Sale of Unripe Fruits and ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ is Not Permissible
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
The term ‘Mukhaḍarah’ comes from the root حَاضَرَ يُخَاضِرُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah). It means selling unripe fruits or grains before they ripen, while still on the trees/plants.
References: al-Munjid, p. 309; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 348; Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/521.
① Ḥadīth of Anas رضي الله عنه:
«نهى رسول الله عن بيع المحاضرة»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the sale of ‘Mukhaḍarah’.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2207, Kitāb al-Buyūʿ, Bāb Bayʿ al-Mukhaḍarah)
② Ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
«أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع الثمار حتى يبدو صلاحها نهى البائع والمبتاع»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade both seller and buyer from selling fruits until their goodness appears (i.e., until they ripen).
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2194, Kitāb al-Buyūʿ, Bāb Bayʿ al-Thimār qabla an yabdū ṣalāḥuhā; Muslim: 1534; Abū Dāwūd: 3367; al-Nasāʾī: 7/262; Musnad Aḥmad: 2/56)
③ Ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
«لا تتبايعوا الثمار حتى يبدو صلاحها»
Do not sell fruits to one another until their goodness appears.
(Musnad Aḥmad: 5/13; Muslim: 1538; al-Nasāʾī: 7/263; Ibn Mājah: 2215)
It is when a buyer gives the seller one dirham (or its equivalent) before the sale is completed, on the condition that if he backs out, that dirham will belong to the seller without compensation.
References: al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 2/204; Subul al-Salām 3/1073; Nayl al-Awṭār 3/523; al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 2/609.
① Ḥadīth of ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb from his father from his grandfather:
«نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عن بيع العربان»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of ‘ʿUrbūn’.
(Abū Dāwūd: 3502; Ibn Mājah: 2192; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 4/205; Sharḥ al-Sunnah 8/135; Musnad Aḥmad: 2/183 – Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir رحمه الله graded it ṣaḥīḥ; Musnad Aḥmad, ḥadīth no. 6723)
② The narration from Zayd ibn Aslam رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ permitted ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ is weak due to the presence of Ibrāhīm ibn Abī Yaḥyā (a weak narrator).
References: Ibn Abī Shaybah: 23195; Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr 3/39; Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb 1/137; al-Majrūḥīn: 1/105; al-Ḍuʿafāʾ by al-ʿUqaylī: 1/62; al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl 2/125; al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 1/323; al-Kāmil by Ibn ʿAdī: 1/219; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl 1/57.
References: al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 2/610; al-Majmūʿ 9/335; al-Mughnī 4/313; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 5/7; al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuh 5/3501; Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr 3/17; Subul al-Salām 3/21.
The opinion of the majority (Jumhūr) that both selling unripe fruits before ripening and ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ are invalid and impermissible is the stronger view.
Reference: Nayl al-Awṭār 3/524.
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Definition of ‘Mukhaḍarah’ (Sale of Unripe Fruits)
The term ‘Mukhaḍarah’ comes from the root حَاضَرَ يُخَاضِرُ (pattern: Mufāʿalah). It means selling unripe fruits or grains before they ripen, while still on the trees/plants.
References: al-Munjid, p. 309; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 348; Nayl al-Awṭār, 3/521.
Evidence Against Selling Unripe Fruits
① Ḥadīth of Anas رضي الله عنه:
«نهى رسول الله عن بيع المحاضرة»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the sale of ‘Mukhaḍarah’.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2207, Kitāb al-Buyūʿ, Bāb Bayʿ al-Mukhaḍarah)
② Ḥadīth of Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
«أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن بيع الثمار حتى يبدو صلاحها نهى البائع والمبتاع»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade both seller and buyer from selling fruits until their goodness appears (i.e., until they ripen).
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2194, Kitāb al-Buyūʿ, Bāb Bayʿ al-Thimār qabla an yabdū ṣalāḥuhā; Muslim: 1534; Abū Dāwūd: 3367; al-Nasāʾī: 7/262; Musnad Aḥmad: 2/56)
③ Ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
«لا تتبايعوا الثمار حتى يبدو صلاحها»
Do not sell fruits to one another until their goodness appears.
(Musnad Aḥmad: 5/13; Muslim: 1538; al-Nasāʾī: 7/263; Ibn Mājah: 2215)
Definition of ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ (Earnest Money Sale)
It is when a buyer gives the seller one dirham (or its equivalent) before the sale is completed, on the condition that if he backs out, that dirham will belong to the seller without compensation.
References: al-Rawḍah al-Nadiyyah 2/204; Subul al-Salām 3/1073; Nayl al-Awṭār 3/523; al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 2/609.
Evidence Against ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’
① Ḥadīth of ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb from his father from his grandfather:
«نهى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عن بيع العربان»
The Prophet ﷺ forbade the sale of ‘ʿUrbūn’.
(Abū Dāwūd: 3502; Ibn Mājah: 2192; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 4/205; Sharḥ al-Sunnah 8/135; Musnad Aḥmad: 2/183 – Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir رحمه الله graded it ṣaḥīḥ; Musnad Aḥmad, ḥadīth no. 6723)
② The narration from Zayd ibn Aslam رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ permitted ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ is weak due to the presence of Ibrāhīm ibn Abī Yaḥyā (a weak narrator).
References: Ibn Abī Shaybah: 23195; Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr 3/39; Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb 1/137; al-Majrūḥīn: 1/105; al-Ḍuʿafāʾ by al-ʿUqaylī: 1/62; al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl 2/125; al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr 1/323; al-Kāmil by Ibn ʿAdī: 1/219; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl 1/57.
Scholarly Opinions
- Majority view (Jumhūr) – including Imām Mālik and Imām al-Shāfiʿī: This sale is invalid and impermissible.
- Imām Aḥmad – Considered it permissible; this is also narrated from ʿUmar رضي الله عنه and Ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما.
References: al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 2/610; al-Majmūʿ 9/335; al-Mughnī 4/313; Ibn Abī Shaybah: 5/7; al-Fiqh al-Islāmī wa Adillatuh 5/3501; Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr 3/17; Subul al-Salām 3/21.
Preferred (Rājiḥ) Opinion
The opinion of the majority (Jumhūr) that both selling unripe fruits before ripening and ‘Bayʿ al-ʿUrbūn’ are invalid and impermissible is the stronger view.
Reference: Nayl al-Awṭār 3/524.
