Selling for Capital with an Additional Certain Percentage Profit (Murabahah) or a Certain Amount of Profit with Mention of Percentage Ratio

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَرِي الْمَتَاعَ جَمِيعاً بِالثَّمَنِ ثُمَّ يُقَوِّمُ كُلَّ ثَوْبٍ بِمَا يَسْوَى حَتَّى يَقَعَ عَلَى رَأْسِ مَالِهِ جَمِيعاً أَ يَبِيعُهُ مُرَابَحَةً قَالَ لَا حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُ أَنَّمَا قَوَّمَهُ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a man who buys goods altogether for a certain price, then sets a price for each piece proportionately until all of his capital is covered; if he can sell it in the form of Murabahah (capital plus a certain percent profit). He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so until

قُدِّمَ لِأَبِي ع مَتَاعٌ مِنْ مِصْرٍ فَصَنَعَ طَعَاماً وَ دَعَا لَهُ التُّجَّارَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا نَأْخُذُهُ مِنْكَ بِدَهْ دَوَازْدَهْ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَبِي وَ كَمْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا فِي عَشَرَةِ آلَافٍ أَلْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَبِي إِنِّي أَبِيعُكُمْ هَذَا الْمَتَاعَ بِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفاً فَبَاعَهُمْ مُسَاوَمَةً.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once goods for my father came from Egypt. He (the Imam) prepared food and invited the merchants. They said, ‘We buy from you Be dah dawazdah. He (the Imam) a

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ بَيْعَ دَهْ يَازْدَهْ وَ دَهْ دَوَازْدَهْ وَ لَكِنْ أَبِيعُكَ بِكَذَا وَ كَذَا.

‘I do not like the sale in the form of dah, yaz dah, and dah dawazdah but I sell for so and so (fixed price).”’

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنِّي أَكْرَهُ بَيْعَ عَشَرَةٍ بِأَحَدَ عَشَرَ وَ عَشَرَةٍ بِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ وَ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْبَيْعِ وَ لَكِنْ أَبِيعُكَ بِكَذَا وَ كَذَا مُسَاوَمَةً قَالَ وَ أَتَانِي مَتَاعٌ مِنْ مِصْرٍ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَبِيعَهُ كَذَلِكَ وَ عَظُمَ عَلَيَّ فَبِعْتُهُ مُسَاوَمَةً[2].

4. Al-Husayn from Muhammad has narrated from Mu’alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Muhammad who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘I do not like the sale of ten for eleven and ten for twelve and so on. I sell for so and so (fixed price) in the form of

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَبْعَثُ بِالدَّرَاهِمِ لَهَا صَرْفٌ إِلَى الْأَهْوَازِ[1] فَيَشْتَرِي لَنَا بِهَا الْمَتَاعَ ثُمَّ نَلْبَثُ فَإِذَا بَاعَهُ‌[2] وُضِعَ عَلَيْهِ صَرْفُهُ فَإِذَا بِعْنَاهُ كَانَ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نَذْكُرَ لَهُ صَرْفَ الدَّرَاهِمِ فِي الْمُرَابَحَةِ يُجْزِئُنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَا بَلْ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْمُرَابَحَةُ فَأَخْبِرْهُ بِذَلِكَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مُسَاوَمَةً فَلَا بَأْسَ‌[3].

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘We send dirham to Ahwaz where the price of dirham is different. With it goods are bought for us. We then wait until the goods are sold, the difference of price of dirham is deducted from it, if we sell. Is it necessary for us to mention the difference in prices in selling in the

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِيَ اشْتَرِ لِي هَذَا الثَّوْبَ وَ هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ وَ يُعَيِّنُهَا وَ أُرْبِحَكَ فِيهَا كَذَا وَ كَذَا قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ لَيَشْتَرِيهَا وَ لَا تُوَاجِبْهُ الْبَيْعَ- قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْتَوْجِبَهَا أَوْ تَشْتَرِيَهَا[4].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who said to me, ‘Buy this cloth and this stumper from me, then in the form of ‘Aynah sell them to me (sell them to me and I will give you a profit of so and so amount).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is lawful.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He shou

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَشْتَرِي الْمَتَاعَ بِنَظِرَةٍ فَيَجِي‌ءُ الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ بِكَمْ تَقَوَّمَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَقُولُ بِكَذَا وَ كَذَا فَأَبِيعُهُ بِرِبْحٍ فَقَالَ إِذَا بِعْتَهُ مُرَابَحَةً كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ النَّظِرَةِ مِثْلُ مَا لَكَ قَالَ فَاسْتَرْجَعْتُ وَ قُلْتُ هَلَكْنَا فَقَالَ مِمَّ فَقُلْتُ لِأَنَّ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ثَوْبٌ إِلَّا أَبِيعُهُ مُرَابَحَةً يُشْتَرَى مِنِّي وَ لَوْ وُضِعْتُ مِنْ

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I buy goods with deferred payment for a certain time. A man comes to me and says, ‘What is the price.’ I say, ‘It is so and so amount.’ I then sell it to him with a certain amount of profit. He (the Imam) said, ‘When you sell it in the form of Murabahah (capital plus profit) he h

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَشْتَرِي الْعِدْلَ فِيهِ مِائَةُ ثَوْبٍ خِيَارٍ وَ شِرَارٍ دَسْتْشُمَارَ فَيَجِيئُنَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَأْخُذُ مِنَ الْعِدْلِ تِسْعِينَ ثَوْباً بِرِبْحِ دِرْهَمٍ دِرْهَمٍ فَيَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَبِيعَ الْبَاقِيَ عَلَى مِثْلِ مَا بِعْنَا فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ الثَّوْبَ وَحْدَهُ‌[1].

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case in which we buy a bundle of a hundred or so cloths in which there are good and bad ones ‘dast shumar ’ (farsi word for mixed). A man comes and takes ninety for the bundle with profit of one dirham for each. Is it proper for us to sell the rest