Etiquettes of Buying & Selling by Ustadh Aqeel Mahmood

Etiquettes of Buying & Selling

Jabir ibn Abdillah, may Allah be pleased with him, he said once, I had a camel which I owned, and this camel had come to the point that I wanted to let it go. Meaning it was so exhausted and it was so old and tired, it was of no use to me anymore. Like when someone has an old car and the car barely moves, and he wants to buy a new car. So he said I wanted to get rid of this camel, because it's of no use to me anymore.

And he said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came, and he touched the camel, and he supplicated for the camel. And Jabir ibn Abdillah said that after he supplicated for this camel, because of the supplication of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the camel started to move energetically, and he moved in a way which I never saw it move before. It was energetic, and it was full of vigor. And so he was happy because of this new lease of life which the camel had because of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jabir, sell this camel to me. I want this camel. And Jabir said no, I don't want to give you this camel. This camel has been blessed by you, O Messenger of Allah. I want to keep this camel for myself. Sell me this camel. I'll buy this camel off you for a certain amount. So Jabir, how could he refuse the offer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? So he decided to sell the camel to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said, I'll sell it to you on one condition. I want to ride this camel one more time. Let me ride it one more time, and then I'll bring it to your home, and then I'll get the money from you.

So he rode this camel one more time to the house of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he took the money for the camel. And he was walking away, and you can imagine maybe he's a bit upset because he had his attachment to this camel now. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man after him and told him to come back. And when he went back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at him, and he said to him, do you think that I bargained with you in order to take away your camel from you? Take your camel and keep the money as well. They're both for you. So Jabir ended up having the money and also the camel, which was blessed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Islam: A Complete Way of Life

There are many lessons we can learn from this incident which took place. One of the lessons that I want to focus on today, brothers and sisters, is the fact that even the Messenger of Allah ﷺ understood the concept of buying and selling. He knew that the world worked in a way in which things are bought and things are sold.

In Islam, things are divided into two: our relationship with Allah and our interactions and relationships with other human beings. And one of the main chapters of fiqh is the chapter of buying and selling, because it's considered to be something important. At one point or another in our lives, we're going to buy or sell something — whether it's something small or whether it's something big, whether it's food or clothes or something for the house, or whether it's something big like a car or a house. At one point or another, we're going to be buying or selling something in our lives.

The problem is that when we leave the masjid and we go to our shops and we go to our shopping malls, or even our businesses where we sell things and we buy things, we forget to realize that Islam is a complete way of life. And when we're in those places, Islam has taught us how to behave. Islam has come with certain etiquettes and certain manners when it comes to buying and selling.

The Muslim identity isn't just for the masjid, or for when a person prays, or for a certain time of the year like in Ramadan. A Muslim is always a Muslim wherever he is. And he shows the manners and the etiquettes of a Muslim wherever he is and whatever he's getting involved in.

The Muslims of the Far East — they became Muslim not through any expeditions or through any wars of the Muslims, but because they interacted with the Muslims who came from Yemen and they did business with them. And they saw their etiquette and their manners. They saw how they interacted with them. And because of this, they were so impressed that they became Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that the best places are the masjids, because the remembrance of Allah is common in them. And he said the worst places are the marketplaces, because it's full of lying, it's full of cheating, it's full of raised voices. It's all about the dunya and it's all about the world. So when a person buys and sells, he needs to remember that he's a Muslim first and foremost, and he needs to abide by what Allah says and what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said with regards to the etiquettes of buying and selling.

The Etiquettes of Buying & Selling

1. Avoid Buying and Selling Haram Things

One of the first things that a person can do is to remember and beware, and be careful not to get involved in buying and selling things which are haram, things which are forbidden. Because your sins, and buying and selling things which are haram, are a reason for you to become unsuccessful. And they'll cause problems in your life. Allah says:

That whatever strikes you of any calamities or any disasters, then it's because of what your own hands have caused. It's because of the things that you did. It's because of the consequences of your own actions. And whoever fears Allah, then Allah will provide for him:

Whoever fears Allah, Allah will find for him a way out, and He'll provide for him in ways which he never even imagined. So when a person remembers Allah, and he's aware of Allah, and he's conscious of Allah when he's buying and selling, then Allah will bless his buying and selling, and He'll bless his wealth.

2. Do Not Sacrifice Your Faith for Money

Another etiquette of buying and selling is that a person shouldn't sacrifice his faith for the sake of money and for the sake of business. Allah says:

O you who believe, when the call is made for the day of Friday — meaning the Friday prayer, this very day today, and this very salah we're going to pray in a while — hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade, leave buying and selling. This is better for you if only you knew. So when Allah orders us and tells us to remember Allah, and to leave trade, and to attend the Friday prayer, and when we put Allah before our businesses and before our money, then Allah as a result of that is going to bless our wealth. And when we don't make our religion our priority, then Allah isn't going to make us His priority, and we're not going to be successful in this world.

3. Remember Allah Often in the Marketplace

Another etiquette of buying and selling, brothers and sisters, is remembering Allah often when you're in the marketplaces, when you're in the shopping malls, when you're in your shops buying and selling things. In the very same ayah, Allah says:

When the prayer finishes, spread out in the earth and seek the bounties of Allah. And remember Allah a lot, so that you are muflihun — so that you are successful. So success won't come except when a person remembers Allah. He needs to be conscious of Allah, keeping his tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah whenever he's in the marketplace. The key to success in trade and in business is remembering Allah a lot.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us a supplication to say when entering the marketplace:

And he even told us of supplicating and making a du'a when buying a riding beast. He would tell his companions: when you buy a riding beast, take hold of it — if you buy a camel, take hold of the camel's hump — and make du'a:

Oh Allah, I ask You for the goodness of this thing and the goodness of what it is inclined towards, and I seek refuge with You from its evil and whatever evil it is inclined towards. These du'as are available in du'a books, and a person should remember these supplications when buying things. And the same du'a can be used when buying a car — the same concept — because it's something that you use to get from one place to another.

4. Be Honest and Do Not Lie

Another etiquette of buying and selling is being honest and not lying when buying and selling. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that the two parties to a transaction have the option of withdrawing until they depart. And then he said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2079; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1532)

If they are honest with one another and the seller discloses any defects of the product, then that transaction is going to be blessed — it's going to be a blessed transaction. But if they lie and they conceal and they hide the defects of the thing that they're selling, the blessing will be erased. The blessing of this transaction won't exist anymore.

Sometimes a person goes to the shop and asks for the price. The seller tells him the price. And he says, "Well, I went to this shop and they sell it for a lot cheaper." He never went to any other shop, but he just wants it cheaper, and so he lies in order to get something cheaper. If this is the way you're going to go about buying things, then don't expect any barakah and blessings in the things that you buy. Likewise the seller — he may say, "There's nothing else on the market. No other shop has this product," while the shop next door has exactly the same thing.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ talked about the honest tradesman, the honest businessman, and he said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1209)

The honest, trustworthy businessman is with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs — because of his honesty, because of him being honest when it comes to matters of money and buying and selling. This is the status of the honest businessman. And it's not something which is easy, which is why the reward is great. It's very rare today to see someone who is involved in business and is an honest person and is trustworthy, and this is why it's held in such high regard.

5. Show Leniency When Buying and Selling

Also from the etiquette of selling, brothers and sisters, is showing leniency when you buy and when you sell. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2076)

May Allah have mercy on the one who is easygoing, the one who is lenient when he buys, and is lenient when he sells, and is lenient when he asks for his money back. Sometimes we haggle with people to buy something, and we haggle to the extent that we end up lying, and our voices are raised, and we start becoming angry with one another, and we may even get into a physical fight — all over a few pounds. All over this money which comes and goes every single day.

A person should be easygoing. He should take it easy. Be lenient in buying and selling. And if he is lenient in buying and selling, Allah will bestow His mercy on that individual. Who from amongst us doesn't need the mercy of Allah? So a person when he buys, when he sells — take it easy. Don't go overboard. Don't lose your composure over a few pounds. Don't become angry. Don't lie. Don't get physical just over something as trivial as money which comes and goes.

6. Refrain from Swearing Oaths

Another etiquette of buying and selling, brothers and sisters, is refraining from swearing and making oaths by Allah. Sometimes a person may sell something and he'll say, "Wallahi, this product is the best product on the market," and he knows it's not the best product on the market. He knows there are other things which are better, and he knows there's nothing special about this product. But he's trying to sell it.

When a person makes an oath, it's not something insignificant. You're swearing by Allah, your Creator, that this product is the best product out there. Allah is all aware of the things that you buy and the things that you sell. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that the oath may sell the product — you may be able to sell it when you make an oath, and people may be impressed and may take your word for it — but he said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2087; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1606)

The oath may sell the product, but it annihilates the blessing. It gets rid of the blessing of the thing that you're selling. Allah says:

Do not follow every habitual swearer, the one who is always making oaths. Because it's not something which is considered good. A person who is always making oaths, one day he's going to fall into the trap of lying while making an oath by Allah. So a person needs to be conscious when he's buying and selling things.

7. Increase in Giving Sadaqah

Another etiquette, brothers and sisters, of buying and selling is to increase in giving sadaqah — to increase in giving charity if you're involved in a business where you're buying and you're selling things. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up once and called out to the businessmen and to the merchants, saying:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1208; Sunan al-Nasa'i, Hadith 3797)

Oh merchants, verily the shaytan and sins attend the transaction. When you make a transaction, the shaytan attends that transaction, and sins are surrounding it. And because of this, mix that transaction with sadaqah, with charity. Give charity. Give for the sake of Allah so that there's blessing in the things that you buy and the things that you sell, and so that there's no sin surrounding them. So a person, when he buys and when he sells, needs to at the same time give in charity — give a small amount, give something for the sake of Allah.

8. Pay Off Debts as Soon as Possible

Another etiquette of buying and selling, my dear brothers and sisters, is paying off debts as soon as possible and not delaying in paying off debts. Sometimes businesses have debts that they need to pay off, and they leave it for a week or for a month or even for a year, or even longer. And these debts are on that person.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ talked about the seriousness of debts, and he said that the soul of the believer is suspended because of the debt until it's paid off. He said a person won't enter into Jannah until his debts are paid off — even if it's a small amount, even if it's a penny.

Abdullah ibn Mubarak, he once traveled from Yemen to Iraq in search of knowledge, and he borrowed a pen. He traveled back after his search of knowledge and he remembered he still had the pen. After arriving at his destination, he went all the way back just to give that pen back, because he knew that this is an amanah. He knew that if this isn't given back then it's a debt on his behalf.

So a person needs to be careful when it comes to debts. Don't delay in paying debts, brothers and sisters. Someone else might not know about the debts that you have, and if you die today, then who's going to pay off that debt? And a person's soul will be suspended and he won't enter Jannah until that debt is paid off, or until that person forgives that individual.

9. Allow a Buyer to Cancel a Transaction if He Regrets It

Another etiquette of buying and selling, brothers and sisters, is to let a buyer cancel the transaction if he regrets it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 3460; Ibn Majah, Hadith 2199)

Whoever lets a Muslim off in a transaction, then Allah will relieve him of distress on the Day of Judgment. If a person buys something from you and he regrets it later, and this Muslim brother comes back to you and says, look, I made a mistake, I don't want this anymore — then if you want Allah to relieve you of your distress on the Day of Judgment, relieve him of his distress and take that product back. Because it's not worth it, brothers and sisters. It's not worth the stress of the Day of Judgment to not show this mercy to your fellow Muslim brother.

Apply These Etiquettes to Yourself First

We were talking about the etiquette of buying and selling, and how Islam has come with a complete package — a complete way of life. Islam isn't just something that a person does in the masjid. He's not just a Muslim in the masjid or at a specific time of the year like in Ramadan. But wherever he is, whatever he's doing, he's showing his Islam. And he's showing the etiquette of a Muslim and his Muslim identity. And it's no different when he buys and when he sells, and when he's at work, and when he's in the shop, or when he's buying or selling something as part of his business. Even then he's a Muslim and he shows those etiquettes.

And when we talk about these types of etiquettes, brothers and sisters, we need to apply these etiquettes to ourselves first before anybody else. A person shouldn't go to the shop and say, "You know, the Prophet ﷺ said a person should be lenient in selling, so you should be lenient with me," applying the hadith to somebody else. He needs to apply that hadith to himself before he applies it to anybody else. Allah says:

O you who believe, save yourselves and then your families from the hellfire. So whenever a person hears any piece of advice, any ayah in the Qur'an, any hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advising something or forbidding something, he needs to think about how he can apply it to himself before he thinks about other individuals and how they're falling short in that situation. A person needs to reflect on himself. He needs to always and constantly be improving himself.

Your Manners May Be a Means of Dawah

It may be, brothers and sisters, that because of your etiquette and your manners, and the things that you show from your Islamic identity, it may be that because of your Islam when buying and selling, other people who aren't Muslim will see this and they'll accept Islam. That may be the case.

The people who traded from Yemen — when they were trading with those people from the Far East, they had the intention of making money. That was their goal, that was their intention. They never thought that these people would become Muslim. They were buying and selling. But they abided by the etiquettes of Islam. And because of this, those people became Muslim. Now imagine the reward of those people because of whom those Muslims from the Far East — from Indonesia, from Malaysia — accepted Islam. Imagine their reward.

Because of your etiquette, because of your manners, it may be that a person will deal with you — maybe you're selling something on eBay, on Gumtree, whatever it is — you show your Islamic etiquettes when you're dealing with that person, and because of your etiquette, because of your manners, he becomes impressed. We can't afford in this day and age to not be open with our deen, with regards to our etiquettes and our manners, and showing our deen in the correct way. Many people have false ideas about Islam. So a person shows his Islam in any way which he can. Maybe because of this a person will see this and he'll realize that Islam isn't what he read in the newspapers. Islam isn't what he sees on the television. These people are good, they're honest people. It may be that he accepts Islam, or at the very least, he'll be sympathetic to the Muslims and he won't have a false image of Islam.

We ask Allah that He blesses our wealth, and that as a result of our etiquettes and manners of buying and selling, we enter into Jannah with the Prophets and with the truthful and with the martyrs. Ameen.