measured by volume, whereas whatever the Sacred Law does not explicitly designate is to be referred to local custom. This scholar regards the hadith, “The measure is the measure of Medina, and the weight is the weight of Mecca,” as weak, and says: Whatever the Sacred Law explicitly mentions—such as dates, wheat, barley, raisins, and salt—is measured by volume. The evidence is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prescribed the zakat al-fitr according to volume, saying: “One sa' of dates and one sa' of barley.” (1) Likewise, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We used to give it as one sa' of food, and our food at that time was dates, barley, raisins, and dried curds.” (2)

Thus, whatever the Sacred Law explicitly states to be measured by volume is measured by volume, and we may not go beyond the explicit text. As for whatever it does not explicitly mention, its local custom is to be considered: if people sell it by weight, then it is weighed; if they sell it by volume, then it is measured by volume; and if they sell it by number, then it is counted.

Let us apply this view to our present circumstances. People now trade rice and wheat by weight. Should we consider weight in their case, or should we say that they are textually established as measured by volume?

The answer is the latter. Thus, if we wish to exchange wheat for wheat, we do not consider weight; rather, we consider volume, because it is textually established as measured by volume, and we do not go beyond the text.

If we suppose that there is a type of corn which people trade by weight, should we say that it is weighed on the basis of custom, or that it is measured by volume because it resembles wheat?

The answer is that we return to custom, because there is no text stating that corn is among what is measured by volume. This view is more convenient, because if we were to say: