you find; you are entitled to nothing more.’” They also cite the report in the two Sahīh collections:

“A woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, ‘My son bought some fruit from so-and-so, but a calamity destroyed it. He asked the seller for a remission, but the seller swore not to grant it.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘He has sworn not to do good.’”

Neither hadith, however, supports their position.

As for the first, its wording is inconclusive. It relates that a man bought some fruit and became heavily indebted. It is possible that prices were low and his debt grew for that reason. It is also possible that all or some of the fruit perished after becoming fully ripe, or after being taken to the drying floor, the house, or the market. It is also possible that this occurred before the Prophet prohibited selling fruit before it showed signs of ripeness.

Even supposing that this report contradicted that ruling, it would be abrogated, because it retains the original ruling, whereas the other report changes it and establishes a new Sunnah. Were the latter then superseded, the ruling would have changed twice.

As for the second hadith, it contains nothing beyond the Prophet’s statement (peace and blessings be upon him):

“He has sworn not to do good.”

Doing good may be obligatory or recommended. He did not issue a ruling against the seller because the opposing party had not brought a formal claim, nor had evidence or an admission been presented. Moreover, the fruit may have perished after becoming fully ripe.

Some have objected to the hadith concerning losses caused by calamities, arguing that it refers to selling fruit before it shows signs of ripeness, as in the hadith of Anas. This is incorrect for several reasons.