harden. Thus, grain refers to wheat, barley, and the like. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade selling such produce until it hardens; and it is understood from the implication of the hadith that, once it has hardened, its sale is permissible. The edible portion of an ear of grain is inside it.
Second: necessity calls for this.
Third: people have customarily dealt in this manner without objection.
Fourth: opening them would cause them to spoil.
“And that the price be known. Thus, if he sells it at its marked price, or for one thousand dirhams in gold and silver, or for whatever price the market settles at, or for the price at which Zayd sold it, while both parties—or one of them—are unaware of it, the sale is invalid.”
His statement, “And that the price be known”: this is the seventh condition: the price must be known, whether by inspection, description, counting, weighing, or the like.
As for the difference between the item sold and the price, it has been said that the price is whatever consists of the two monetary metals—that is, dirhams and dinars. Thus, if you say, “I sold you this garment for one dirham,” then the price is one dirham. And if he says, “I sold you this dirham for a garment,” then the price is the dirham.
Some scholars have said: the price is that to which the preposition “for” is attached. Thus, if you say, “I sold you a garment for one dirham,” the price is the dirham; and if he says, “I sold you a dirham for a garment,” the price is the garment. Likewise, “I sold you a pen for a watch”: the price is the watch. And, “I sold a watch for a pen”: the price is the pen. This is the stronger view, and even in common usage, the price is that to which “for” is attached.
Therefore, the price must be known, just as it is stipulated that the item sold be known.