732 – ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Abzā and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: “Whenever we obtained war-booty with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, some Nabateans from greater Syria would come to us and we would pay them in advance for wheat, barley, and raisins.”

In another wording: “and (for) oil, to a specified deadline.” Someone asked, “Did those sellers actually own any crops?” They replied, “We never used to ask them about that.” Reported by al-Bukhārī (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadith
– al-maghānim: plural of maghnam, wealth seized by Muslims from unbelievers in battle.
– anbāṭ: the Nabateans—Arabs who had mixed with non-Arabs, their lineage becoming intermingled and their speech corrupted; they were so named because of their skill in locating and drawing water.

Points derived from the two ḥadiths
1 – When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah after his migration, he found its people already using the salam contract: they would pay the price up front while postponing delivery of the produce—usually for one or two years. He approved this form of transaction, did not forbid it, and merely directed them to conclude it in a sound, lawful manner. This is what is known as salam.

Ibn ʿAbbās said, “I testify that the guaranteed advance-payment sale for a stated term is something Allah has declared lawful.”