But the correct view is that he does have the option, because he is unaware of the item’s value and because the seller deceived him. The seller should therefore be treated contrary to his intent, since he deceived him; thus, we say that he has the option.

If he says, “This man knows buying and selling, so why did he not bargain with me?”

We reply: “May Allah reward him well. He trusted you, but you were not worthy of trust. He now has the option.”

Another form of munājashah—a type of being led on—is for the seller to tell the buyer, “I was offered such-and-such for this item,” while lying. The buyer will then say, “If it was bid at two hundred, I will buy it for two hundred and ten.” He does indeed buy it for two hundred and ten, only for it to become clear that its value was one hundred and fifty. In that case, he has the option, because he was unfairly overcharged in a manner resembling najash.

Another example is where he says, “I bought it for one hundred,” while lying, having actually bought it for fifty. The buyer then takes it for one hundred and five, so that the other may make a profit of five riyals. If it later becomes clear that he bought it for fifty, then the buyer has the option, because this is a form of najash: he provoked the buyer into purchasing it for more than its price.

If it is asked: What is the ruling on najash, and on doing that by which the buyer is led on?

The answer is that all of it is unlawful, because it contradicts what a believer owes to his brother. The Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (1)