7 – Ḥammād reported, from a man who told him, that al-Ashʿath ibn Qays bought a slave from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him). When ʿAbd Allāh later demanded payment, al-Ashʿath said, “I purchased it from you for 10,000 dirhams,” while ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd maintained, “I sold it to you for 20,000.” ʿAbd Allāh then said, “Appoint whomever you wish to arbitrate between us.” Al-Ashʿath replied, “I appoint you to judge between us.” ʿAbd Allāh said, “I shall relate to you a legal ruling I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): ‘If the buyer and seller differ over the price and neither party has evidence, and the commodity is still on hand, the word is the seller’s, or they must cancel the sale.’”