“These are Solomon’s horses.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began laughing at what she had said. Aḥmad said: “This report is singular; I have not heard it from anyone other than Hushaym, from Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd.”
It has been related that Abū Saʿīd al-Iṣṭakhrī, one of al-Shāfiʿī’s associates, was appointed to the office of ḥisba in Baghdad during the reign of al-Muqtadir. He abolished the dādhi market and prohibited it, saying: “It is suitable only for forbidden nabīdh.” He allowed the toy market to remain and did not prohibit it. He said: “ʿĀʾishah used to play with dolls in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he did not object to it.” This is because dādhi is, for the most part, used only for nabīdh. It may occasionally be used as medicine, but that is unlikely.
The fact that openly engaging in some permitted acts may be denounced does not prevent this, just as openly engaging in lawful relations with wives and slave women is denounced. Aḥmad said, according to the narration of Abū Ṭālib, concerning people who sold dādhi for making intoxicants: “I disliked that, and said: It should not be sold.”
He also said, according to the narration of Bakr ibn Muḥammad from his father, concerning selling dates and raisins to someone who made nabīdh from them, while treating it as religiously permissible and considering the drinking of intoxicants lawful: “I would neither sell it to him nor assist him in preparing it. He is like a man who considers marriage without a guardian permissible: I would not testify for him, nor would I criticize him for it, even if he held it as a religious commitment.”
According to the narration of Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn, Aḥmad was asked about selling silk to women. He replied: “There is no harm in that; but if he sells it to men, I do not approve.”
As for prohibited acts that have not become manifest, the muḥtasib may neither spy on them nor tear down people’s coverings in fear that they may be committing such acts secretly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever commits any of these abominable acts should conceal himself under Allah Most High’s concealment. For whoever reveals his wrongdoing to us, we shall take action against him.”