Advance Payment for Buying Slaves and Animals

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ السَّلَمِ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ قَالَ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ أَسْلَمَ فِي أَسْنَانٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ أَوْ شَيْ‌ءٍ مَعْلُومٍ مِنَ الرَّقِيقِ فَأَعْطَاهُ دُونَ شَرْطِهِ وَ فَوْقَهُ بِطِيبَةِ أَنْفُسٍ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

‘It is not unlawful.’ I then asked him (the Imam) if I can make an advance payment for known years or something known like slaves and I pay more or less than his stipulation with consent and happiness. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ فِي رَجُلٍ أَعْطَى رَجُلًا وَرِقاً فِي وَصِيفٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ لَا نَجِدُ لَكَ وَصِيفاً[1] خُذْ مِنِّي قِيمَةَ وَصِيفِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَرِقاً قَالَ فَقَالَ لَا يَأْخُذُ إِلَّا وَصِيفَهُ أَوْ وَرِقَهُ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ لَا يَزْدَادُ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئاً.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin, about the case of a man who gave a note to another man for a servant for an appointed time and his party said, ‘I could not find a servant for you, you take from me the cost of your servant today in the form of the value.’ He (’Amir al- Mu’minin) has said, ‘He can re

لَا بَأْسَ بِالسَّلَمِ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ إِذَا وُصِفَتْ أَسْنَانُهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Advance payment to buy an animal is not unlawful if the age of animals is clearly described.’”

لَا بَأْسَ بِالسَّلَمِ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ إِذَا سَمَّيْتَ شَيْئاً مَعْلُوماً.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Advance payment to buy an animals is not unlawful if it (the animal) is clearly made known.’”

أَنَّ أَبَاهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرَى بَأْساً بِالسَّلَمِ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that his father would not consider advance payment to buy an animal unlawful for a clearly known merchandise and time.”

أَ لَيْسَ يُسْلِمُ فِي أَسْنَانٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ‌[1].

“About the case of a man who makes advance payment for sheep of a certain age for an appointed time and the party gives him four years old in place of three years old, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), asked, ‘Is it not true that he has made advance payment for (animals of) known age and on an appointed time? I replied, ‘Yes, tha

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُسْلِمُ فِي وُصَفَاءِ أَسْنَانٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ وَ لَوْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ ثُمَّ يُعْطِي دُونَ شَرْطِهِ أَوْ فَوْقَهُ فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ عَنْ طِيبَةِ نَفْسٍ مِنْكَ وَ مِنْهُ فَلَا بَأْسَ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who made an advance payment for things of clearly described age and color; then the party gave him more or less than the set condition. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is with fine consent it is not unlawful.’”

سُئِلَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُسْلِمُ فِي الْغَنَمِ ثُنْيَانٍ وَ جُذْعَانٍ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ إِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْغَنَمُ عَلَى جَمِيعِ مَا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ صَاحِبُ الْغَنَمِ نِصْفَهَا أَوْ ثُلُثَهَا أَوْ ثُلُثَيْهَا وَ يَأْخُذُوا رَأْسَ مَالِ مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ دَرَاهِمَ وَ يَأْخُذُوا دُونَ شَرْطِهِمْ وَ لَا يَأْخُذُونَ فَوْقَ شَرْطِهِمْ وَ الْأَكْسِيَةُ أ

“Once abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) was asked about the case of a man who made an advanced payment to buy sheep of three and less than three years old, and others for an appointed time. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful if the one who must provide sheep cannot have all that he is responsible for; the buyer can have half,

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَسْلَمَ فِي وُصَفَاءِ أَسْنَانٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ وَ غَيْرِ مَعْلُومَةٍ ثُمَّ يُعْطِي دُونَ شَرْطِهِ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ بِطِيبَةِ نَفْسٍ مِنْكَ وَ مِنْهُ فَلَا بَأْسَ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُسْلِفُ فِي الْغَنَمِ الثُّنْيَانَ وَ الْجُذْعَانَ وَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ عَلَى جَمِيعِ مَا عَلَيْهِ فَسُئِلَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who made an advance payment for things of clearly described age and appointed time and not clearly described ages; then he was given below the condition. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is with fine consent from him and from you it is not

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ يَشْتَرِي الْجُلُودَ مِنَ الْقَصَّابِ يُعْطِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ شَيْئاً مَعْلُوماً قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who bought skins from the butcher to give him every day something clearly known. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ السَّلَمِ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ فَقَالَ أَسْنَانٌ مَعْلُومَةٌ وَ أَسْنَانٌ مَعْدُودَةٌ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

‘The age must be clearly known and the numbers must be made known for the known time, then it is not unlawful.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ السَّلَفِ فِي اللَّحْمِ قَالَ لَا تَقْرَبَنَّهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُعْطِيكَ مَرَّةً السَّمِينَ وَ مَرَّةً التَّاوِيَ وَ مَرَّةً الْمَهْزُولَ اشْتَرِهِ مُعَايَنَةً يَداً بِيَدٍ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ السَّلَفِ فِي رَوَايَا الْمَاءِ قَالَ لَا تَقْرَبْهَا فَإِنَّهُ يُعْطِيكَ مَرَّةً نَاقِصَةً وَ مَرَّةً كَامِلَةً وَ لَكِنْ اشْتَرِهِ مُعَايَنَةً وَ هُوَ أَسْلَمُ لَكَ وَ لَهُ‌[1].

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the case of advance payment for meat. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not go close to it because one time he gives you fatty, one time what is about to become spoilled and one time he gives you boney. Buy with examination and in hand in hand manner.’ I then asked about advance payme

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ غَنَمٌ يَحْلُبُهَا لَهَا أَلْبَانٌ كَثِيرَةٌ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَا تَقُولُ فِيمَنْ يَشْتَرِي مِنْهُ الْخَمْسَمِائَةِ رِطْلٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْمِائَةَ رِطْلٍ بِكَذَا وَ كَذَا دِرْهَماً فَيَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ أَرْطَالًا حَتَّى يَسْتَوْفِيَ مَا يَشْتَرِي مِنْهُ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهَذَا وَ نَحْوِهِ‌[2].

‘He has sheep that milks and the milk is abundant every day, if one can buy from him five hundred Ritl (a certain unit of measurement) or more and every one hundred Ritl for so and so much dirham then every day take certain Ritl until the deal is complete.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful (for this) and similar

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ أَنَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ أَخِي يَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ يَجْلِبُ الْغَنَمَ فَيُسْلِمُ فِي الْغَنَمِ فِي أَسْنَانٍ مَعْلُومَةٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ فَيُعْطِي الرَّبَاعَ مَكَانَ الثَّنِيِّ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ بِطِيبَةِ نَفْسٍ مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

‘My brother comes from and goes to the mountains, milks sheep of known age for an appointed time; then he is given four years old in place of three years old.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Is it with fine consent of his party?’ he replied, ‘Yes, it is so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’”