nothing left for us to refer back to. Thus, if, for example, the muslam says to the muslam ilayh, “I have entered into a salam contract with you for one hundred times the contents of this vessel,” it is invalid, because this is not a recognized standard and the vessel may be lost, resulting in a dispute. The Shariah has come to block every means that gives rise to dispute.
Issue: What if he specifies it according to so-and-so’s sa‘? The jurists say that this is permissible, but the specification itself is disregarded. So long as so-and-so’s sa‘ is the same as the people’s standard sa‘, there is no difference. Some, however, say that if so-and-so’s sa‘ is known, then that specification must be observed. But the correct view is that it is not binding, because so-and-so’s sa‘ may be destroyed.
His statement: “If a salam contract is made for a measured commodity by weight, or for a weighed commodity by measure, it is invalid.” This is because it must be quantified according to the legally prescribed standard. Thus, wheat and similar goods are quantified by measure, while sugar, meat, and the like are quantified by weight. Therefore, if a salam contract is made for a measured commodity by weight, or for a weighed commodity by measure, it is invalid. This is the view adopted by the author, may Allah have mercy on him, and it is the well-known position in the madhhab of Imam Ahmad.
The correct view, however, is that it is valid to contract salam for a measured commodity by weight and for a weighed commodity by measure, because the quantity is known. Equality is not a condition here. Rather, in the sale of a ribawi commodity for another of its own kind, it is required that it be quantified according to the legally prescribed standard because equality is a condition. Hence, it is not valid for me to sell you ten kilograms of wheat in exchange for ten kilograms of wheat, because equality must be according to the legally prescribed standard; and the legally prescribed standard for grains and similar goods is measure. As for salam, the aim is for the qualities and quantity to be precisely defined, and this