Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 31065 — Book of the Judgments

Al-Najrani said: I asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): "Can a salam sale be made on date palms before the blossoms emerge?" Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "It cannot." I asked: "Why can it not?" Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), a man made a salam sale on date palms before the blossoms emerged, and that year no blossoms emerged at all. The buyer said: 'They remain my property until the blossoms emerge,' and the seller said: 'I sold you the trees only for this year.' So the two men brought their dispute to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the seller: 'Has the buyer cut anything from your trees?' The seller said: 'Nothing.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Then how can his money be lawful for you? Return what you took from him. And in future let no one make a salam sale on date palms until the soundness of the fruit becomes evident.'"