسَارِ يَشْتَرِي بِالْأَجْرِ فَيُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ الْوَرِقُ وَ يُشْتَرَطُ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّكَ إِنْ تَأْتِي بِمَا تَشْتَرِي فَمَا شِئْتُ تَرَكْتُهُ فَيَذْهَبُ فَيَشْتَرِي ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِالْمَتَاعِ فَيَقُولُ خُذْ مَا رَضِيتَ وَ دَعْ مَا كَرِهْتَ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a broker who buys for a fee. Notes are given to him with the condition that he brings the merchandise and the buyer accepts whatever he likes and leaves the rest. He then brings the goods and says, ‘Take what you like and leave what you dis

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي الْجِرَابَ الْهَرَوِيَّ وَ الْقُوهِيَ‌[2] فَيَشْتَرِي الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُ عَشَرَةَ أَثْوَابٍ فَيَشْتَرِطُ عَلَيْهِ خِيَارَهُ كُلَّ ثَوْبٍ بِرِبْحِ خَمْسَةٍ أَوْ أَقَلَّ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ فَقَالَ مَا أُحِبُّ هَذَا الْبَيْعَ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ خِيَاراً غَيْرَ خَمْسَةِ أَثْوَابٍ وَ وَجَدَ الْبَقِيَّةَ سَوَاءً قَالَ لَهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُهُ إِنَّهُمْ قَدِ اشْتَ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys sacks made in Hirat, and in al-Quhiy. A man then buys from him ten cloths with the condition that he can choose every cloth, for a certain amount of profit, five or less or more. He (the Imam) said, ‘I do not like this sale.

يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُشْتَرَى الثَّوْبُ بِدِينَارٍ غَيْرَ دِرْهَمٍ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُدْرَى كَمِ الدِّينَارُ مِنَ الدِّرْهَمِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is undesirable to buy something with dinar which is other than (a particular) dirham because he does not know the value of dinar in relation to the dirham.’”