A definite, well-known term that ordinarily influences the price must be named. Hence a salam is not valid if made for immediate delivery, nor for an indeterminate time such as “until harvest,” nor merely “until a day.” It is, however, permissible for items like bread or meat that the buyer is to receive each day in a specified amount. (1)
If the seller brings the commodity before its due date and this entails no harm, the buyer is obliged to accept it—likewise if he brings a superior quality of the same variety.

The commodity must be generally available at the time it falls due, not necessarily at the moment the contract is concluded. Should it become unobtainable, the buyer may either wait or cancel the contract.

The price must be taken into possession before the parties disperse, and its amount and qualities must be known. If payment of any portion is deferred, the contract is void with respect to that portion alone, as in currency exchange (ṣarf). When a salam is made in a single commodity for two different due dates—or the reverse—the parties must state every instalment together with its separate price.

The salam must be concluded as a debt in the seller’s liability, not against a specific existing item. If the contract is made while travelling, the place of delivery must be designated; otherwise delivery is required at the place where the contract was concluded unless another location is stipulated.
No disposal of the salam commodity is valid before it is received, nor may a substitute be taken for it, nor may it be pledged or guaranteed.