Those who said gold for gold and silver for silver

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Gold for silver is usury (riba) unless it is hand to hand; silver for silver is usury unless it is hand to hand; barley for barley is usury unless it is hand to hand; and dates for dates are usury unless it is hand to hand.

Abu al-Ash'ath said: We were on a military campaign and Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was our commander. We obtained gold and silver as spoils, and Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah ordered a man to sell it to the people against their stipends. The people rushed to it. Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and forbade them, and they returned it. The man came to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah with a complaint. Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to deliver a sermon and said: What is the matter with people who narrate hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that are false, which we have not heard? Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: By Allah, we will certainly narrate hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), even if Mu'awiyah dislikes it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not sell gold for gold, silver for silver, barley for barley, dates for dates, or salt for salt, except equal for equal, hand to hand and in cash.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed among us dates of different kinds, some better than others. We began giving one another more or less among ourselves, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from this and ordered us to sell equal for equal.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Dinars for dinars and dirhams for dirhams, there is to be no difference between them when selling, and do not sell cash for deferred payment.

Something similar is reported from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Selling one dirham for two and one sa' for two sa' is not right. Sell dinars for dinars and dirhams for dirhams (equally).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sell silver for silver, weight for weight, equal for equal, and gold for gold, weight for weight, equal for equal; whatever is in excess is usury (riba). And do not sell fruit before its ripeness becomes evident.

Abu Dihqanah said: I was sitting with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he said: A guest came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): Bring us food. Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) took two sa' of dates and brought back one sa' of superior dates in exchange, as their own dates were inferior to these. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) liked the dates, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Where did these dates come from? He told him: I gave two sa' and brought one sa'. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bring our dates back to us.

Something similar is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sell gold for gold, silver for silver, barley for barley and salt for salt, equal for equal and hand to hand; and if these things (kinds) differ, then sell them for cash however you wish."

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When giving gold for gold and silver for silver, give them with pan level against pan (that is, they must be of equal weight)," until he specifically mentioned salt. Sayyiduna Ubadah said: "By Allah, I do not care that I am not in a land in which Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) is."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sell gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates and salt for salt, for cash and equal for equal. Whoever gives more or demands more has engaged in usury (riba), and the giver and the taker are equal in it."

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people! Do not sell one dinar for two, nor one dirham for two, for I fear al-rama' for you." It was asked: "What is al-rama'?" He said: "Al-rama' is the very thing that you people call usury (riba)."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about selling one dirham for two dirhams. He said: "This is al-riba al-'ajlan (hastened usury)."

Mujahid reports from fourteen of the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that they said: "Gold for gold and silver for silver, and beware of any excess." Among them were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Sa'd, Talhah and al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them all).

A man asked Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) about gold and silver. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Sell gold for gold and silver for silver, equal for equal."

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Do not sell one dirham for two, for this is al-riba al-'ajlan (hastened usury)."

Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from selling gold for gold and silver for silver except equal for equal, and he ordered us: "Sell gold for silver and silver for gold however you wish."

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Sell gold for gold, equal for equal, and silver for silver, equal for equal. The one who gives more and the one who demands more will both be in Hell."

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib and Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with them both) were asked about currency exchange (sarf). Both of them said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling silver for gold on credit.

Malakah said: I came to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) while I was wearing two silver bracelets. I said: "O Mother of the Believers! May I sell them for dirhams?" She said: "No. Sell silver for silver, equal for equal."

Abd al-Aziz bin Hakim said: I was in the presence of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) when a man from Basrah came to him and said: "I have come from people who give small dirhams and take large dirhams in their place." He asked: "Do they take more?" The man said: "Yes." He said: "They may not, except equal for equal."