and the disapproved form is for him to say, “Buy such-and-such a commodity, and I will give you a profit on it and buy it from you,” without negotiating the profit with him. The prohibited form is for him to negotiate the profit, saying, “Buy such-and-such a commodity, and I will give you such-and-such a profit on it and purchase it from you for such-and-such a price.” This form comprises six cases with differing rulings.

Three arise when he says, “Buy it for me.” The first is for him to say, “Buy such-and-such a commodity for me for ten in cash, and I will purchase it from you for twelve in cash.” The second is for him to say, “Buy it for me for ten in cash, and I will buy it from you for twelve on deferred payment.” The third is the reverse: “Buy it for me for twelve on deferred payment, and I will buy it from you for ten in cash.”

Three arise when he says, “Buy it for yourself,” or simply, “Buy it,” without saying either “for me” or “for yourself.” The first is for him to say, “Buy such-and-such a commodity for ten in cash, and I will purchase it from you for twelve in cash.” Or, in the second case, he says, “Buy it for yourself for ten in cash, and I will then purchase it from you for twelve on deferred payment.” Or, in the third case, he says, “Buy it for yourself”—or merely “Buy it,” without adding anything further—“for twelve on deferred payment, and I will purchase it from you for ten in cash.”

As for the fourth case, it is for him to say, “Buy it for yourself for ten in cash, and I will buy it from you for twelve in cash.” The fifth is for him to say, “Buy it for yourself for ten in cash, and I will purchase it from you for twelve on deferred payment.” The sixth is the reverse: he says, “Buy it for yourself”—or merely “Buy it,” without adding anything further—“for twelve on deferred payment, and I will purchase it from you for ten in cash.”

As for the first case, where he says, “Buy it for me for ten in cash, and I will buy it from you for twelve in cash,” the person instructed is bound to purchase the commodity on the other’s behalf for a fee of two dinars, since he purchases it for him. His statement, “And I will buy it from you,” is meaningless and has no effect, because the purchase is made on his behalf and at his instruction. If the money comes from the person giving the instruction, or from the person instructed without this having been stipulated, that is permissible. But if it is stipulated that the person instructed provide the money, this constitutes an invalid contract for services: the two dinars are given to him to purchase the commodity on the other’s behalf and advance its price from his own funds. Thus, it combines a service contract with a loan. The person instructed is entitled to the customary fee for such work, unless that fee exceeds the two dinars, in which case he is not awarded more than those two. This accords with Ibn al-Qāsim’s position concerning a sale combined with a loan, when the loan is