Aahfil.

Forward contracts and paying in advance

The people of Madinah were paying years ahead for fruit not yet grown. The Prophet ﷺ did not forbid the practice — he specified it. The instruction that survives is a contract clause: known measure, known weight, known term.

10 narrations

What this asks in practice

This is the clearest instance in the corpus of a practice corrected rather than banned. The problem was never advance payment; it was terms vague enough that only one side knew what had been agreed.

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 al-Bukhari 2239

Book 35, 1

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ زُرَارَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ، وَالنَّاسُ يُسْلِفُونَ فِي الثَّمَرِ الْعَامَ وَالْعَامَيْنِ ـ أَوْ قَالَ عَامَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً‏.‏ شَكَّ إِسْمَاعِيلُ ـ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ سَلَّفَ فِي تَمْرٍ فَلْيُسْلِفْ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ، وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to Medina and the people used to pay in advance the price of fruits to be delivered within one or two years. (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether it was one to two years or two to three years.) The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever pays money in advance for dates (to be delivered later) should pay it for known specified weight and measure (of the dates)

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2240

Book 35, 3

حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ، وَهُمْ يُسْلِفُونَ بِالتَّمْرِ السَّنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلاَثَ، فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ أَسْلَفَ فِي شَىْءٍ فَفِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ، إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina and the people used to pay in advance the price of dates to be delivered within two or three years. He said (to them), "Whoever pays in advance the price of a thing to be delivered later should pay it for a specified measure at specified weight for a specified period

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2241

Book 35, 5

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) came (to Medina) and he told the people (regarding the payment of money in advance that they should pay it) for a known specified measure and a known specified weight and a known specified period

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2253

Book 35, 14

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ وَهُمْ يُسْلِفُونَ فِي الثِّمَارِ السَّنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلاَثَ، فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَسْلِفُوا فِي الثِّمَارِ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، وَقَالَ، ‏"‏ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina and the people used to pay in advance the prices of fruits to be delivered within two to three years. The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to them), "Buy fruits by paying their prices in advance on condition that the fruits are to be delivered to you according to a fixed specified measure within a fixed specified period." Ibn Najih said, " ... by specified measure and specified weight

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih al-Bukhari 2255

Book 35, 15

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي مُجَالِدٍ، قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ إِلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبْزَى وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى فَسَأَلْتُهُمَا عَنِ السَّلَفِ،‏.‏ فَقَالاَ كُنَّا نُصِيبُ الْمَغَانِمَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَانَ يَأْتِينَا أَنْبَاطٌ مِنْ أَنْبَاطِ الشَّأْمِ فَنُسْلِفُهُمْ فِي الْحِنْطَةِ وَالشَّعِيرِ وَالزَّبِيبِ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَكَانَ لَهُمْ زَرْعٌ، أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ زَرْعٌ قَالاَ مَا كُنَّا نَسْأَلُهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Muhammad bin Abi Al-Mujalid: Abu Burda and `Abdullah bin Shaddad sent me to `Abdur Rahman bin Abza and `Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa to ask them about the Salaf (Salam). They said, "We used to get war booty while we were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and when the peasants of Sham came to us we used to pay them in advance for wheat, barley, and oil to be delivered within a fixed period." I asked them, "Did the peasants own standing crops or not?" They replied, "We never asked them about it

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih Muslim 4118

Book 22, 157

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى قَالَ عَمْرٌو حَدَّثَنَا وَقَالَ يَحْيَى - أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ وَهُمْ يُسْلِفُونَ فِي الثِّمَارِ السَّنَةَ وَالسَّنَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ أَسْلَفَ فِي تَمْرٍ فَلْيُسْلِفْ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported that when Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina, they were paying one and two years in advance for fruits, so he said:Those who pay in advance for anything must do so for a specified weight and for a definite time

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sahih Muslim 4119

Book 22, 158

حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، بْنُ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالنَّاسُ يُسْلِفُونَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ أَسْلَفَ فَلاَ يُسْلِفْ إِلاَّ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported that when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to (Medina) and the people were paying in advance (for the fruits, etc.), he said to them:He who makes an advance payment should not make advance payment except for a specified measure and weight (and for a specified period)

Grading

Authentic by consensus — the collection is graded as a whole

Sunan Abi Dawud 3463

Book 24, 48

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمِنْهَالِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُمْ يُسْلِفُونَ فِي التَّمْرِ السَّنَةَ وَالسَّنَتَيْنِ وَالثَّلاَثَةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ أَسْلَفَ فِي تَمْرٍ فَلْيُسْلِفْ فِي كَيْلٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَوَزْنٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْلُومٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Medina, they were paying one, two and three years in advance for fruits, so he said: Those who pay in advance for anything, must do for a specified measure and weight with a specified time fixed

Grading

  • Al-Albani·Sahih
  • Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid·Sahih
  • Shuaib Al Arnaut·Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih Bukhari (2240) Sahih Muslim (1604)

Sunan Abi Dawud 3464

Book 24, 49

حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ، أَوْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُجَالِدٍ قَالَ اخْتَلَفَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ وَأَبُو بُرْدَةَ فِي السَّلَفِ فَبَعَثُونِي إِلَى ابْنِ أَبِي أَوْفَى فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنَّا نُسْلِفُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فِي الْحِنْطَةِ وَالشَّعِيرِ وَالتَّمْرِ وَالزَّبِيبِ - زَادَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ - إِلَى قَوْمٍ مَا هُوَ عِنْدَهُمْ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا وَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ أَبْزَى فَقَالَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ‏.‏

Translation

Muhammad or 'Abd Allah b. Mujahid said: 'Abd Allah b. Shaddad and Abu Burdah disputed over salaf (payment in advance). They sent me to Ibn Abi Awfa and I asked him (about it) and he replied: We used to pay in advance (salaf) during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abu Bakr and 'Umar in wheat, barley, dates and raisins. Ibn Kathir added: "to those people who did not possess these things." The agreed version then goes: I then asked Ibn Abza who gave a similar reply

Grading

  • Al-Albani·Sahih
  • Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid·Sahih
  • Shuaib Al Arnaut·Sahih
  • Zubair Ali Zai·Sahih Bukhari (2243)

Muwatta Malik 1339

Book 31, 1

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لاَ بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يُسَلِّفَ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فِي الطَّعَامِ الْمَوْصُوفِ بِسِعْرٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي زَرْعٍ لَمْ يَبْدُ صَلاَحُهُ أَوْ تَمْرٍ لَمْ يَبْدُ صَلاَحُهُ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ الأَمْرُ عِنْدَنَا فِيمَنْ سَلَّفَ فِي طَعَامٍ بِسِعْرٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَحَلَّ الأَجَلُ فَلَمْ يَجِدِ الْمُبْتَاعُ عِنْدَ الْبَائِعِ وَفَاءً مِمَّا ابْتَاعَ مِنْهُ فَأَقَالَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ وَرِقَهُ أَوْ ذَهَبَهُ أَوِ الثَّمَنَ الَّذِي دَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ بِعَيْنِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَشْتَرِي مِنْهُ بِذَلِكَ الثَّمَنِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَقْبِضَهُ مِنْهُ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا أَخَذَ غَيْرَ الثَّمَنِ الَّذِي دَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ أَوْ صَرَفَهُ فِي سِلْعَةٍ غَيْرِ الطَّعَامِ الَّذِي ابْتَاعَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ بَيْعُ الطَّعَامِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْتَوْفَى ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَقَدْ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ بَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْتَوْفَى ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ فَإِنْ نَدِمَ الْمُشْتَرِي فَقَالَ لِلْبَائِعِ أَقِلْنِي وَأُنْظِرُكَ بِالثَّمَنِ الَّذِي دَفَعْتُ إِلَيْكَ ‏.‏ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ لاَ يَصْلُحُ وَأَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا حَلَّ الطَّعَامُ لِلْمُشْتَرِي عَلَى الْبَائِعِ أَخَّرَ عَنْهُ حَقَّهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُقِيلَهُ فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ بَيْعَ الطَّعَامِ إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْتَوْفَى ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَتَفْسِيرُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْمُشْتَرِيَ حِينَ حَلَّ الأَجَلُ وَكَرِهَ الطَّعَامَ أَخَذَ بِهِ دِينَارًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِالإِقَالَةِ وَإِنَّمَا الإِقَالَةُ مَا لَمْ يَزْدَدْ فِيهِ الْبَائِعُ وَلاَ الْمُشْتَرِي فَإِذَا وَقَعَتْ فِيهِ الزِّيَادَةُ بِنَسِيئَةٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ أَوْ بِشَىْءٍ يَزْدَادُهُ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ أَوْ بِشَىْءٍ يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ أَحَدُهُمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِالإِقَالَةِ وَإِنَّمَا تَصِيرُ الإِقَالَةُ إِذَا فَعَلاَ ذَلِكَ بَيْعًا وَإِنَّمَا أُرْخِصَ فِي الإِقَالَةِ وَالشِّرْكِ وَالتَّوْلِيَةِ مَا لَمْ يَدْخُلْ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ زِيَادَةٌ أَوْ نُقْصَانٌ أَوْ نَظِرَةٌ فَإِنْ دَخَلَ ذَلِكَ زِيَادَةٌ أَوْ نُقْصَانٌ أَوْ نَظِرَةٌ صَارَ بَيْعًا يُحِلُّهُ مَا يُحِلُّ الْبَيْعَ وَيُحَرِّمُهُ مَا يُحَرِّمُ الْبَيْعَ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ مَنْ سَلَّفَ فِي حِنْطَةٍ شَامِيَّةٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مَحْمُولَةً بَعْدَ مَحِلِّ الأَجَلِ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَالِكٌ وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ سَلَّفَ فِي صِنْفٍ مِنَ الأَصْنَافِ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ خَيْرًا مِمَّا سَلَّفَ فِيهِ أَوْ أَدْنَى بَعْدَ مَحِلِّ الأَجَلِ وَتَفْسِيرُ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يُسَلِّفَ الرَّجُلُ فِي حِنْطَةٍ مَحْمُولَةٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ شَعِيرًا أَوْ شَامِيَّةً وَإِنْ سَلَّفَ فِي تَمْرٍ عَجْوَةٍ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ صَيْحَانِيًّا أَوْ جَمْعًا وَإِنْ سَلَّفَ فِي زَبِيبٍ أَحْمَرَ فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَسْوَدَ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ بَعْدَ مَحِلِّ الأَجَلِ إِذَا كَانَتْ مَكِيلَةُ ذَلِكَ سَوَاءً بِمِثْلِ كَيْلِ مَا سَلَّفَ فِيهِ ‏.‏

Translation

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said that there was no harm in a man making an advance to another man for food, with a set description and price until a set date, as long as it was not in crops, or dates which had not begun to ripen. Malik said, "The way of doing things among us concerning someone who makes an advance for foodstuffs at a known rate until a stated date, and the date arrives and he finds that there is not enough of what he was sold with the seller to fulfill his order, and so he revokes the sale, is that he must only take back the silver, gold, or price which he paid exactly. He does not buy anything else from the man for the same price until he has got back what he paid. That is because if he took something else besides the price which he paid him or exchanged it for goods other than the goods which he bought from him, it would be selling food before getting delivery of it." Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade selling food before getting delivery of it." Malik said that it was not good if the buyer regretted his purchase and asked the seller to revoke the sale for him and he would not press him immediately for what he had paid. The people of knowledge forbade that. That was because when the food was made ready for the buyer by the seller, the buyer deferred his due from the seller in order that he might revoke the sale for him. That was the sale of food with delayed terms before taking delivery of the food. Malik said, "The explanation of that is that when the date of delivery comes and the buyer dislikes the food, the seller takes by it money to be paid later and so it is not revocation. Revocation is that in which neither the buyer nor the seller is increased. When increase occurs by deferment of payment for a time period, or by anything which increases one of them over the other or anything which gives one of them profit, it is not revocation. When either of them do that, revocation becomes a sale. There is an indulgence for revocation, partnership, and transfer, as long as i ncrease, decrease, or deferment does not come into them. If increase, decrease, or deferment comes into it, it becomes a sale. Whatever makes a sale halal makes it halal and whatever makes a sale haram makes it haram." Malik said, "If someone pays in advance for Syrian wheat, there is no harm if he takes a load after the term falls due." Malik said, "It is the same with whoever advances for any kind of thing. There is no harm in him taking better than whatever he has made an advance for or worse than it after the agreed delivery date. The explanation of that is that if, for instance, a man advances for a certain weight of wheat. There is no harm if he decides to take some barley or Syrian wheat. If he has made an advance for good dates, there is no harm if he decides to take poor quality dates. If he paid in advance for red raisins, there is no harm if he takes black ones, when it happens after the agreed delivery date, and when the measure of what he takes is like the measure of what he paid for in advance

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  • Salim al-Hilali·Mauquf Sahih

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