as we have mentioned; nor may one barter a live bird from that genus for its slaughtered flesh. The meat of fish is a single genus, whether it comes from what people ordinarily call fish or from any other marine creature, and all locusts together make up a fourth, distinct genus.

It is impermissible to sell a living animal whose flesh is lawful for meat drawn from its own genus, but there is no objection to exchanging it for meat from a different genus. Thus the meat of four-footed animals whose flesh is lawful may be traded for the meat of all birds or for fish. The same ruling applies to the four genera in general: the meat of any one of them may be exchanged for a live animal that belongs to another genus.

Conversely, the meat of domesticated or wild grazing animals that are lawful to eat may not be bartered for a live animal of the selfsame kind, nor may live locusts be traded for roasted locusts whose death has been brought about by the procedures described earlier in the chapter on foodstuffs.

There is no harm in selling an animal whose flesh is not eaten for any type of meat, in whatever manner one wishes. As for birds that are neither kept nor reared but are intended solely for slaughter, they take the same ruling as meat when sold either for meat or for another animal.

According to Mālik, selling a live animal for meat of its own genus falls under the prohibition of muzābanah.

Mālik allows fresh meat to be exchanged for cooked meat, whether the quantities are equal or unequal; likewise bread for flour, dough for bread, and roasted wheat for raw grain, with or without disparity. In his view none of these transactions constitute muzābanah, for the act of processing removes the items from being of a single genus—though other scholars disagree with him on this point.

Mālik forbids selling wheat for flour with disparity, and there are two reports from him concerning their sale when the amounts are equal: on one occasion he permitted it and on another he prohibited it.

He rules that fresh dates may be traded for fresh dates provided the amounts are equal, whereas ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz maintains that such a sale is never permissible under any circumstance.