Sales and Trade

Narrated Abu Huraira: You people say that Abu Huraira tells many narrations from Allah's Apostle and you also wonder why the emigrants and Ansar do not narrate from Allah's Apostle as Abu Huraira does. My emigrant brothers were busy in the market while I used to stick to Allah's Apostle content with what fills my stomach; so I used to be present when they were absent and I used to remember when they used to forget, and my Ansari brothers used to be busy with their properties and I was one of the poor men of Suffa. I used to remember the narrations when they used to forget. No doubt, Allah's Apostle once said, "Whoever spreads his garment till I have finished my present speech and then gathers it to himself, will remember whatever I will say." So, I spread my colored garment which I was wearing till Allah's Apostle had finished his saying, and then I gathered it to my chest. So, I did not forget any of that narrations.

Narrated Ibrahim bin Sa`d from his father from his grandfather: `Abdur Rahman bin `Auf said, "When we came to Medina as emigrants, Allah's Apostle established a bond of brotherhood between me and Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi`. Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi` said (to me), 'I am the richest among the Ansar, so I will give you half of my wealth and you may look at my two wives and whichever of the two you may choose I will divorce her, and when she has completed the prescribed period (before marriage) you may marry her.' `Abdur-Rahman replied, "I am not in need of all that. Is there any marketplace where trade is practiced?' He replied, "The market of Qainuqa." `Abdur- Rahman went to that market the following day and brought some dried buttermilk (yogurt) and butter, and then he continued going there regularly. Few days later, `Abdur-Rahman came having traces of yellow (scent) on his body. Allah's Apostle asked him whether he had got married. He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet said, 'Whom have you married?' He replied, 'A woman from the Ansar.' Then the Prophet asked, 'How much did you pay her?' He replied, '(I gave her) a gold piece equal in weigh to a date stone (or a date stone of gold)! The Prophet said, 'Give a Walima (wedding banquet) even if with one sheep .' "

Narrated Anas: When `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf came to Medina, the Prophet established a bond of brotherhood between him and Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi al-Ansari. Sa`d was a rich man, so he said to `Abdur-Rahman, "I will give you half of my property and will help you marry." `Abdur-Rahman said (to him), "May Allah bless you in your family and property. Show me the market." So `Abdur-Rahman did not return from the market) till he gained some dried buttermilk (yogurt) and butter (through trading). He brought that to his house-hold. We stayed for sometime (or as long as Allah wished), and then `Abdur-Rahman came, scented with yellowish perfume. The Prophet said (to him) "What is this?" He replied, "I got married to an Ansari woman." The Prophet asked, "What did you pay her?" He replied, "A gold stone or gold equal to the weight of a date stone." The Prophet said (to him), "Give a wedding banquet even if with one sheep."

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: `Ukaz, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz were marketplaces in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When Islam came, Muslims felt that marketing there might be a sin. So, the Divine Inspiration came: "There is no harm for you to seek the bounty of your Lord (in the seasons of Hajj)." (2.198) Ibn `Abbas recited the Verse in this way.

Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir: The Prophet said "Both legal and illegal things are obvious, and in between them are (suspicious) doubtful matters. So whoever forsakes those doubtful things lest he may commit a sin, will definitely avoid what is clearly illegal; and whoever indulges in these (suspicious) doubtful things bravely, is likely to commit what is clearly illegal. Sins are Allah's Hima (i.e. private pasture) and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment."

Narrated `Abdullah bin Abu Mulaika: `Uqba bin Al-Harith said that a black woman came and claimed that she had suckled both of them (i.e. `Uqba and his wife). So, he mentioned that to the Prophet who turned his face from him and smiled and said, "How (can you keep your wife), and it was said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?" His wife was the daughter of Abu Ihab-al-Tamimi.

Narrated Aisha: `Utba bin Abu Waqqas took a firm promise from his brother Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas to take the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a into his custody as he was his (i.e. `Utba's) son. In the year of the Conquest (of Mecca) Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas took him, and said that he was his brother's son, and his brother took a promise from him to that effect. 'Abu bin Zam`a got up and said, "He is my brother and the son of the slave-girl of my father and was born on my father's bed." Then they both went to the Prophet Sa`d said, "O Allah's Apostle! He is the son of my brother and he has taken a promise from me that I will take him." 'Abu bin Zam`a said, "(He is) my brother and the son of my father's slave-girl and was born on my father's bed." Allah's Apostle said, "The boy is for you. O 'Abu bin Zam`a." Then the Prophet said, "The son is for the bed (i.e. the man on whose bed he was born) and stones (disappointment and deprivation) for the one who has done illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet told his wife Sauda bint Zam`a to screen herself from that boy as he noticed a similarity between the boy and `Utba. So, the boy did not see her till he died.

Narrated `Adi bin Hatim: I asked Allah's Apostle about Al Mirad (i.e. a sharp-edged piece of wood or a piece of wood provided with a piece of iron used for hunting). He replied, "If the game is hit by its sharp edge, eat it, and if it is hit by its broad side, do not eat it, for it has been beaten to death." I asked, "O Allah's Apostle! I release my dog by the name of Allah and find with it at the game, another dog on which I have not mentioned the name of Allah, and I do not know which one of them caught the game." Allah's Apostle said (to him), 'Don't eat it as you have mentioned the name of Allah on your dog and not on the other dog."

Narrated Anas: The Prophet passed by a fallen date and said, "Were it not for my doubt that this might have been given in charity, I would have eaten it." And narrated Abu Huraira the Prophet said, "I found a datefruit fallen on my bed."

Narrated `Abbas bin Tamim: that his uncle said: "The Prophet was asked: If a person feels something during his prayer; should one interrupt his prayer?" The Prophet said: No! You should not give it up unless you hear a sound or smell something." Narrated Ibn Abi Hafsa: Az-Zuhri said, "There is no need of repeating ablution unless you detect a smell or hear a sound."

Narrated `Aisha: Some people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Meat is brought to us by some people and we are not sure whether the name of Allah has been mentioned on it or not (at the time of slaughtering the animals)." Allah's Apostle said (to them), "Mention the name of Allah and eat it."

Narrated Jabir: While we were offering the prayer with the Prophet a caravan carrying food came from Sham. The people looked towards the caravan (and went to it) and only twelve persons remained with the Prophet. So, the Divine Inspiration came; "But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it." (62.11)

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "A time will come when one will not care how one gains one's money, legally or illegally."

Narrated Abu Al-Minhal: I used to practice money exchange, and I asked Zaid bin 'Arqam about it, and he narrated what the Prophet said in the following: Abu Al-Minhal said, "I asked Al-Bara' bin `Azib and Zaid bin Arqam about practicing money exchange. They replied, 'We were traders in the time of Allah's Apostle and I asked Allah's Apostle about money exchange. He replied, 'If it is from hand to hand, there is no harm in it; otherwise it is not permissible."

Narrated 'Ubaid bin `Umair: Abu Musa asked `Umar to admit him but he was not admitted as `Umar was busy, so Abu Musa went back. When `Umar finished his job he said, "Didn't I hear the voice of `Abdullah bin Qais? Let him come in." `Umar was told that he had left. So, he sent for him and on his arrival, he (Abu Musa) said, "We were ordered to do so (i.e. to leave if not admitted after asking permission thrice). `Umar told him, "Bring witness in proof of your statement." Abu Musa went to the Ansar's meeting places and asked them. They said, "None amongst us will give this witness except the youngest of us, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri. Abu Musa then took Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (to `Umar) and `Umar said, surprisingly, "Has this order of Allah's Apostle been hidden from me?" (Then he added), "I used to be busy trading in markets."

Abu Hurairah (ra) said, "Allah's Messenger () mentioned a person from Bani Israel who travelled by sea and carried out his needs." The he narrated the whole story. (See Hadith no. 2291)

Narrated Jabir: A caravan arrived (at Medina) while we were offering the Jumua prayer with the Prophet. The people left out for the caravan, with the exception of twelve persons. Then this Verse was revealed: 'But when they see some bargain or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it and leave you standing." (62.11)

Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet said, "If a woman gives in charity from her house meals without wasting (i.e. being extravagant), she will get the reward for her giving, and her husband will also get the reward for his earning and the storekeeper will also get a similar reward. The acquisition of the reward of none of them will reduce the reward of the others."

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "If a woman gives something (i.e. in charity) from her husband's earnings without his permission, she will get half his reward."

Narrated Anas bin Malik: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "whoever desires an expansion in his sustenance and age, should keep good relations with his Kith and kin."

Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet purchased food grains from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armor to him.

Narrated Qatada: Anas went to the Prophet with barley bread having some dissolved fat on it. The Prophet had mortgaged his armor to a Jew in Medina and took from him some barley for his family. Anas heard him saying, "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Sa of wheat or food grains for the evening meal, although he has nine wives to look after." (See Hadith No. 685)

Narrated `Aisha: When Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was chosen Caliph, he said, "My people know that my profession was not incapable of providing substance to my family. And as I will be busy serving the Muslim nation, my family will eat from the National Treasury of Muslims, and I will practice the profession of serving the Muslims."

Narrated Aisha: The companions of Allah's Apostle used to practice manual labor, so their sweat used to smell, and they were advised to take a bath.

Narrated Al-Miqdam: The Prophet said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor."

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The Prophet David used not to eat except from the earnings of his manual labor."

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "One would rather cut and carry a bundle of wood on his back than ask somebody who may or may not live him."

Narrated Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam: The Prophet said, "One would rather take a rope and cut wood and carry it than ask others).

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: Allah's Apostle said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money."

Narrated Hudhaifa: The Prophet said, "Before your time the angels received the soul of a man and asked him, 'Did you do any good deeds (in your life)?' He replied, 'I used to order my employees to grant time to the rich person to pay his debts at his convenience.' So Allah said to the angels; "Excuse him." Rabi said that (the dead man said), 'I used to be easy to the rich and grant time to the poor.' Or, in another narration, 'grant time to the well-off and forgive the needy,' or, 'accept from the well-off and forgive the needy.'