Selling a Non-Existent Item by Describing Its Qualities

Hazrat Saeed bin Al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) used to dislike that a person describes the qualities of goods and sells them while he does not possess them.

Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) disliked describing and selling when the item was not present.

Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, disliked this sale.

Hazrat Zaid bin Aslam says that I asked Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that a person says: You buy this sale, I will buy it from you. (So how is it to do so?) He (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked it.

A person asked Hazrat Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man sets a price for silk with another man, and he says that the silk is not with me. And he says: Buy it so that I may buy it from you? He disliked this sale and said that this is a sale by description.

Hazrat Qasim bin Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him) did not consider there to be any harm in this transaction.

Hazrat Ibrahim bin Maisarah (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I asked Hazrat Tawus: A person asked me the price of goods which I do not possess. And he says, "Buy it, I will buy it from you." And if it were in its place, I would not buy it? Hazrat Tawus disliked this sale.

Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that if a person says to another: "You buy this cloth, I will buy it from you," Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) disliked this sale.