Source: Urdu Commentary of ‘Umdat al-Ahkam from the Sayings of the Best of Mankind
Translation by: Hafiz Faizullah Nasir
“The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited Mukhabarah and Muhaqalah, and also Muzabanah, and the sale of fruits until their ripeness becomes evident. And that produce should only be sold in exchange for dinar and dirham—except in the case of ‘Araya.”
An arrangement where the landowner offers land to a farmer for cultivation in exchange for a fixed portion of the produce (like one-third or one-fourth), with all farming expenses borne by the farmer.
المحاقلة (Muhaqalah):
Selling standing grain (still in its spikes or ears) in exchange for already harvested grain. This includes selling unharvested crops based on estimation.
المزابنة (Muzabanah):
A forbidden transaction involving trading fresh dates still on the tree for dried dates or a similar exchange involving uncertainty and speculation.
الثمرة (al-Thamarah):
Fruits or produce; their sale is not permitted until signs of ripening appear.
العرايا (al-‘Araya):
A concessionary form of sale where standing dates are sold by estimation for dry dates under specific conditions (detailed separately).
✔ Muhaqalah is forbidden due to the uncertainty and speculation it involves, violating the principle of fairness in trade.
✔ Muzabanah is another speculative form of trade and is disallowed.
✔ Fruits and crops should not be sold until their benefit or ripeness is clearly evident, to prevent disputes or deception.
✔ Only monetary exchange (dinar or dirham) should be used for such transactions, except in Araya sales, which are permitted in limited cases.
Hadith Reference:
Translation by: Hafiz Faizullah Nasir
✿ Hadith : Prohibited Agricultural and Trade Transactions
Narrated by: Jabir bin Abdullah (رضي الله عنهما)“The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited Mukhabarah and Muhaqalah, and also Muzabanah, and the sale of fruits until their ripeness becomes evident. And that produce should only be sold in exchange for dinar and dirham—except in the case of ‘Araya.”
✿ Explanation of Vocabulary:
المخابرة (Mukhabarah):An arrangement where the landowner offers land to a farmer for cultivation in exchange for a fixed portion of the produce (like one-third or one-fourth), with all farming expenses borne by the farmer.
المحاقلة (Muhaqalah):
Selling standing grain (still in its spikes or ears) in exchange for already harvested grain. This includes selling unharvested crops based on estimation.
المزابنة (Muzabanah):
A forbidden transaction involving trading fresh dates still on the tree for dried dates or a similar exchange involving uncertainty and speculation.
الثمرة (al-Thamarah):
Fruits or produce; their sale is not permitted until signs of ripening appear.
العرايا (al-‘Araya):
A concessionary form of sale where standing dates are sold by estimation for dry dates under specific conditions (detailed separately).
✿ Explanation of the Hadith:
✔ Mukhabarah is prohibited because it often leads to injustice or dispute—if the harvest fails, the farmer bears a total loss despite effort.✔ Muhaqalah is forbidden due to the uncertainty and speculation it involves, violating the principle of fairness in trade.
✔ Muzabanah is another speculative form of trade and is disallowed.
✔ Fruits and crops should not be sold until their benefit or ripeness is clearly evident, to prevent disputes or deception.
✔ Only monetary exchange (dinar or dirham) should be used for such transactions, except in Araya sales, which are permitted in limited cases.
Hadith Reference:
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Musaqah (Irrigation and Agriculture), Hadith: 2381
