Buying and selling dates and grapes before ripening
It is not permissible to buy and sell dates, grapes, and grains obtained from wheat, barley, and maize separately while leaving them on their trees before they ripen, because it is established from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prohibited the sale of fruits before they ripen.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade both the buyer and the seller. It is also narrated from Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: People used to buy and sell fruits before they ripened during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Then, when the time came to pick the fruit and the owner came to demand the price, the buyer would make excuses saying that the fruit had already spoiled, turned black, got diseased, or had frozen, and would mention various calamities to dispute with the owners. When such cases started coming to you frequently, you said:
Do not buy or sell them until the ripening of the fruit becomes apparent.
Due to the frequent disputes, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said this, but if the seller sells them along with the trees, the sale will be valid because they are included with the trees. Similarly, it is permissible to sell them before ripening on the condition that they will be cut or taken down from the trees.
The indication of ripening varies according to each fruit. The sign of ripening of dates is that they show redness or yellowness, even if only some of the fruits show it. The sign of ripening of grains is that they become hard, and the sign of ripening of grapes is that they turn white or black.
