695. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by a pile of food. He inserted his hand into it and his fingers felt dampness. He asked, ‘What is this, owner of the food?’ The man replied, ‘It was rained on, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Why did you not place it on top of the rest so that the people could see it? Whoever cheats is not of me.’” Related by Muslim (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth
• ṣubrah: a heap or pile of produce or other goods, so called because portions are poured one upon another and gathered together.
• balalan: moisture or dampness.
• aṣābat-hu al-samāʾ: rain has fallen on it.
• ghishsh: cheating, deception; the opposite of sincere advice. One who practices it is a ghāshsh; the plurals are ghushshāsh and ghashashah.
• fa-laysa minnī: al-Nawawī said it reads with the first-person pronoun, meaning “he is not among those who follow my guidance and emulate my commendable way.”

Points derived from the ḥadīth

1. The narration proves the prohibition of cheating people in sales and in all other transactions.
2. It establishes that the seller is obliged, if his food or any other merchandise is defective or inferior, to