686 – On the authority of Tāwūs, from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared, “Do not intercept the caravans, and no town-dweller is to sell on behalf of a desert-dweller.” I asked Ibn ʿAbbās, “What is meant by ‘no town-dweller is to sell on behalf of a desert-dweller’?” He replied, “He must not act as his simsār (broker).” Agreed upon, and the wording is that of al-Bukhārī (1).

Glossary of ḥadith terms
• Lā talqaw (do not intercept): originally “lā tattalqaw,” with one of the two tā’s omitted. It means: do not go out to meet those bringing goods into town in order to buy from them before they reach the market and learn the prevailing price. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr noted that the wording “do not intercept the caravans” occurs in several forms, all conveying the same sense.
• ar-Rukbān (the caravans): plural of rākib (rider). In its earliest usage it referred specifically to camel-riders, but it was later broadened to anyone riding an animal. Here it denotes people who transport livestock, foodstuffs, and other goods to urban centres for sale—whether riding or on foot, individually or in groups; riders are mentioned because that is the common case.
• Ḥāḍir (town-dweller): from ḥaḍara, “to be present”; it denotes someone settled in a town or village.
• Bādī (desert-dweller): from badā, “to live in the desert”; it refers to one who resides in the open countryside or steppe. Its plural is bādūn.