and rancour through wine and gambling” [Quran 5:91]. This religion is a religion of harmony, brotherhood, and love. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, even said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (1)
Likewise, purchasing over another’s purchase is also prohibited, due to the Prophet’s statement: “None of you should sell over the sale of another.” (2) Purchasing is a type of sale, and it entails wrongdoing against one’s brother and gives rise to enmity and rancour.
His statement, “over his brother’s sale”: does “brotherhood” here mean brotherhood of lineage, brotherhood through nursing, or brotherhood in faith?
The answer is: brotherhood in faith, due to the Prophet’s statement: “The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim.” (3)
It may be understood from his words that it is permissible to sell over the sale of a disbeliever, even if he is under a covenant or protected non-Muslim subject status, because he is not his brother. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “over his brother’s sale,” and the disbeliever is not a brother; moreover, the disbeliever has no inviolability. This was the view adopted by the literalists, who said: We adhere to the apparent wording, and selling over another’s sale is prohibited only when it is the sale of a Muslim.
The second view on the issue is that selling over the sale of anyone whose person is inviolable is prohibited, whether he is a Muslim, a disbeliever, or a protected non-Muslim subject, because wrongdoing against