in full; thereafter, if the buyer wishes, he may leave the gold with the seller, and if he wishes, he may take it away. However, if the seller merely quoted him a price without finalizing the sale, and the buyer then left, brought the remainder of the money, and only after that were the contract and the taking of possession concluded, this is permissible, because the contract was not completed until the price had been produced.

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Question 18: What is the ruling on handing over gold before receiving its price, especially when the purchaser is a relative and one fears cutting family ties, while I am fully certain that he will pay its value—even if after some time?

Answer: You must realize the general principle that selling gold for silver currency is never permissible unless the full price is received on the spot. There is no difference between a near relative and a stranger, for in the religion of Allah no one enjoys favoritism. If your relative becomes angry with you for obeying Allah, then let him be angry; he is the one who is unjust and sinful, for he wants you to fall into disobedience to Allah. In truth, you have shown piety by preventing him from entering into the transaction