Aahfil.

Deception, concealment and fake bidding

The narration of the heap of grain — the Prophet ﷺ put his hand inside, found it damp, and said the seller had hidden it where buyers could not see. Alongside it sits the prohibition of najsh: bidding on goods you do not intend to buy, purely to raise what someone else will pay.

12 narrations

What this asks in practice

Najsh is the ancestor of the fake bid, the planted review and the invented 'was' price. The test in the narration is not whether the claim is literally false, but whether it manufactures a pressure the buyer would not otherwise feel.

This framing is ours. It is not part of the narration.

This is a reference compilation, not a religious ruling. Narrations are reproduced from published translations with their references and their gradings, each attributed to the scholar who gave it — graders disagree, and we show the disagreement rather than resolve it. For how any of this applies to a specific transaction, ask a qualified scholar.

The narrations

Sahih Muslim 284

Book 1, 190

وَحَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، ‏.‏ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةِ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلاً فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا هَذَا يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَلاَ جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ كَىْ يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) happened to pass by a heap of eatables (corn). He thrust his hand in that (heap) and his fingers were moistened. He said to the owner of that heap of eatables (corn):What is this? He replied: Messenger of Allah, these have been drenched by rainfall. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over other eatables so that the people could see it? He who deceives is not of me (is not my follower)

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1315

Book 14, 118

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلاً فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ مَا هَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَلاَ جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ حَتَّى يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَبِي الْحَمْرَاءِ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَبُرَيْدَةَ وَأَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ نِيَارٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ كَرِهُوا الْغِشَّ وَقَالُوا الْغِشُّ حَرَامٌ ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Hurairah: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by a pile of food. He put his fingers in it and felt wetness. He said: 'O owner of the food! What is this ?' He replied: 'It was rained upon O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Why not put it on top of the food so the people can see it?' Then he said: 'Whoever cheats, he is not one of us.'" He said: There are narrations on this topic from Ibn 'Umar, Abu Al-Hamra', Ibn 'Abbas, Buraidah, Abu Burdah bin Niyar, and Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman. [Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is Hasan Sahih Hadith. This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge. They dislike cheating and they say that cheating is unlawful

Grading

  • Ahmad Muhammad Shakir·Sahih
  • Al-Albani·Sahih
  • Bashar Awad Maarouf·Hasan Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih Muslim
Imam at-TirmidhiCheck on sunnah.com

Sahih al-Bukhari 2117

Book 34, 70

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، ذَكَرَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ يُخْدَعُ فِي الْبُيُوعِ، فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا بَايَعْتَ فَقُلْ لاَ خِلاَبَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: A person came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him that he was always betrayed in purchasing. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him to say at the time of buying, "No cheating

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sunan an-Nasa'i 4484

Book 44, 36

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، ذَكَرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ يُخْدَعُ فِي الْبَيْعِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِذَا بِعْتَ فَقُلْ لاَ خِلاَبَةَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا بَاعَ يَقُولُ لاَ خِلاَبَةَ ‏.‏

Translation

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that: a man told the Messenger of Allah that he was always being cheated. The Messenger of Allah said to him: "When you make a deal, say: There is no intention of cheating" So, whenever the man engages in a deal he says, 'There is no intention of cheating." "(Sahih)

Grading

  • Abu Ghuddah·Sahih
  • Al-Albani·Sahih Hadith
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih - Agreed Upon

Sahih al-Bukhari 2140

Book 34, 92

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَبِيعَ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ، وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلاَ يَبِيعُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى بَيْعِ أَخِيهِ وَلاَ يَخْطُبُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ، وَلاَ تَسْأَلُ الْمَرْأَةُ طَلاَقَ أُخْتِهَا لِتَكْفَأَ مَا فِي إِنَائِهَا‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the selling of things by a town dweller on behalf of a desert dweller; and similarly Najsh was forbidden. And one should not urge somebody to return the goods to the seller so as to sell him his own goods; nor should one demand the hand of a girl who has already been engaged to someone else; and a woman should not try to cause some other woman to be divorced in order to take her place

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2142

Book 34, 94

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ نَهَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ النَّجْشِ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn `Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade Najsh

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2150

Book 34, 102

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَلَقَّوُا الرُّكْبَانَ، وَلاَ يَبِيعُ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا وَلاَ يَبِيعُ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ، وَلاَ تُصَرُّوا الْغَنَمَ، وَمَنِ ابْتَاعَهَا فَهْوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَيْنِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَحْتَلِبَهَا إِنْ رَضِيَهَا أَمْسَكَهَا، وَإِنْ سَخِطَهَا رَدَّهَا وَصَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do not go forward to meet the caravan (to buy from it on the way before it reaches the town). And do not urge buyers to cancel their purchases to sell them (your own goods) yourselves, and do not practice Najsh. A town dweller should not sell the goods for the desert dweller. Do not leave sheep unmilked for a long time, when they are on sale, and whoever buys such an animal has the option of returning it, after milking it, along with a Sa of dates or keeping it. it has been kept unmilked for a long period by the seller (to deceive others)

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2160

Book 34, 111

حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ يَبْتَاعُ الْمَرْءُ عَلَى بَيْعِ أَخِيهِ، وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلاَ يَبِعْ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ ‏"‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A buyer should not urge a seller to restore a purchase so as to buy it himself, and do not practice Najsh; and a town dweller should not sell goods of a desert dweller

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1304

Book 14, 107

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَنَاجَشُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَنَسٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ ‏.‏ كَرِهُوا النَّجْشَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَالنَّجْشُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَفْصِلُ السِّلْعَةَ إِلَى صَاحِبِ السِّلْعَةِ فَيَسْتَامُ بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَسْوَى وَذَلِكَ عِنْدَمَا يَحْضُرُهُ الْمُشْتَرِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَغْتَرَّ الْمُشْتَرِي بِهِ وَلَيْسَ مِنْ رَأْيِهِ الشِّرَاءُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَخْدَعَ الْمُشْتَرِيَ بِمَا يَسْتَامُ وَهَذَا ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الْخَدِيعَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ وَإِنْ نَجَشَ رَجُلٌ فَالنَّاجِشُ آثِمٌ فِيمَا يَصْنَعُ وَالْبَيْعُ جَائِزٌ لأَنَّ الْبَائِعَ غَيْرُ النَّاجِشِ ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Hurairah: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Do not practice An-Najsh." [He said:] There are narrations on this topic from Ibn 'Umar and Anas. [Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is a Hasan Sahih Hadith. This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge, they disliked An-Najsh. [Abu 'Eisa said:] An-Najsh is when a man who knows about the goods comes to the owner of the goods to offer him more than what it is worth, doing so in the presence of the buyer. He intends to seduce the buyer while he himself does not want to buy it, rather he only wants to deceive the buyer with his offer. And this is type of deceit. Ash-Shafi'i said: "If a man commits An-Najsh the he has sinned due to what he has done, but the sale is permissible, because the buyer did not commit An-Najsh

Grading

  • Ahmad Muhammad Shakir·Sahih
  • Al-Albani·Sahih
  • Bashar Awad Maarouf·Hasan Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih - Bukhari And Muslim
Imam at-TirmidhiCheck on sunnah.com

Sahih Muslim 3815

Book 21, 15

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ يُتَلَقَّى الرُّكْبَانُ لِبَيْعٍ وَلاَ يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا وَلاَ يَبِعْ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ وَلاَ تُصَرُّوا الإِبِلَ وَالْغَنَمَ فَمَنِ ابْتَاعَهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ بِخَيْرِ النَّظَرَيْنِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَحْلُبَهَا فَإِنْ رَضِيَهَا أَمْسَكَهَا وَإِنْ سَخِطَهَا رَدَّهَا وَصَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace'be upon him) as saying:Do not go out to meet riders to enter into transaction with them; none of you must buy in opposition to another, nor must you bid against one another; a townsman must not sell for a man from the desert, and do not tie up udders of carnels and sheep, and he who buys them after that has been done has two courses open to him: after he has milked them he may keep them if he is pleased with them, or he may return them along with a sit of dates if he is displeased with them

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1264

Book 14, 66

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا طَلْقُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ، عَنْ شَرِيكٍ، وَقَيْسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَدِّ الأَمَانَةَ إِلَى مَنِ ائْتَمَنَكَ وَلاَ تَخُنْ مَنْ خَانَكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ إِلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالُوا إِذَا كَانَ لِلرَّجُلِ عَلَى آخَرَ شَيْءٌ فَذَهَبَ بِهِ فَوَقَعَ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ شَيْءٌ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَنْهُ بِقَدْرِ مَا ذَهَبَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ ‏.‏ وَرَخَّصَ فِيهِ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ ‏.‏ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ دَرَاهِمُ فَوَقَعَ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ دَنَانِيرُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ بِمَكَانِ دَرَاهِمِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَقَعَ عِنْدَهُ لَهُ دَرَاهِمُ فَلَهُ حِينَئِذٍ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ مِنْ دَرَاهِمِهِ بِقَدْرِ مَا لَهُ عَلَيْهِ ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Abu Hurairah: That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Fulfill the trust for the one who entrusted you, and do not cheat the one who cheated you." [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib. Some of the people of knowledge followed this Hadith, they said that when something belonging to a man is with another and he leaves (with it), then he has something that belongs to him, he may not withhold from him an equivalent to what the other took of his. Some of the people of knowledge among the Tabi'in allowed that. This is the view of Sufyan Ath-Thawri, he said: "If one man has some Dirham that belong to another, and the second has some Dinar belonging to the first, he may not withhold any in place of his Dirham, unless it so happens that he has some Dirham of his, then in that case he can withhold some of his Dirham equal to what he is owed by the first

Grading

  • Ahmad Muhammad Shakir·Sahih
  • Al-Albani·Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Daif
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Sunan an-Nasa'i 4496

Book 44, 48

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَلَقُّوا الرُّكْبَانَ لِلْبَيْعِ وَلاَ يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ - وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا - وَلاَ يَبِيعُ حَاضِرٌ لِبَادٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said:"Do not go out to meet the riders, and do not urge someone to cancel a sale he has already agreed upon os as to sell him your own goods, do not artificially inflate prices, and let not a town-dweller sell for a desert-dweller." (Sahih)

Grading

  • Abu Ghuddah·Sahih
  • Al-Albani·Sahih Hadith
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih - Agreed Upon

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