Selling by Public Auction

Question: Is selling by public auction—known among us as al-harāj—deemed the same as the forbidden act of a man buying over his brother’s purchase, or not?

Answer: Outbidding another person needs some clarification. If the auction is still underway, the item is being announced, and further offers are being invited, then there is no problem with someone raising the bid above a previous offer, because higher bids are desired and the door to bidding is still open. In fact, during a sale he supervised, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Who will increase?”

However, once the bidding has ended, the owner of the item—or his agent—has decided to sell to a specific buyer, and the auction has been closed, it is then impermissible for anyone to step in and bid over his brother’s bid. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Let not a Muslim outbid his brother’s bid.” This ruling applies when the price has settled, the auction is finished, and the owner or his agent wishes to complete the sale with that buyer.

Selling Pure Manure

Question: We own several sheep, and we collect their waste—their droppings, may Allah honor you—and pile it up. Because we do not have farmland on which to benefit from it, we would like to know: is it permissible for us to sell it and lawfully consume its price, or is that not allowed?

Answer: There is no objection to selling pure manure, such as the fertilizer that comes from sheep and camels