Source: Urdu Commentary of ‘Umdat al-Ahkam from the Sayings of the Best of Mankind
Translation by: Hafiz Faizullah Nasir
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade going out to meet caravans before they enter the town and also forbade a city-dweller from selling on behalf of a Bedouin. I asked Ibn Abbas: What does it mean for a city-dweller not to sell for a Bedouin? He replied: He should not act as his agent or broker.”
Approaching incoming trade caravans outside the city or marketplace before they have had a chance to know the market conditions, thereby potentially exploiting them.
حاضر لباد (City-dweller for Bedouin):
Refers to a city resident acting as a broker or middleman for a rural or Bedouin trader.
سمسار (Simsar):
A broker or agent who mediates a sale, often earning commission from both seller and buyer, without being part of the transaction himself.
✔ Similarly, a city dweller acting as a broker for a rural seller is discouraged because it often results in price inflation due to the added commission, burdening the consumers.
✔ The Prophet (ﷺ) stated:
“Do not let a city dweller sell on behalf of a Bedouin. Leave people to earn from one another as Allah provides.”
[Musnad Ahmad: 3/307, Sahih Muslim: 1522, Abu Dawood: 3442, al-Nasa’i: 4495, Tirmidhi: 1223, Ibn Majah: 2176]
Hadith References:
Translation by: Hafiz Faizullah Nasir
✿ Hadith: Restrictions on Intercepting Traders and Acting as Intermediaries
Narrated by: Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما)“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade going out to meet caravans before they enter the town and also forbade a city-dweller from selling on behalf of a Bedouin. I asked Ibn Abbas: What does it mean for a city-dweller not to sell for a Bedouin? He replied: He should not act as his agent or broker.”
✿ Explanation of Vocabulary:
تلقى الركبان (Intercepting Caravans):Approaching incoming trade caravans outside the city or marketplace before they have had a chance to know the market conditions, thereby potentially exploiting them.
حاضر لباد (City-dweller for Bedouin):
Refers to a city resident acting as a broker or middleman for a rural or Bedouin trader.
سمسار (Simsar):
A broker or agent who mediates a sale, often earning commission from both seller and buyer, without being part of the transaction himself.
✿ Explanation of the Hadith:
✔ The prohibition of meeting trade caravans outside the city is intended to protect market fairness and prevent manipulative buying that may deprive the traders of fair prices.✔ Similarly, a city dweller acting as a broker for a rural seller is discouraged because it often results in price inflation due to the added commission, burdening the consumers.
✔ The Prophet (ﷺ) stated:
“Do not let a city dweller sell on behalf of a Bedouin. Leave people to earn from one another as Allah provides.”
[Musnad Ahmad: 3/307, Sahih Muslim: 1522, Abu Dawood: 3442, al-Nasa’i: 4495, Tirmidhi: 1223, Ibn Majah: 2176]
Hadith References:
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Sales, Hadith: 2158
- Sahih Muslim, Book of Sales, Hadith: 1521
